Originally Posted by Murreydobe

We have handlers that are also breeders, who can and do influence the lengths of the crops on the puppies they produce. But there are also handlers like the one I use, who makes it clear he *does not* like donkey ears.

I think the length of the crops out there has evolved gradually, with no one trying to emulate any one dog who was a big winner or anything. People found that longer crops (as opposed to short crops) were attractive, so now we're seeing the progression of the "more is better" attitude in some situations where people are seeing just how long they can go.