File :-(, x, )
Ear Cropping Kotone !bQXLaktCGc
Out of curiosity, what does /an/ think about ear cropping?
>> Anonymous
Faggotry
>> Anonymous
Freaking weird.
>> Anonymous
Same as tail docking. Cruel and pointless, given that aesthetics should be secondary to the health & happiness of the dog.
>> Anonymous
I hope this doesn't sound too weird but I'd really like to see more people have this done to them at birth. I think it would look pretty neat if we all had half-ears.
>> Anonymous
in b4 circumcision
>> Kotone !bQXLaktCGc
     File :-(, x)
Most German Shepherd you see nowadays have their ears cropped. Also Great Danes, Boxers, Dobermans, etc. I don't think it's so weird. In essence it's just putting a trait back that's been lost with centuries of breeding from their ancestors (wolves, who have ears which naturally stand up). The procedure really isn't all that cruel, especially with modern technology and medicine.

Some people also argue that ear cropping is healthier for the dog, in that it keeps infection at bay. One they're all healed, I don't see how it hinders their happiness at all. If nothing else, they hear better (not that they need to :P).
>> Anonymous
>>113940
I'm not sure ear cropping is even legal where I live. Tail docking sure isn't.
>> Anonymous
>>113940

It's been lost during the centuries due to EVOLUTION. That's nature taking its course.
>> Kotone !bQXLaktCGc
>>113943
No, it's called selective breeding.
>> Anonymous
>>113940

Eh, I dunno... in breeds that are typically cropped, are hearing problems and ear infections really big problems? You usually see cropped ears on dogs with short ears that stand up anyway, and they're made shorter for appearances' sake. It's not usually seen in dogs like cocker spaniels or basset hounds, and those breeds actually have long ears that get infected and stuff.

I just don't like surgically altering an animal's appearance for aesthetic reasons, I guess.
>> Kotone !bQXLaktCGc
>>113948
With those types of dogs, I assume the problem with cropping their ears is that the ears are too long, and would not be able to support themselves because of it.
>> Anonymous
>>113950

Well, that's kind of my point. If you were going to crop a dog's ears to keep it from getting ear infections and to help it hear better, would you do it to the basset hound or the doberman?
It's like saying, who needs weight-loss surgery more, Nicole Richie or Rosie O'Donnell?

Also, like others have said, the trait was lost through selection (probably a combination of natural and artificial), and just mutilating your dog isn't going to bring it back. If people really think that trait needs to be in the population, then they can get it back the same way it was lost: selection.
>> Kotone !bQXLaktCGc
>>113951
You make a good point.

I'm not really pro or con ear cropping. I think it looks nice in some dogs (GSDs, for example), and not-so-nice in others (Boxers, for example).

It either gives them a sort of regal appearance or a pair of horns. Lol.
>> Anonymous
I don't like it.

I really love seeing pics of corgis with their tails, they look so cute. :(
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>113940
>>113954

You would never crop a GSD's ears, it goes against both the breed standard and common sense. They may be taped as a puppy because they are not standing on their own, but never cut.

Ear cropping itself is a product of archaic thinking and has nothing to do with hygiene. The majority of breeds in which ear cropping is common were typically guard dogs, fighting dogs, or large game hunters, and it was believed that their drop ears could be torn or otherwise become a liability in a fight. Occasionally it was done solely for cosmetic reasons, as in MinPins, whose ears stand up naturally but are cropped so that they resemble tiny Dobermans. Breeds that are typically cropped do not have anymore ear problems then other dogs, and have far less the dogs with dramatically long ears.
I can't think of a legitimate reason to crop a modern dog's ears, and the procedure not only causes discomfort but is often done improperly resulting in mismatched ears or infection.
>> Kotone !bQXLaktCGc
>>113992
Ahh, that's right. I forgot that's how they do it now, taping. I just assumed it was the same method. Thanks for correcting me.

So is taping the modern alternative to cropping? That is, does it achieve a similar/same effect?
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>113995

That would be nice, but sadly no, cropping the ears is actually cutting them to make them stand in dog breeds they otherwise wouldn't. GSD puppy's ears should stand on their own, but sometimes need assistance due to weak cartilage. You could tape a Dobie's ears, but they are not anatomically designed to stand up without some of the actual ear being removed, so they would just return to normal when the tape was removed.