Hearing Sense

[Doggystyle]

I was considering getting my new male pups ears cropped. I would want them to be as short as possible. I was wondering what are the pros and cons of cropping. One specific question I have is................... If a dog uses its ears to block some of those noises that disturb them by folding them forward? I guess I am just wanting to know if there are long term health problems associated with ear crops?

[El Mexicano]

the ear flap blocks dirt from gettin in into the ear..u would have to keep the dog real clean and check his ears more than usual..run a search i kno there has been alot of topics about this

[14rock]

Pros-makes the owner feel better about their dogs looks, thats it.

Cons-prone to infections, having to put the dog under for the surgery, the immediate judging people make when they see a cropped eared pitbull, absolutely no working purpose for cropping an ear, as a matter of fact, most prefer to leave the ears just for that reason. Not too mention the fact that your paying somebody a couple hundred dollars to put your pup under, slice off his ears, and send him back to you the next day with oozing ears..scabs, and from that moment on will always need constant cleaning.

[Doggystyle]

I have searched threads here but none really touched on the topic of the ears blocking noises. I guess I could try something like yahoo search engine if no-one here can answer my question with knowledge or experience.

[Doggystyle]

Pros-makes the owner feel better about their dogs looks, thats it.

Cons-prone to infections, having to put the dog under for the surgery, the immediate judging people make when they see a cropped eared pitbull, absolutely no working purpose for cropping an ear, as a matter of fact, most prefer to leave the ears just for that reason. Not too mention the fact that your paying somebody a couple hundred dollars to put your pup under, slice off his ears, and send him back to you the next day with oozing ears..scabs, and from that moment on will always need constant cleaning.
Your points really don't sustain to me because my reasons for ear cropping are not related to none of your opinions. I understand that many "street people and thugs" are seen with dogs that have cropped ears but that is clearly not my profile. I did ask what are the pros and cons of ear cropping but in your opinion there is clearly nothing but negative remarks towards cropping. I am more open-minded to ear cropping and would like to hear comments from those who don't mind cropping. Your replie is still appreciated.

[Verderben]

Some of my dogs ears are cropped and I do not have to clean them any more often than my uncropped dogs and they are never dirtier. My one floppy eared dog has the dirtiest ears of all my dogs. also my cropped dogs have had LESS ear infections than my floppy dogs as well. As far as the hearing thing goes I dont notice a difference in my dogs hearing. I have also never had a puppy cropped come home with oozing ears.

[14rock]

So can I ask what your reason for cropping is that I didnt cover, and what the pros in your opinion are?

[Doggystyle]

Some of my dogs ears are cropped and I do not have to clean them any more often than my uncropped dogs and they are never dirtier. My one floppy eared dog has the dirtiest ears of all my dogs. also my cropped dogs have had LESS ear infections than my floppy dogs as well. As far as the hearing thing goes I dont notice a difference in my dogs hearing. I have also never had a puppy cropped come home with oozing ears.I have heard before that floppy ears trap moisture which trap dirt and that made sense to me and my wife and I also came to another good point that made sense which was cropped ears are open to the volume of noises more. There seems to be many myths behind cropped vs. uncropped ears but it's all about how you personify your dogs. I don't judge people or dogs who don't have males cropped and wanting to get a dogs ears cropped may tend to draw alot of heat from those who naturally stereotype, but in a positive way it may show that cropped ears doesn't mean the dog is vicious.

*Disregard those with negative aspects*

[jessiepbg]

Dogs with long droopy ears do have worse problems than those with erect ears. As said before, it traps dirt and moisture. Then again, dogs with erect ears can also get nasty infections. I don't personally like ear cropping, as I believe it is just another cosmetic surgery that causes pointless stress. I wouldn't want someone to clip off the outer portion of my ear, then wrap it in tape for the next few weeks, just because they think it looks cool. I do like the look, but many people think it makes the dog look vicious. I don't know about filtering noises with the ears. I suppose it would a bit, but not all that much. As much as most people on this forum disagree with the idea of crossbreeding dogs, I believe that if you really want the square head and pointy ears, just do as the Bull Terrier did and breed with natural erect-eared dogs and select for the ones with pointy ears. Not that I would, but it's a thought.

[Doggystyle]

This thread is not meant to discuss what peoples perception of ear cropping is to them. I am asking what health conditions(if any) are associated with ear cropping compared to a dog with a non-crop which is why I posted this question in the health forum. Once again, thank you all for your replies but there is no need to make this a debate about beauty vs. ugly.

[Verderben]

I have heard before that floppy ears trap moisture which trap dirt and that made sense to me and my wife and I also came to another good point that made sense which was cropped ears are open to the volume of noises more. There seems to be many myths behind cropped vs. uncropped ears but it's all about how you personify your dogs. I don't judge people or dogs who don't have males cropped and wanting to get a dogs ears cropped may tend to draw alot of heat from those who naturally stereotype, but in a positive way it may show that cropped ears doesn't mean the dog is vicious.

*Disregard those with negative aspects*
I have heard that to be true as well of floppy eared dogs. I guess It just depends on the individual dog. I myself prefer a cropped ear so If I get a dog that is young enough I do have them cropped. I dont have too many ear problems with any of my dogs except the one female. She has cronic ear infections that never do really go away. They get better then nasty again, and her ears are floppy , so as I said it probably has alot to do with the individual dog.