should i get my great danes ears cropped?

Question

My puppy is 9weeks old and My husband and i are fighting over weither or not we should get our danes ears done. This is our first great dane puppy.

Answer 1

To correct some of the confusion: Great Danes Can be shown AKC conformation ring with ears natural. A few have even been finished as a champion of record for the breed. I am neither opposed or for ear cropping, it is a matter of individual taste, same goes for tail docking in other breeds. Depending on the breed it does serve a purpose. My show dogs all have cropped ears. My brood bitches are left natural. The window of oppurtunity closes at about 11.5 weeks, with 9.5 being ideal. Our vet uses laser surgery, less bleeding, quicker recovery. Pain meds are essential and fluids during surgery a must on a young puppies. If you are not willing to give up approximately 6 months to taping and cleaning at least everyday and sometimes more, weekly visits to the vet, then please don't put the puppy through it. Nothing is worse than a puppy with butchered ears, either from an inexperienced vet or irresponsible Dane owners.

Answer 2

There really is no health benefit to cropping ears. There is a slightly higher risk of ear infections in dogs with floppy ears, but proper care and maintenance make up for it. Just wipe the ears with a baby wipe every couple days or so. So, it is really a cosmetic decision for you to decide on. Just remember, cropping ears requires the ears being cut to the right shape and then pinned up for some time. This has to be painful and irritation for the little guy. I know it is a standard practice that I am sure served some purpose at some point in time. However, would you like someone doing that to you and you have no say in it? [Ok, so some guys may have a point in that argument, so use it sparingly: )....] Does it really serve a purpose to you or the puppy? Either way you go, be sure to talk it through and make sure it is what you both feel is best for the dog.

Answer 3

I don't think that people realize that there are draw backs to having their dogs ears cropped. These drawbacks include:

*Death of the dog due to putting him under anesthesia. Some owners don't understand that just the anesthesia alone can be a danger. Especially a young puppy.

*It can be difficult to get the cropped ears to stand right.

*Some vets aren't familiar with cropping ears. Some vets are only familiar with one specific breeds cropping. You'd have to make sure that your vet understands exactly what you are looking for.

*And It's very very very expensive!!!

Most Great Danes that win at showings have their ears cropped, but some of them don't. I believe that if he is going to be a family dog and not in showings he should be left alone. Why fork more money into something that you have no guarantee how it's gonna turn out. Good Luck.

Answer 4

I have 4 Great Danes and we have both cropped and natural. I believe that cropping is just a personal preference, but you have to dedicate yourself to the after care if you do decide to crop. Also if you decide to crop your dog, make sure that the vet has experience in cropping a Great Dane and ask to see pictures of their work. You do not want to end up with a crop that is intended for a pit bull to be on your dog. You may also have to drive a long way to find a vet that is capable of cropping a dane. In my opinion a failed crop or a bad crop is a sure fire way to ruin the way a dog looks.
Are you planning on showing your pup? If so, it is said to be easier to finish a cropped dog than a natural one, but you do not have to have your pup cropped to show.

Answer 5

I have a Boxer and I struggled with whether or not to crop his ears. I love the way they look with cropped ears, but I quickly decided not to do it. Why put my dog through so much anguish just because *I* liked how it looked? It's really too cruel. He also has his tail docked, but that was done by the breeder, as with most.
Also, I don't know about Great Danes, but I know that Boxers don't have to have their ears cropped anymore if you're going to show them; they're allowed in with natural ears.

Answer 6

This question all boils down to the personal preference!!! I see no problem getting the dog's ears cropped if you find a vet with the experience behind him. I have had Dobermans for over 26 years and had 9 of them. All were cropped but one and I didn't have his done only because I wanted one with natural ears. I never had a problem with their ears. They are a little sore when you remove/change the first taping, but they are NOT in pain like some people say they are. I always wonder if the ones that say how much pain the dog is in has ever dealt with a cropped procedure? I doubt it!!! If you do decide to get a crop be sure to keep up on the after care!!! That is VERY important!!! Ihave had cropping done as late as 3-4 months & the ears stand erect!! Here is a site on ear cropping, it is for Dobermans but it would pertain to all http://www.dobermanclub.org/Buying_Puppy/ears.html

Answer 7

I'll admit that one of my Dobermans has cropped ears. I adopted her after she was dumped at a shelter and her ears were already cropped. I would NEVER have put her through the procedure. My other dogs all have beautiful "natural" ears. Several years ago, one of my Great Dane puppies died during ear crop surgery. I was devastated and would never do it again. I know that they no longer teach "ear cropping" at the Texas A&M College of Veterinarian Medicine. If you do elect to do it, please research thouroughly before you select a veterinarian. Here are a couple of websites with information to help you with your decision.

http://www.doggiesparadise.com/earcropping.shtml
http://www.dog.com/information/earcrop.asp

Good luck

Answer 8

Personally, I would NOT do it, Danes are cuter with the floppy ears anyway. Personally I dont see the point the point of paying for a dog, then removing parts of it.

Many vets will no longer remove any part of a dog for aesthetic reasons. In many countries it's illegal to crop or dock. The AKC will let danes show with or without cropped ears.

I would say, don't do it.

Answer 9

Depends on what you plan to do with the dog -

If you're going to show her, it may be a show requirement. Check with the Great Dane breeders or AKC to see what the standards are regarding ears, tail,dewclaws etc.

If you're going to breed her then you'll need to show her - see above.

If you just want a really nice pet - I'd avoid the costs and let her go au natural. also, at 9 weeks, you may be too late to crop and have standing ears as it is.

Ask your vet about the optimal time to crop ears - again, you may have waited too log anyway.

Answer 10

No, there is no reason to get this done! I had debated this for a long time and decided not to get it done. I am glad I did not. I have spoken to other people I know with Danes and there is a mixture that say they wish they would have never got them done and left them alone. I am happy I left them alone!