What are the pros and cons of cropping dogs ears? Surprising Answer

Things to Consider Before the Procedure

Thеrе аrе various factors that have tо bе соnѕidеrеd, bеfоrе рlаnning еаr cropping fоr уоur dog.

Thеу inсludе аgе, health соnditiоn, gеndеr, and brееd.

Thе correct age for dog ear cropping iѕ bеtwееn еight tо twеlvе weeks.

Aѕ the dоg grоwѕ, thе саrtilаgе in itѕ еаrѕ bесоmеѕ thicker, mаking the рrосеdurе mоrе раinful. Ear cropping аftеr twelve wееkѕ оf age may nоt bе successful in getting аn uрright еаr.

Thе dog must be healthy еnоugh tо bear the ѕtrеѕѕ of аnеѕthеѕiа and ѕurgеrу. Hе must bе givеn timely vассinаtiоnѕ, muѕt bе dеwоrmеd, аnd ѕhоuld bе in rеаllу gооd hеаlth.

Physical and Phantom Pain

Not only will your dog be in real pain for weeks, but they will likely experience phantom pain. Phantom pain does exist. If you had an appendage removed or a tooth, you might have experienced it.

The taping and retaping to erect the ears after surgery adds to your dog’s intense pain. The process could last days or even months.

For Protection:

Historically, many guard dogs’ ears have been cropped to increase the intimidation of their appearance, making them more reminiscent of wolves.

Most of these historical reasons have been disproved (improving hearing and preventing ear infections) or are no longer applicable today. Dogs of war have been predominantly shifted to the shepherd family, including malinois, GSDs, and Dutch shepherds whose ears generally stand naturally. Dogfighting is illegal, and the most common dogs used for hunting and chasing down prey are hounds whose long ears serve an important role in scent trailing. Although some dogs have portions of their ears removed later in life after a few injuries, this is usually in response to injury or repeat trauma and reactionary, not elective. Whether certain breeds look more intimidating with cropped ears is a matter of opinion. Consider the rottweilers; they are not cropped and are certainly considered intimidating.

Dog Ear Cropping the pros and cons of Ear Cropping?

Ear cropping is an elective surgery currently implemented in approximately 20 dog breeds, including Dobermans, Great Danes, Boxers, Schnauzers, and many others. This procedure involves the surgical removal of most or all of the flappy portion of the ear. The surgery may be followed by taping to train the ear cartilage into the desired position. Historically, the surgery was implemented practically for these breeds. However, it is now considered only cosmetic and has been banned in most countries. While still legal in most of North America, there are some things to consider before pursuing an ear crop on your puppy.