what are the pros and cons of cropping, say, a great danes ears?

Answer 1

All con to me...pain, possible infection, no guarantee it will work. I think they are beautiful just they way they are!

Answer 2

Cropping, when done at the proper age (between 7 and 12 weeks) is really no big deal. On a purely personal note, I am always amused when kids with multiple piercings and tattoos tell me that an ear crop is "unnatural" and "wrong" on a dog . A properly done crop is truely no big deal. A spay or neuter (which I support fully for most dogs) is much more painful and invasive surgery that a crop or dock any day. I have a rescue upstairs now that will attest to that the occasional neuter can be quite painful and swollen! The worst I ever had on an ear crop were puppies complaining that they weren't fed before the surgery -- or immediately on awaking. After a meal, quite happy. If she wants to show a dane successfully, she'll have an easier time with the ears cropped in the US. However....a dane ear crop takes persistence and patience. To get the crop to stand you've really got to be taping every day or whenever it looks like it's going to come down. It's not for everybody and it is a pain when you're going to be late for work and an ear is coming down! Guess what happens -- you're late for work. It's not brain surgery but it takes real persistence for a long dane crop to stand. And if you keep at it, they will stand. Postscript -- the healing process is actually quite quick. The standing process is the long part.

Answer 3

The ears must be cropped before the Dane reaches 16 weeks of age, there is a lot of after care and it all needs to be done correctly. There aren't many vets that do crop any more and even among those that do there are even fewer who do a good job.

A cropped dog doesn't have fewer ear infections then one that is natural..that is an old wives tale..no validity.
A natural eared Dane can be shown and they actually do very well in the ring. There are several that have obtained their championship. I own and am showing a natural ear Dane boy who is doing terrific in the ring..he has beat out cropped dogs.
Really there is no valid reason to crop other then for the owners own satisfaction.

Answer 4

The only real reason to crop is for looks. It can reduce the likelihood of ear infections in the canal, but not enough to crop just for that reason.
The cons are: painful, blood loss, risk of complications in surgery, risk of infection during healing, many months of time consuming taping/posting, if not totally taped properly they won't stand anyway and of course it is expensive and hard to find a qualified vet willing to do it.
I am not against ear cropping when done correctly and cared for correctly, but I certainly feel it is better to leave them natural unless you plan on showing the dog and the breed standard calls for cropped ears. That's a lot to put the dog through just for cosmetic reasons.

Edit: Cropped ears can and do prevent ear infections in floppy eared dogs. I have Dobermans and I have never seen a cropped dog develop a yeast over growth but the natural eared dogs do. There may be no scientific eveidence, but my personal experience says otherwise. Many people I know that have both natural and cropped dogs say the same thing. I don't believe that this is enough reason to crop though. The end does not justify the means here.

Answer 5

Working dog's ears and tails were originally cropped/docked to avoid accidental injury to them while working. Now that most dogs don't do what they are bred for, and are no longer actually 'working' animals, there is no need to crop or dock, besides the obvious asthetic reasons. Some people simply prefer the way the ears look cropped. But, in my opinion, it's not worth putting the dog through that kind of pain and the potential for infection.

Answer 6

In Great Danes, cropped ears are not necessary to show - in fact, there is no penalty for cropped ears.

Since most Great Danes no longer fight wild animals, the cropping is pretty much for the human owner's vanity.

Answer 7

there has been no scientific evidence that dogs with cropped ears get fewer infections! If so, why not crop all dogs ears?

Dogs ears were previously cropped for different jobs they had, for example danes ears were cropped so wild boar could not hold onto them. Unfortunately, the crop you see today is NOTHING like the original crop which looked closer to a pitbull crop.

I would only advise it if you plan to show. And even then it is not required.

Answer 8

Pros: it may prevent some ear infections (may being the keyword!). Some people like the look. I personally don't really on Danes.

Cons: it has to be done at a certain time (around 4 months), fewer and fewer vets do it, the aftercare is extensive with LOTS of taping, it's not guaranteed to work, it is painful for the pup, the procedure itself is expensive, and so on.

Answer 9

Pros - asthetics if you like the look, upright ears are less likely to become infected.

Cons - expense, going through surgery, months of wrapping the ears

Answer 10

Pros: You can come here on Yahoo answers and thumb your nose at all the PETA nazis who have a sh*t fit over you cropping your dog's ears.

Cons: It cost a lot of money and can do some damage to the ears.



Your call.

Answer 11

pros: The look (if you like it); easier to finish a show dog (I think I heard that); help defend dog-owners' rights to choose how they care for their animals; better protection from the elements; better hearing (I would guess... dogs in their "natural state" have erect ears)

cons: expensive; can go wrong if you don't get an experienced vet; inconvenient wrapping and caring for the ears