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Are these cropped ears too big?

3K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  Fitzmar Dobermans 
#1 ·
Hey all,

Norah has been posted for about 6 months now, and has a long crop. I am very happy that her ears are beginning to stand when taken out of the posts. However... I can’t help but think that her ears look HUGE. I mean, everyone who sees her out of posts says she looks like a jackal. She’s only 8 months old, so I’m just hoping she’ll grow into them. What are your thoughts?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/188431385@N04/50400260776/in/dateposted/
 
#2 ·
Kudos to you for getting those things up. It's certainly not a crop that I'd be pleased about, personally. There is no elegance to it, no shaping of the back of the ears. IMO, they are too wide and too long. I don't think she's going to grow into those unless she turns into a great Dane. It is what it is, though. Not a lot I'd do about at this age.
 
#4 ·
I know you've struggled with her ears from the beginning. Unfortunately I don't think the person who cropped her ears is someone that really has the artistic sense of Doberman cropping.

While there is such a thing as "recropping"...I remember you being in Arizona? I don't know that there are any cropping vets near you, so you'd be looking at a pretty serious road trip to, most likely, Texas or California, assuming one of those vets would be willing to do it.
 
#7 ·
Thanks - I edited the cropping vet sticky.
 
#6 ·
I can't add much to the replies you've already had here. I agree that they are too big for her but even more that they are not a shapely ear that fits her head.

And just a bit of advice--when you take pictures of her to show the ear size accurately--take them so you are shooting her face perpendicular to the camera lens--the ears look less like something that fits or would ever fit her because you are shooting 'down'--makes the perspective wrong.

Congratulations on getting them up though.

dobebug
 
#9 ·
I agree that it is not an attractive crop and is way big for her head. I would not undertake getting them recropped unless you can find a really good cropper willing to do it..... I agree that travel would be involved. However, it is purely cosmetic, and you may just want to love her as she is.
 
#10 ·
Hi all,

Well, these are certainly heartbreaking responses. But I can’t say I’m surprised. I have tried so hard to go about all of this the right way. I’m a first time Doberman owner in love with the typical alert Doberman appearance, and to hear that my Norah’s ears are botched after so many painstaking months of time and energy is just devastating. I wish I had never put her through all of this. In the end, she’s one of the best, sweetest, and most loyal dogs I’ve ever owned, so I can’t dream of putting her through any more. I feel guilty to have put her through what I have. Thank you all for your time and responses.
 
#12 ·
My next question is this: at this point, should I just tape her ears down? It’s true that her ears are so long and thick that when placed down, they almost don’t look cropped. Opinions? After all of this painstaking posting, would they lay down again?
Many of us learned some very hard lessons with our first Doberman, about the importance of buying from the types of breeders who take care of the cropping and aftercare, ensuring the ears are done by really good croppers, among other things. You aren't the first one, and you won't be the last, who has had regrets about their first dog. But it can be a learning and growing experience. A "next time I'll do things the right way" experience.

I think what you have to ask yourself now is - how important is this to you? A great cropper doesn't "put her through something" - it isn't a terrible experience, so if her appearance is very important, and you're willing to make a road trip, call the nearest quality cropper (one mentioned above, maybe Dr. Pew), and see if you can do a consult, perhaps via Facetime or Zoom, and see if he thinks he can do a re-crop. Decide if that's what you want to do. A re-crop would not be a long healing process, nor would it be much, if any, re-posting, as others have mentioned. If that's important, do it.

If it's not that important to you, or you think you can let it go, I would just leave her ears be and let her be who she is.
 
#11 ·
My next question is this: at this point, should I just tape her ears down? It’s true that her ears are so long and thick that when placed down, they almost don’t look cropped. Opinions? After all of this painstaking posting, would they lay down again?
 
#13 ·
Thank you all for the input once again. After the initial disappointment, I did some thinking and decided to reach out to the vet who did the initial crop. He was a recommendation from the breeder and he had showed me photos of his many beautiful, successful crops. When I contacted him and showed him the photo that I had shared with all of you, he agreed that it wasn’t right. He told me that he wanted me to be happy with the end result and would do what he can to make it right. He showed me more photos of his good crops including his own Doberman. A cross country road trip and a re-crop from a vet in another state just aren’t feasible for me at this time. I have 4 children (whom I homeschool) and a mini farm that it’s hard to leave for long periods of time. I’m praying the original vet is able to bring a good shape out of Norah’s ears this second time around. Wish us luck ❤
 
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