Hi I'm new to DT and need some advice. I'm looking to get a doberman puppy from Pamelot in GA. I saw on her website that she does ear cropping....my personal taste would be to leave it natural. Does anybody have a doberman from her that isn't cropped? Thanks for all your help!
Pamelot and cropping
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Yes, she literally does ear cropping.
You would have to discuss it with her, no one here could answer that question for you.
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There actually are reasons why many reputable breeders opt to crop all of their puppies. The two major reasons are...
1) Grading the litter (for show vs pet quality) generally doesn't happen until after the preferred age for cropping.
2) It's much harder to rehome (if need be) a natural-eared doberman because part of what draws many people to the breed is "the look" of the cropped dog.
I know I've heard a few more but I cannot really recall them at the moment.
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My Stryker's ear crop by Pam is absolutely stunning! She is fantastic and I would be quite shocked if she let puppies go home uncropped.
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I would be surprised if she did sell an uncropped puppy.
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Most reputable AKC breeders follow the breed requirements: docking and cropping for a proper Doberman. My opinion only: uncropped Dobes just look like another hound dog...crops look so much better and have no ear infections! So consider that with floppy eared dogs they tend to have more ear infections.
I disagree that uncropped dobes get more ear infections. Our boy has natural ears and has not had any problems. We live on a farm so he gets into all kinds of messes, dirt, crop dust, etc. I wipe out his ears with a damp swab or Kleenex. So in my opinion the whole increased ear infection problem is not an actual reason to crop the ears. Wiping out the ears is something a pet owner should do anyway. 
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I don't know anyone that uses it as a "real" excuse to crop.I disagree that uncropped dobes get more ear infections. Our boy has natural ears and has not had any problems. We live on a farm so he gets into all kinds of messes, dirt, crop dust, etc. I wipe out his ears with a damp swab or Kleenex. So in my opinion the whole increased ear infection problem is not an actual reason to crop the ears. Wiping out the ears is something a pet owner should do anyway.
In general, DPCA standard calls for ears "normally cropped and carried erect". Reputable breeders adhere to that standard.
And for what it's worth...my last male was cropped and had an ear infection twice.
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Sorry, but my Black and Tan Coonhound looked NOTHING like a natural Dobe. As for floppy eared dogs having more ear infections, please explain why my GSD is on her third set of bilateral ear infections at 21 months, while my floppy-eared Dobe mix never had a single one in her 15 years.
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I think sometimes we humans just "parrot" things we've heard, without really knowing the facts or if science bears out our opinions.
It has been thoroughly debunked that natural ears are more prone to ear infection--in fact, the number one reason vets cite (and studies conclude) for ear infections is allergic/immune issues.
As for saying natural Dobermans "look like another hound dog," that is insulting both to owners of uncropped dogs, and to yourself--because if ears are the only distinction your eye is able to find, between a hound and a Doberman, well, you don't have much of an eye, and certainly do not know your breeds.
Edit to add: My erect-ear American Hairless Terrier has had ear infections twice. With her breed and her ear set, can't get much more air going in that ear canal
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I agree with this. Coco is not cropped and in her 4.5 years off life she has never had an ear infection. She swims all summer long so I'm guessing her ears get cleaned out in the water because I'm a bad owner who doesn't clean her ears. If it ain't broke don't fix it. :lol2:I disagree that uncropped dobes get more ear infections. Our boy has natural ears and has not had any problems. We live on a farm so he gets into all kinds of messes, dirt, crop dust, etc. I wipe out his ears with a damp swab or Kleenex. So in my opinion the whole increased ear infection problem is not an actual reason to crop the ears. Wiping out the ears is something a pet owner should do anyway.
I do love the looks of a good crop but I'm obviously not opposed to natural ears. All you can do is ask the breeder but I do understand why some do not want to let a dog go natural eared. This seems to be more prevalent in the US as our Canadian standard also allows for natural ears not being a fault here.
Good luck in your puppy search! :butfly:
ETA: for what it's worth...Coco does not look like a Black and Tan coonhound on any day of the week. Their ears are much longer than hers.
sorry I totally disagree with a breeder not letting someone keep a dobies ears natural. I find it so funny people say if its a reputable breeder then they will not let them go natural- but a breeder that just lets their puppies go to anyone will. No matter what way you look at it, its a huge surgery the dog needs to go through and the person owning that dog should have the right to decide if they wanted to make their dog go through that! And no, they are not more likely to get infections if they are natural. I have had a dobie with natural ears in the past and known plenty of other people that did and they never had problems. Just my opinion
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there is a huge problem with this thought process.
USUALLY puppies' ears are done BEFORE the litter is graded. show dogs need cropped ears, and if a breeder is placing pet and show dogs in appropriate homes, why would they risk not having ears cropped on the correct dogs?
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