Ear Cropping....your opinions?

[Vanessa_S]

Hi there. I am new to the site. I am also new to the Dane world. I have a question. I will be taking home my first dane in about 2 weeks. I am really struggling with what seems to be the BIG CONTROVERSY about ear cropping. I would love to know what you all think about ear cropping. I am seriously thinking about getting his ears cropped, but I am having a really hard time finding any information other than very strong opinions one way or the other. Please help!

Vanessa:D

[Bilbao]

My Opinion.
There are no valid health reason's to do it. People will tell you they don't get as many infection's in there ears and so on and so forth. Keep them clean and they shouldn't. Let them get dirty and I don't care if you chop them off completely they will get infected.
I do not believe that it hurts the puppy. My dog has natural ears. I have stepped on my dog's ears when he sleeps under my feet, once in awhile, and he never seems to mind. I don't think they have a lot of feeling in those ears.
Find a professional and you should have no problem's. All your really doing in the end is creating work for yourself to tape them up. The dog doesn't care. Other dog's don't care. In the end, you have it done for because you like the look.

Axel the super dog

[dedane24]

Aside from everyones view points. If you have never taped be in for a challenge. The breeder can show you how to tape but until you have a wiggle worm trying to fight you it is a different story. Also be prepared to tape until they are 7, 8, 9 months old if not longer. Now if it is a pet you can get a shorter crop which is supposed to stand quicker. Then there is the what if I do get them cropped and am prepared to tape but no matter what one ear falls. The key is to find a vet that is very experienced some vets will say yeah we crop and your dane will come out looking like a huge dobe. There are different crops for different breeds. I personally love the cropped dane but if it were only a pet I dont believe I would get them done. I have a boxer and her ears are natural I have no problems with ear infections or her hearing. She is prefectly find with her floppy ears(aside from the occasional flying nun look where both her ears flop backwards).
If you havent found a vet to crop them, talk to alot of them ask them for a portfolio of the crops they have done. I hope this helped.

[Vanessa_S]

Thank you for the replies so far. Anything you can tell me helps. I am still debating whether or not to get his ears cropped....

[kwhit]

I have been through four ear croppings and all stood. But one of my dogs ears took over a YEAR of taping to stand. Much time and patience involved in that one. If you are not prepared for the after care, I wouldn't crop. It is a lot of work, but worth it if you like the look. Personally, I'll never choose to crop again, but if my future dane is cropped by the breeder, I will deal with the taping. Three of my dogs were a one person job, but one was was a WILD THANG and took at least two of us to tape. So be prepared, learn what is involved in taping, and know that it will be up to YOU if your pup's ears stand. Don't put your dog through the hassle, (and yourself), if your commitment to the after care is not 200%. Good luck in your decision. :)

[danemaybe]

well...i cant tell you about how hard it is to do bc i have never done it. but i can tell you that my dogs ears are natural (i thought there was no reason to crop) and, at 5 months old, he has already had an infection (and yes i clean them). also in jill swedlows book, she points out that, in nature, no dog has drooping ears. so, for my next dane...i would do it. i dont really care if they arent perfect, i would feel better just having them open.

oh and i also have a friend with an uncropped boxer. i asked her if she ever had any problems and she said no. i told her good bc i have read about infections and hematomas that can burst. she said "oh, maybe that is why i sometimes find blood on my walls??"

[Vanessa_S]

I am definitely willing to give 200% to the aftercare, and if it takes more than 200%, then so be it. My concern was (and still is) for the puppy.

So I guess my next question is - Can anyone help me find a vet in Iowa that crops ears?

[Ellen]

I really wanted my boy to be cropped. The dream dane of my imagination was always cropped in my minds eye. I really struggled with the whole idea of anesthesia on such a baby though but decided I did want him cropped. I knew that I had the time and patience required for the taping. I must say that I will NEVER crop any dane I have in the future. I just never imagined how much he would HATE the taping.Flt like I was betraying him each time. He did learn to acccept the taping and I did get better and quicker at doing it but the first few weeks were very frustrating for both of us. He is 4 mos now and has decided it is fun :P to take the tapes off while I sleep. }> Now mind you, my little guy is a handful so my experience is probably NOT typical but wouldn't do it again in a million years. :D

[Bev_K]

I haven't had any infection problems with my dogs' (note plural) natural ears.

Cropped ears can still get ear infections, too. Diet can also play a role in ear infections.

Bev

[Royal Sooner Danes]

If you are planning on having your puppy cropped, breeders will usually know the experienced vets and have this done prior to the pup leaving.

Okie regards...
from the Sooner State, Brenda
Royal Sooner Great Danes
http://www.royalsoonerdanes.com

[Bev_K]

Iowa?! Well, welcome from another Iowan! :)

I will contact you privately with some contact names.

Bev

[Dina Gbeck]

I agree. Also be aware that there are people out there who venomously disagree with ear cropping...and will voice their opinions when they see your pup is in tapes. I tell them my breeder had it done before I bought my pup (which is true). Although I probably would have chosen to do it anyway, because I like the look. It does take some time to get them to stand depending on the cut.

~ Dina & Cooper

Here's the "little" guy! http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4290313725

[SixstarDanes]

With ear cropping there are always opinions.

We have 6 Danes...
3 natural, 3 cropped.
Those cropped their breeders had them done before they came home.
The other 3 we chose not to have cropped.

Cropped ears are just cosmetic, just for looks.
I don't think the ears of a dane makes or breaks them.
They are great either way.

For me both are beautiful
but personally we wouldn't crop any of our babies.

With cropping there is risk involved
such as death during the surgery, infection
and even lousy looking ears due to many thing (improper crop job such in the cause of our girl,Star),
improper ear leather, bad or nonconsistant taping, etc.

[Kramers mom]

I think you will make your decision after you get your pup...I always wanted a dane with cropped ears...loved the look...but once I got him I fell in LOVE with those big soft floppy ears and couldn't imagine him with stiff stand up ears! Plus it made me nervous seeing danes with cropped nonstanding ears. Why go through all that when them standing isn't guaranteed? I didn't want all his baby pictures in tape either! :7 I've also seen them freshly cropped and I don't see how that can't be painful...so I didn't bother putting him through all that...and the $200!! :'(

...Ruth & Kramer

[Carol]

I have both uncropped and cropped danes. The flys bite the ears of the uncropped danes but don't bother the ones that are cropped.

[Vanessa_S]

Thank you Bev. Much appreciated.

Vanessa

[Loki]

Hi, my girls ears aren't cropped. I was having a really hard time deciding when I got her if I wanted to get them done or not, but decided it would be too much work. Now I absolutley love the look of a Dane with cropped ears, it does make them look much older too, the natural ears makes them look like a puppy forever :)
One thing to help you decide is go and look under the forum: Ear cropping, taping and cleaning. And look at how many problems people are writing about. Aer you prepared to deal with these problems? Are you also prepared for the fact that the ears may not stand and then you have cropped but not standing ears, or ears that lay on the top of your dogs head or point together, or have one ear standing and one not?
I have seen some aweful looking ears on dogs, that would have been very nice looking if they hadn't cropped.
Now again, I absolutely love the look of a great crop job. But you also have to be prepared as it may not work out as planned....

[Tracytj]

I've often thought that the aftercare of taping cropped ears would really get a dog used to being messed with and accepting of of handling about the head and generally submitting to humans? Months of accepting re-taping will build tolerance and patience in the dog, wouldn't it? Or perhaps it could make them head-shy?

I have a natural-eared black rescue, and my next dane will be a natural-eared fawn, even though it makes them look a little hound-y. I don't care--I love them ears!! I think it helps the public feel more comfy with a huge dog, too. Floppies are friendlier looking than perked up pointies!

Tracy

[Eileen]

Would I crop? By all means, if it didn't hurt the dog and I never had to tape. }>

[MiraAndMe]

Ok here's my 2 cents too.
I have a cropped fawn girl. She's my first dane so it was my first time ear taping. For me it was not difficult, just a pain in the butt. Mind you, we only had to tape for 2-3 months. Some dogs take much longer and some don't. We cropped her because she is a show dog but our next one - show dog or not - will NOT be cropped. That is unless hubby wants to do all the aftercare and I don't see that happening. Good luck making your decision! It really is just cosmetics and you have to ask yourself how bad you really want the pup's ears cropped.

Amy

Chew Toy...$5
Giant Stuffed Squeaker Turtle...$12
Our last vet visit...$63
Slobber kisses wake-up call...PRICELESS!
Pictures: http://www.stellardanes.com/mirahtml/miraphotoalbum.html

[anne]

I will never, ever crop a dane. Those big, very SENSITIVE floppy ears are the best! You couldn't pay me enough money to have someone slice off 4/5 of those wonderful velvety pendants!! :)

[ALNedimyer]

My opinion, I like them cropped.

There is no reason to get them cropped other than appearance. And cropped is just my preference. I think they look more like a hound dog with them un-cropped, but again, that's just my opinion.

My breeder had them cropped at 6 wks old by a vet that she had trained to do a "dane crop". I didn't have to worry about the day of surgery or the after care. AND I didn't have to worry about finding a vet that is going to a) do a good job and b) be experienced at dane cropping.

Taping isn't that bad if you have good instructions and someone to show you how to do it. My breeder showed me how to tape, following the instructions, and it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I taped Caroline's ears for almost 8 months. Some people get lucky and only have to tape for a few months, which I think those people are few and far between, and others have to tape longer than I did. Most of the time the ears stand straight but if you weren't diligent with taping or the cartilidge wasn't strong enough, you might get a floppy ear.

Like I said, taping really isn't that bad. Not as bad as some people make it out to be. You have to be dedicated and commit yourself to following through until they stand. Once you get the hang of it and find out the best way to distract your dog, it takes about 5-10 minutes. I taped Caroline's once a week. Some people tape every 2 weeks, it just depends.

The most important thing is finding a vet that does a good job. That was one of my requirements for finding a breeder. I wanted a breeder that gets her pups cropped so I wouldn't have to worry about finding a vet. I also think it's better to have them done at a younger age. I have a "neighbor" (up the street) she got a male dane 1 month before me. She only had him cropped at 6 months! IMO, that is ridiculous. Way too old. I think if my breeder wouldn't have them done, then I wouldn't get them cropped. Thus, finding a breeder who does.

I will always prefer the cropped look. But, as always, that's JMO.
:)

[MyDaneBaby]

I have right now, one natural eared & one cropped. I have always preferred the cropped look & my natural came to us too late to have it done. In the 4 months I've had him he's had two ear infections (I'm diligent about keeping him clean) & when he shakes his head I'm afraid he's going to hurt his ears. I wouldn't have the natural ears again if I could avoid it. They look so much more regal with them done & IMO look dopey with them natural. No offense to anyone, I just like it that way. The aftercare can be a pain, but worth it IMO.

Good luck in what ever you choose.

Mitch

[cates54]

They look even more "dopey" when cropped and the ears lay across their head or fold over. Just MY oppinion.

[danemaybe]

youre in the same boat i am in with the ear infections. like most people here, i never believed that cropping had any real health benefit...but for me, even if a cropped ear gets infected, you can detect it almost immediately. to me thats worth the chance of a poor standing.

[MyDaneBaby]

Cates I agree with you, my first crop was a failure, but I still think the head looks better, go figure. My Gus'(natural)ears flop over backwards (pink out), he's blue & looks like a giant mouse, quite amusing.

Mitch

[gmac]

What's with the ear infection thing? Have any of you heard of vinegar and water, and cleaning your dog's ears weekly? What do you suppose people with Labs or Golden Retrievers do - certainly I'm not Anti- Crop, but to use the infection risk as a reason to crop is ridiculous.

[Gunners Mom]

I have always loved the look of cropped ears, but I have an uncropped male.

I love the feel of those soft floppy ears! He's had 2 ear infections, both due to plant allergies (the plants have since been removed from our yard)!

Would I crop ... nope, only cause I wouldn't want to set myself up for frustrations! I'm too much of a perfectionist. :P

Gunner's Mom (Janet)

To see my boy ...
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4290114239

[alicat613]

:o

Conversely one could say that the cropped ear is more dangerous as it would be easier for irritants like burrs or foxtails to get inside and lodge in the ear canal.

I can't imagine wanting to spend so much time and emotion on cutting my pups ears and taping them up over and over again.

But then, I prefer the natural look anyway!

[mp]

I prefer the elegance of the cropped ear. Because cropped ears have been the way to go for so many years in this country, few breeders pay attention to ear set in their breeding programs and as a result there are a lot of Danes with low set, very large ears. If you plan in advance to have a skilled vet do the crop (hopefully the breeder takes care of this) and have good back-up plans for your ear taping (here again the breeder should be able to provide helpful contacts in your area), it goes fairly easily. mp

[danemaybe]

what i find ridiculous gwenna, is your assumption that we dont take care of our dogs. apparently, you never read our entire posts. its ok, perhaps it is a little much to expect that someone would read the whole thing. we DO clean the dogs ears. (and, darn it, i made sure i said that and covered my toosh bc i was just WAITING for someone to bark about "ooh why dont you try cleaning your dogs ears," but :D what else can you do)

just fyi, my dog also has a lot of allergies, so if cropping his ears (even if they dont look perfect) would help, i would do it in a second. i clean his ears every weekend, but one weekend i went to clean and his ear was bright bright red. how do i know it didnt get that way on monday morning and here it is a 5 or 6 days later and i didnt know?? at the very least, if they were cropped i would have seen the redness much faster.

[Loki]

"danemaybe"
The thing is, since your dog seems to be allergic to everything, wouldn't it also be a good assumption that he might have an allergic reaction to the tape or the stitching etc.. that some dogs have? Wouldn't that be fun. I think your dog might just be prone to ear infections (whether his ears are up or down). It's just like people some people are more prone to ear infections. You can always tell when a dog is getting an ear infection by the smell :( you could always check your boys ears everyday (easy & quick to do when you pet him), this way you don't have to worry about going 5-6 days of an infection without you knowing about it.

[danemaybe]

of course i wouldnt say that any one thing will be a complete solution. i know that things could happen to cropped ears also. i also know that all the books stated that natural ears are more prone to infections and hematomas but i pish poshed that thought. but from my experience i would crop my next dog. who knows, if i ever got a 3rd i might not...it depends on my next experience.

but i do know one thing...i would neve assume someone doesnt take care of their dogs bc they became sick or had some sort of problem.

[rcpa3116]

Your right this is a topic of heated discussions. I have two danes, Titan has his ears croped because we like the look and it was done at an early age. We've had 3 danes with cropped ears, one dane without croped ears because she is blind and deaf and we didn't want to put her through that experience combined with her disablities. That said, we have never had a problem with ears standing,infections or allergies. My son on the other hand had a terrible time with his dane and finally just gave up because of the allergies he had to the taping, gauze and everything else. Now Sebastins ears flop over the top of his head. But at the same time if his ears weren't like that he wouldn't be Sebastian. Just make sure you talk to the vet or breeder. Most important are the follow-up visits. Our vet took care of the retaping and everything. All of this was included in the price of the croping. If I had a dane puppy today with no disabilities would I crop, yes I would but my experience has always been very good. Direct dialog with the person doing the croping or having it done it the best thing to do.
Cheryl
Titan and Crystal's Mommy
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4289483337
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4289482147

[A n i t a]

i personally think cropped ears look much better on a dane. it makes the dog looks more majestic & preserves what the breed originally stood for. the great dane was orginally used for hunting wild boar. & the ears were cropped to protect the dog from the underbrush in the thick forests. so, i like cropping for show dogs or pet dogs. but it is hellish work to tape ears. if taped well & consistently the end result is beautiful!

[Vanessa_S]

THank you for your input. I am leaning more and more toward the crop.
I also think it makes a dane look more majestic. I have nothing against the natural look either, I just like the looks of the cropped dane better.

[Vanessa_S]

The breeder that I bought Sisco from does not crop ears. All her dogs are natural. She doesn't agree with cropping ears. And that's ok. She has offered her assistance in the taping of the ears and etc., so I will have all the support I need. Again, thanks for the input.

Vanessa:)

[Vanessa_S]

Bev, haven't heard from you yet. Are you still going to give me those names? :'( :'(

[Bev_K]

Yep, see your inbox! :)

Bev

[Zoeys Mom]

I don't believe Gwenna was referring to you personally. She was commenting on the excuse people use about cropping ears to keep infections at bay.

[Zoeys Mom]

>couldn't imagine him with stiff stand up ears

For anyone curious about cropping, cropped ears aren't stiff.

[danemaybe]

"What's with the ear infection thing? Have any of you heard of vinegar and water, and cleaning your dog's ears weekly?"

how is that not refferring to me personally?????

**note the use of you and your in the sentence**

i can't even begin to tell you how sick i am about the patronizing tone displayed on this board all too often.

[anne]

Danemaybe, please note that the you reference IN CONTEXT said "Have any of you", as in a general "you," not YOU in particular. Quit being so defensive. :D

[danemaybe]

anne, please note, not only the fact that she directly responded to my post, but also that there were a few of "us" that mentioned the ear infections (hence the "you" since some of YOU find this so difficult to understand). but you can believe what you want to believe. she knows what she meant, i know what she meant, and most people here know what she meant (you know what she meant too but for some reason choose to defend it).

i am just tired of it really. i dont know where everyone thinks they are but we are in a FORUM! everything you write is...well, IN WRITING. you can defend it but you cant CHANGE its meaning. she wrote it. do you want me to pretend she didnt??? or do you want me to live in la la land and pretend it meant something else????

[gmac]

>anne, please note, not only the fact that she directly
>responded to my post, but also that there were a few of "us"
>that mentioned the ear infections (hence the "you" since
>some of YOU find this so difficult to understand). but you
>can believe what you want to believe. she knows what she
>meant, i know what she meant, and most people here know what
>she meant (you know what she meant too but for some reason
>choose to defend it).
>
>i am just tired of it really. i dont know where everyone
>thinks they are but we are in a FORUM! everything you write
>is...well, IN WRITING. you can defend it but you cant
>CHANGE its meaning. she wrote it. do you want me to
>pretend she didnt??? or do you want me to live in la la
>land and pretend it meant something else????

You ARE in lala land. What are you so d*amn bent out of shape about? Are you the only one allowed to go on and on and on and on about how you are "sick and tired of the condescending tone of DOL"?? Do you have any idea how sick and tired some of us get of all the WHINING?? Do ya think maybe Mandi and Anne are just tired of listening to you bellyache and were trying to change the subject?

I don't really care if you don't like me, my tone, or my opinions. The plain fact is, if you like a cropped Dane ear, then why do you have to validate it to anyone??

[andiesdanes]

>... preserves what the
>breed originally stood for. the great dane was orginally
>used for hunting wild boar. & the ears were cropped to
>protect the dog from the underbrush in the thick forests.
>so, i like cropping for show dogs or pet dogs. but it is
>hellish work to tape ears. if taped well & consistently the
>end result is beautiful! >>

I disagree with cropping preserving the boarhound look....look at any old pictures from when Danes were still used as hunting dogs..the crop they had was VERY VERY short and stubby, kind of like you see on Pits now, not at all regal. Also have to disagree that if taped well nd consitently it will end up beautiful...lots of dogs have crop failures even with a proper cut and proper taping...

That said, it is hard for me to not love a lovely cropped Dane...they do look so regal and beautiful. And the vast majority of American Breeders breed for a crop....longer ears. I love the look of a Natural Eared Dane if they have the right ear and ear set....not at all "houndy or dopey" with the correctly bred ear.


All of mine have been cropped. Given the choice I would go au naturel, but my breeder crops the pups before they go to homes....so more taping is in my future......ugh.

[danemaybe]

this is almost too funny. since you know i like cropped ears so much, dont you think i would have had it done???? read my first post on this topic. no i will make it easier for you...i will quote it: "my dogs ears are natural (i thought there was no reason to crop) and, at 5 months old, he has already had an infection (and yes i clean them)." where in this statement do you hear me trying to "validate" my opinion to YOU??? am i not allowed to answer like everyone else??? whats wrong with you, only your opinions matter??? where exactly do you hear me "bellyaching" and "whining" until your cocky comment????

from my statement, and a few other peoples whose uncropped dogs have had infections, you decide its your duty to, not help us, or INFORM us of how to clean ears, but to imply that we have never "heard of vinegar and water, and cleaning your dog's ears weekly?" and no actually, you dont have any reason at all to be "sick and tired" bc you started the problem. the conversation was going fine until YOUR implications. your statement simply WASNT NECESSARY.

[Nicole34]

I prefer the look of the cropped ear. Both my dogs have the "short" crop and I didn't have to tape once. They stood on their own, not to say that "all" ears will do that, but it may be the thing to do for the first time cropper.

http://www.nicoleandbrett34.com/danes2.html

[HKDanes]

the great dane was orginally
>used for hunting wild boar. & the ears were cropped to
>protect the dog from the underbrush in the thick forests.

No, the ears were cut off so that the boars couldn't shred them with their tusks.
I prefer the cropped look and always will. In my last litter, the ear sets and the size of the ears were such that the puppies could have all been left down eared.
I cropped four puppies in one day and separated them that night. By the next day, they were playing with each other like nothing had happened. They were not drugged (I oppose using sedatives in the after care but that is just me).
I cropped my boy and his ears were standing by the time he was eight months old. I put him in my deep sink to contain him (while I could still lift him) and he sat there for the whole process. When he grew out of the sink, he was "trained" to sit still while I taped him by myself.
If the cropping vet leaves enough bell and the dog has the proper ear leather and the breeder has the correct way to tape, you should have no problem.
It is a personal choice and there is no right or wrong of it, IMO...Jo