to crop, or not to crop?

mybluecypress · 06-29-2008, 05:34 PM

does not croppin my dogs ears make her any less of a doberman?? her tail was already docked before i got her, but i just dont have the heart to crop her ears....

bleh60 · 06-29-2008, 05:49 PM

of course not. why would she be any less of a doberman? Plently of dobes all over europe have natural tails and ears and they are still all doberman.

feverone · 06-29-2008, 06:21 PM

Well No..... but its a personal choice.. I would never have a dobe without the ears done (again thats my preference) I 1st fell in love with this breed for their look , then fell for the personality..... JMHO
If you do get them done ?dont wait longer then 10wks old. And Look for a GOOD cropper.....Better to leave them down then have a bad crop.

Julie W · 06-29-2008, 06:39 PM

Of course not. It's just a personal choice. (unless you live in a country that has taken that choice away)

**lolonurse** · 06-29-2008, 07:14 PM

Hi there - We had 2 of each (now just one cropped , the other 2 natural) -
in the US, if you're going to show a Dobe, you better have cropped ears, because they just barely even look at natural ones - but most of the rest of the world either has now banned cropping, or will accept either - and in many places, they no longer dock the tails, either. You can look at my gallery, and see that they are wonderful either way. The cropped ears give that traditional serious and intelligent Doberman air, while the natural ears give them a softer, kinder, more approachable demeanor. Of course, they are the same in reality. Personally, I can't see any reason to crop their ears if they aren't going to be shown - unless they are a serious working dog who might get the ears caught in something, bitten or mangled, or used as handles to incapacitate them. People are genuinely less fearful when they're natural (sometimes rightly so, sometimes that's a mistake! Depends on where you meet up with them, right?) lois

prophecy · 06-29-2008, 07:31 PM

i dont thinl it makes them any LESS dobe,to be 'natural' or 'cropped'. however,imo natural ears have challenges just like the cropped ones.
imo i think its more athstetic preferance now a days,as dobes are more family pets as oppossed to military or ''gaurd'' type working dogs of old. i feel the 'down ears' make them less intimidating to the public and more playful/goofy in apearance.(dobes are both playful AND goofy) the erect ears found in a cropped dog look more intimidating to the average person.(????) i dont have an ear/tail pref,as i just love the breed!

**azdobes** · 06-29-2008, 08:03 PM

At 6 1/2 years, your Cypress is too old to have ears cropped. It is a procedure that is usually done at about 10 weeks.

An uncropped Dobe is just as much a Dobes as one with cropped ears. My son has a beautiful rescued male Dobe with uncropped ears.

Zoeberry · 06-29-2008, 08:51 PM

Over the years I have had a cropped doberman and two uncropped. It seems as if noone has had a problem recognizing that my uncropped dobes were dobermans. I think the body shape and rust markings are all that most people need to see

As said previously, unless you have a new pup in the house, 6 1/2 years is way too old.

dobesanddragons · 06-29-2008, 08:56 PM

Hey there,
I don't know your dog's age or anything about your dog.
If cropped in the US this is done when they are young puppies. Many reputable breeders crop the litters before placement so it isn't left up to the buyer to decide if they want to crop, who will crop, how to handle the aftercare, etc. That way their puppies are cropped by experts and have the best care during the procedure and have good crops. However, there are some breeders who don't crop before placement and leave that up to the buyer's expense if they want to do that.

It is hard to find a cropper period. It is even harder to find an expert cropper for Doberman ears, most croppers can do short Pit crops but aren't really skilled at making each crop match both the breed and the individual dog itself. There are only a few in the country that do wonderful Dobe crops. A bad crop can really affect the look of the dog, as can improper aftercare. The aftercare on crops can take months in some cases. Cropping requires dedication.

I see you are new, if you want more information on this subject there is a search function you can use to get more information fast.

Hope this helps.

zeus and me · 06-29-2008, 08:57 PM

I also assume you have a new pup..... I think if you are not sure if you want to crop ....you probably shouldnt. a crop takes many times of tapeing to stand well and a ton of devotion.so f you dont really care either way..I would just keep them natural and save yourself the hassle.

I myself would crop....because I love the look of a a cropped doberman!