Ear Cropping

marlenalynn · 09-04-2007, 06:12 PM

My boyfriend and I have been trying to decide for the last 6 weeks that we have owned our puppy whether or not to crop his ears. Aaron has grown up with dobe's but his family always got them when the ears were already done and didn't have to be a part of the decision. We love Lincoln to death and we don't want to put him through something unnecessary but we also love the look of the breed and want to be true to the breed, if you will. We're very proud of him and we want him to be a handsome boy when he grows up. Can anyone shed some light on the process and how the healing works etc? The pics of the healing aparatus look so sad. Breaks my heart... but in truth, how much does it affect the dog? Can he still run and play? How long til they bounce back, given a healthy happy pup?

We have talked to a vet locally that has been cropping ears for years and supports the decision to do it. He takes great care with your dog and is a trusted professional in the community. We feel confident in our choice of provider.... if we decide to go forward.

Any advice, thoughts, stories, anything?

Thanks. Your replies are much apprecaited.

**greenkouki** · 09-04-2007, 06:31 PM

The actual healing takes maybe a week, and the aparatus you are talking about is just to train the ears to stand, the surgery is only half of the process. Pups tend to not mind having their ears in posts and go about their usual mischief normally. Cropping is normally done between 8 and 12 weeks, since you have already had your pup for 6 weeks it is probably already too late to crop at this point. Most all reputable breeders crop their pups prior to finding them homes partly because docked and cropped dobermans are easier to find new homes for (if the puppy can no longer stay in the original home).

marlenalynn · 09-04-2007, 06:43 PM

Thanks for the info. We got him at 6 weeks- yep, a little early. So he is just now 12 weeks. The vet we are working with says its now or never so we have an appointment in a few days for him to be assessed for the cropping. We don't want to wait too much longer. Our breeder did offer to crop them for a fee but she was in another state, my home state and we were heading back to Colorado by car and couldn't stay to have it done there. So its now or never so we're just gathering info and talking to as many people as we can. Thanks for the info. I'm glad to know they play normally once they have theit healing thing on. I knew it was to get the ears to stand but it looks painful :-( I'm glad it doesn't seem to be bothersome.

Thanks again.

**greenkouki** · 09-04-2007, 06:52 PM

At only 12 weeks with the only chance to do it being now, I would choose to do it. But I prefer cropped and docked dobermans so I have a strong bias. Also consider if for any reason you have to rehome him it will make it easier with his ears cropped. I'm sure your boyfriend has some experience with the posting process and if your vet really knows what he's doing he will really help you with scheduled tapings etc. Just consider everyone's best interest when making your decision.

**TracyJo** · 09-04-2007, 06:59 PM

I originally struggled with the to crop or not to crop decision - it all boiled down to whether or not it was worth putting her through the pain/discomfort of cropping and dealing with the months and months of posting just to achieve a certain look. For us, we decided it wasn't worth it.It's a matter of personal preference. You said you want him to be handsome when he's an adult. I personally think that my natural eared girl is gorgeous and wouldn't want her any other way. That's not to say that I don't like the look of a nicely cropped dobe, I do, but I prefer natural.

**Chaz** · 09-04-2007, 07:31 PM

They can still play and rough-house just like any other puppy with their ears posted:

Julie W · 09-04-2007, 07:31 PM

Ear cropping isn't nearly as big of a deal to the puppy as non-doberman people think. When they are cropped they are either put in some sort of "rack" that leaves the cut and sutured edges exposed, or they are taped over the head, also leaving the cut edges exposed. I personally would recommend going straight to a rack that helps them stand at this late age. Normally the sutures come out and the ears are ready to be posted after a week or week and a half. Posting normally lasts until the puppy is 5-7 months old, but sometimes it can take much longer. If you aren't willing to go through the very long hassle of diligently keeping those ears posted then I wouldn't even consider getting them cropped. Posting really causes minimal discomfort to the puppy if done well and they can run and play just like normal. The biggest thing you need to consider is just how good your vet is at doberman crops. Out of all of the vets that do doberman crops, only a VERY SMALL percentage actually do it well (even though they all think they do). You will want somebody that is experienced, good, and can honestly assess your puppies ears since he is already 12 weeks old to see how well he/she thinks they will stand since he would be done so late.

All of that aside, it's really personal preference to crop or not. Nobody can tell you which you would prefer. The process itself though isn't traumatic for the puppy if the crop and after care are done properly.