I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't be interested in living with a doberman with uncropped ears. I find floppy ears to be extremely unattractive on a doberman.

I think the people who have bad experiences with cropping are those who go to unqualified vets.

It's NOT that much work posting ears!

I wouldn't worry so much about whether a vet uses a laser rather than a scalpel as I would the style of crop a vet performs.

I live in California, so can't give you any feedback on the vets you mentioned.

 

I can only speak for myself, but I wouldn't be interested in living with a doberman with uncropped ears. I find floppy ears to be extremely unattractive on a doberman..

Oh Gawd....you would hate my two then as both ear cropping and tail docking is illegal here..... I concur however that they really dont look the same with tails....

 

I agree I would not live with an uncropped Doberman - the standard calls for croped an docked. The expression is just so much more cropped compared to the flat look of the hound group.

Once you pass the optimum time you have no choice.

 

Dr. McBride is probably the only vet I would use in Florida. She is a cropping artist. However, seems you're in a pickle since she doesn't return for a few weeks.

I'd much rather see a natural ear than a jacked up, fugly, mickey mouse looking crop.

 

I'd much rather see a natural ear than a jacked up, fugly, mickey mouse looking crop.

So much truth in this statement!!

Its up to you guys what you guys prefer, dont listen to anybody else on this matter. Look out for your pup by going to a reputable place. You CAN crop a dogs ears at TOPS 6 months, its NOT ideal but you can get a shorter crop to stand no problem.

You're aware that this thread is titled, "To crop or not to crop... that is the question" - right?

 

My opinion is to keep it natural unless you are doing it for safety or health reasons. If the procedure was something that would benefit the dog greatly I could see the point in doing it...but I just don't see the point in changing an animal so the look suits the owner...

A lot of people are losing touch with what a doberman is supposed to look like naturally.

 

From what I understand the doberman breed was created specifically with cropped ears and a docked tail in mind. Even if initially it was more function than form, that is the breed standard. Personally without the crop/dock I would not ever have looked at a doberman the way I do now.

 

I'd do some research and find show breeders in other cropped breeds (boxers, great danes, etc.) in your area, and see who they use for cropping if Dr. McBride isn't an option.

 

My wife was very upset with his ears while he was in stitches. She even cried and hit me the first time she saw them. So if you and your partner are 50/50 now...you will probably be filled with regret for the first few weeks. The amount of blood, scabs, crusties, and work required to post them was beyond her threshold. Now that they stand inbetween postings she is happy we did it.

Posting is very frustrating, atleast for me. I have only gotten posts to stay longer than 1 day once...hopefully twice now. Otherwise Its fighting the base of the post to stay in the pocket. When actually doing the posting Einstein would try just about ANYTHING to get away from me. My wife didn't have the heart to hold him down. He even jumped down from my island to the wood floor. Basically I had to stop pussyfooting around it, get firm, and not worry about hurting him. He is doing a much better job but I had to get rough with him a few times. I had to look back at boogersniffing my kids or giving breathing treatments...thats was VERY ROUGH sometimes. My wife could NEVER have done it so it was daddys job.

Lastly...I think the sex of the dog is of importance. The original thing that drew to me dobermans were their look. Proud, noble, strong. I don't get the same feeling from a dobe with natural ears. If we ever get a female she will be a red and will have natural ears. I could not have a male doberman with that soft of a look, but a female sure.

 

This is why if you want a doberman with cropped ears and a docked tail, it's IMPERATIVE to go to a reputable breeder. That is one who has all the puppies ears cropped and healed prior to sending them to their new homes. It should never be up to the new owner to crop ears.

If it were me, I would drive to the best vet within about 10hrs and have them cropped as soon as possible.

 

I'd prefer cropped. Although I would accept a floppy ear dobe in my home

Ive had no issues in my experience with cropping procedure. However I do not do my own postings yet. The only problem I do have is the snarky, uneducated comments I get on Xenas postings...they just think she's gone through hell with her ears :rolleyesww: I simply just carry on with whatever it is that I am doing.

Sorry, I do not have any recommendations on a vet in your area...I am still a noob here in the dobe arena

 

I prefer au natural

 

Your natural dobe is BEAUTIFUL! :nicejob:

 

I think it really comes down to personal preference. We left our first dobes ears natural. She was a red and I loved the way she looked natural. However I hated, and was constantly annoyed by people questioning me if she was really a "purebred doberman"!

I personally prefer the cropped look on black/rust dobes (although there are some truly stunning natural dobes on this sight!), so we decided to crop our puppy we have now. It was my first time dealing with the procedure and I was very worried and paranoid about having a botched crop job. I did tons of research on good, reputable vets and ended up driving 6 hours (one way) to take her to one that was highly recommended. The vet did a great job! Despite taking all necessary precautions, Raz managed to pull a couple stitches loose about 2-3 days post-op. I had to take her into a local vet where she was given a mild sedative and had the loose stitches replaced.

I then decided a sock bonnet would be a good idea to prevent her from pulling another stitch. It worked, but it also made the cup rub against the top of her head which caused an open sore. Ugghh! It was not a very big sore, but I had to take the cup down a week early to allow the sore to heal. I had to clean the top of her head twice a day with an antiseptic wash to avoid an infection in the sore caused by the cup rubbing. All of this in addition to the everyday care of looking after the ear edges and massaging them with ointment every night.

So yes, it was a lot of work for me! Probably more so than the average person though, because of the hiccups I had. All of that being said, I would still do it again because I prefer the look and would hopefully not have those same problems again that caused it to be extra work.

Plus, for me personaly, one of the many reasons I love the breed and own a doberman is for the personal protection they provide. I want people to KNOW my girl is a doberman so that they won't even think about messing with me! Most people we encountered had no idea Ruby was a doberman, partly due to the fact that she was a red, but I think mostly due to the fact that her ears were natural.

I agree with Murreydobe about the actual posting part, it is not that much work. I am able to do it by myself with no help at all. The first time I did it, the posts popped right out. But once I figured out what I was doing wrong (thanks to researching on this site ), I haven't had any problems.

As long as you are committed to finding a vet experienced in doberman ear cropping and committed to diligent aftercare, I think you will be fine and happy with your decision. If you're truly torn, I think you will be happy leaving your pup natural too though

Good luck!...oh, and welcome to DT This forum is truly amazing!!

 

Plus, for me personaly, one of the many reasons I love the breed and own a doberman is for the personal protection they provide. I want people to KNOW my girl is a doberman so that they won't even think about messing with me! Most people we encountered had no idea Ruby was a doberman, partly due to the fact that she was a red, but I think mostly due to the fact that her ears were natural.

Cropped ears do not solve that problem.
http://www.dobermantalk.com/puppy-corner/68039-do-you-thinkz-my-head-too-square.html#post1104144

 

I would contact these breeders in Florida. They probably use Dr. McBride but find out if they can recommend another cropping vet.

Velo Home
Bykris http://www.www.brykrisdobermans.com/
Carosel Dobermans of Carosel
Alpha Home
Monarch - no website

 

I heard Dr mcbride was injured recently.

 

Yes, she was bit by a dog and needed surgery.

 

This is my third Doby and all have been cropped. I think they just look like another hound when their not and the Doby was originally used as a military and police dog and were cropped and docked for those reasons. As for vets do some research and be willing to go on a long drive. Posting takes patience and commitment but, is well worth it in the long run. Remember the dog will have these ears for its life time a few months of intermitant aggrivation posting is nothing. As for initial care I am not a fan of the cups and all that I leave the ears out to dry and heal then when stiches are out start posting.

This is Josey at 14 weeks.

 

I should add....I think the reason that Raz does so well with letting me post her ears is because I sat on the floor with her across my lap 2-3 times per day, EVERYDAY for 2.5 weeks, tending to her ears and sore on her head from the cup. She kind of fought me on it the first couple days, but then it just became very routine. When I started posting, I did the same thing with her. I sit on the floor with her across my lap and give her a rawhide bone to chew on while I post and tape. It's like it's no big deal because we've been doing it for several weeks....just switched from rubbing ointment and rolling off scabs to taping her ears. I guess that's the silver lining to the problems we encountered; she's used to me messing with her ears thus making posting easier I still have her sit across my lap like that at least once a day and inspect her ears and just mess with them a little to keep her used to it in between postings.

So I guess my point is, teach her to sit still while you mess with her ears A LOT to get her used to it before it comes time to post!

 

I think if I didn't buy from a breeder that already had the crop done, I'd probably just let it go. I do prefer the cropped look, but this site has shown me that there are some gorgeous natural dobes out there (cough, Rupert, cough, cough). In the end, it's really about their heart and not their ears anyway.

 

I would crop. I am a first time doberman owner we did our research with the vet and our pups ears came out beautiful. A wonderful vet at this is also weeks back on a wait list. Do your research and maybe ask the vet you wanted to use for a reference. Also our vet said 12 weeks and a little more for ears to stand 100%. Good luck we would do it again!!!:rolleyesww:

 

I think you should leave them natural.

Some people have a hard time posting, some don't. However, you're super worried about it already. I'd just leave them be if you don't have a preference either way. It will be
easier on you and your significant other and you won't have to worry about posting. Plus, you cannot be upset about a bad crop if the ears aren't cropped.

If you decide that you're gung-ho on doing it, however, get her in there SOON so that you don't miss out on the window for doing so. Also, if you do decide to do it go to someone recommended by the experienced members on this forum or a reputable breeder or else you may be disappointed. It's happened before where people have forgone our advice and been unhappy.

 

It seems the preference here for cropped or natural sounds 50/50. Everyone has their own opinion why they should or shouldn't have them done and all are good points.
We will be picking Chester up on Saturday, two days less than 8 weeks. He is a red and we have decided not to crop. This was an accidental breeding between registered male and unregistered female. I have seen both and they are gorgeous cropped Dobies, so this is what I wanted too. I spent a week and a half trying to find a good Vet to do the crop but the drive to have it done and then the posting was to long stressfull. I went through all this with my first Dobie 30 years ago. We showed Apollo and we were very proud of him. A lot has changed in the procedures since then but still very stressful for all. We don't intend to bred or show so we decided to leave natural. I think my main reason for having them done agaom was that he would look like what everyone sees as a real doberman and people would look at him and say "Cool Dobie", a little vain on my part. but after all the phone stress we decided putting him through the procedure and stress afterwards wasn't worth it. I have two older labs who will love him whether he has them done or not and so will my family. What others think is unimportant. If they think he is just a red hound it won't hurt his or my feelings. I will know.
Sorry to say but no one here can answer your main question about getting them done. It is how you feel about your pup and what feels right.

 

I decided not to spend the money on something purely cosmetic, that would just bother Jackson and I for the months it would take to post and take care of. Jackson is now one, and I love how he looks. I do get lots of people asking if he's a Weim or a Vizla, but that's also because he's red and nobody knows what they're talking about and that doesn't mean I haven't had anyone say "that's a beautiful Doberman!"

 

And beautiful he is!

 

I guess like any cosmetic surgery, only you can decide. Don't let others pressure you into anything.... Hmmm to breast implant, or not to breast implant

 

Posting is not a heck of a whole lot of work, but it is something you have to be prepared to keep up until your dog's ears stand properly--anywhere up to a year or even longer--as much as 9 months in posts. And it is a bother, not traumatic most of the time, but definitely a bother.

Are you prepared to repost your pup's ears every 3-5 days until she is at least 6 months old? A dog whose ears have been cropped, but not posted consistently or for long enough looks crummy, IMHO. Once they are cropped, you must be committed to sticking with it until they stand properly.

And you MUST make sure the vet you use is capable of doing a good job cropping, knows what a DOBE'S ears should look like, knows the proper aftercare of the ears and is very familiar with posting methods and problem solving. If you are going to pay the vet to post the ears each time, it can get expensive (often charged as a fee/visit), especially if you are one of the "lucky" ones whose dog's ears must be posted longer than usual. Do learn how to post them yourself, so you can change the posting whenever it needs to be (instead of on an inflexible schedule) and you can deal right away with those little emergencies like wet ears from pottying in the rain, posts coming out of ears, tape appears to be a little tight......the list goes on.

The ultimate decision is yours. But if I was really ambivalent about cropping, or was made like I am--I have difficulty with sticking with ANY kind of routine I would probably pass it by. Go into a cropping determined, or don't go at all..........IMHO.

 

Thanks, everyone. I know ultimately it is our decision but it helps to hear your opinions and your stories so thanks for sharing your feedback.

 

Wow.... There are a lot of natural dobe 'haters' out there!!! I prefer cropped, but I have a rescue so that obviously was not an option.

However, I do not think you can keep comparing them to hounds. That is a bit ridiculous. They may not look quite as 'sharp', but they are certainly not hounds!! I guess because I've seen so many natural working dobermans, that to me, it is the body, structure, and temperament that makes the dog. Not the ears.

Although I do like cropped dobes more, I can not stand bad crops. I would much rather have a natural doberman than to have a terrible crop. The bad crops really ruin the heads, not natural ears.

Honestly, if you are not sure about it, and can not get a very good cropper, I think you should pass.

 

I pick up my dobe this Friday and her ears are getting done Thursday. I have zero intention of showing her or anything like that, but am still getting the ears done. Is the only reason that people do get the ears done is because it is the standard for show? I mean when you think about it, it is a pretty crappy thing that is being done to the dog. I know back in history it was done so the dog could locate sound better when they walked with the people who used them as protection, but now a days no one does that.

Is the only reason people really do this is because thats simply how it has always been done in history and because it is the "standard". That is why I am doing it I guess, but outside of what I named, there really isn't any point to having it done that I know of at least.

 

I think cropped ears make them look more intimidating (for protection purposes) but then again I have never seen a natural dobe on alert. I would assume an all natural dobe's ears would still kind of stick up when alerted?

I have two min pins, one was rescued and she was already cropped the other we left natural. The natural one's ears still stick up when she is alerted or upset.

I just want people to be intimated when they see her. I don't want people to think she is a weim or a hound. I want them to know she is a dobe. Sigh...

 

My first concern was working ability. So while I don't love the way Covea looks with uncropped ears and long tail if she can work I don't much care!

I do find it is a much softer look and I'm really getting use to it now.

 

We must be due for a photo update of Covea by now?

 

To answer your question.
I would crop, as that is the Doberman that I fell in love with. My Home Province, no longer allows it, so I guess I wont be moving back there anytime soon. Slowly the Dobe is being politically corrected. so soon they will have natural tails and ears.