Ear cropping - thoughts?

[Josie]

I think this so terrible! I know that this is an American thing. Does anyone know why they still practice this?

I found this article which was quite useful:
cropped-and-docked

 

[JoanneF]

I understand the argument for cropped tails in working dogs as the injury a tail can receive while working can be nasty. But I don't agree with it for cosmetic purposes. I also think the arguments in the article are quite weak. If a Doberman was being used for protection I would like to see the attacker that has the coordination to grab the ears of a fierce dog. I can't imagine the ears are any more prone to infection than most other breeds and a sensible grooming regime should identify any infection early enough to deal with it quite easily. And to draw the comparison with a bulldog being unable to mate without human intervention says more about the bulldog than the Doberman (I'm uncomfortable about extreme breeding anyway).

 

[Caro Perry]

There's a (controversial) technique used on Welsh Terriers to glue their ears into place as young pups to make sure that they fold correctly...

 

[JoanneF]

There's a (controversial) technique used on Welsh Terriers to glue their ears into place as young pups to make sure that they fold correctly...

This is the sort of thing I find upsetting about showing. Rhetorical question but who says a dog's ears should fold? And if that is the so-called breed standard, maybe accept that certain dogs don't meet it? Or if most dogs don't meet it, maybe change it? Someone once argued with me that it is just the same as children having squint teeth and suggested I would condemn a child to being disfigured by denying them a corrective brace but i think there is s huge difference - apart from the possible dental hygiene, chewing or speaking problems (or self confidence) squint teeth might cause, dogs don't have any social pressure to conform to a 'look'.

 

[PineappleQueen]

I only recently learned about this after seeing a dog without the cropped ears and my friend explaining this is how they are meant to look

Humans are horrible. The things we do to this planet and its inhabitants is really awful, do whatever you want to yourself, but cosmetically 'enhancing' an animal is disgusting and shouldnt be legal. The people who profit from this are even worse.

 

[Sezzy]

Definitely a no. Dog ears are so cute and soft and lovely, they should not be messed around with

 

[Violet Turner]

A big NO NO they don't have a say in it and their ears are lovely the way they are!!

 

[Fergus]

It is just evil.