Crop ears or not?

I was wondering what everyones opinion is on this subject. I am torn. Not sure if I want to crop Dozers ears or not. His ears are already small so they dont have that floppy look to them.

Opinions?

Thanks in advnace

Glen

 

My opinion is whatever look you prefer...I love natural ears(as you can see by Annie's pictures..hehe), but I think some dogs look really sharp with cropped ears..i havea few reasons why I didn't crop other than the fact I like the natural look...one, it's one more time they have to go under anesthesia..not that it's a huge risk, but there's always a small chance that they won't handle it well and may not come out it it..secondly, people tend to shy away from dogs with cropped ears more and think dogs are mean, but of course..it presents you with even more of an opportunity to promote the friendliness of the breed..
So, they're both perfectly good options..it's still the same sweet pit bull..

 

I Personally love the uncropped look. I have dogs that are non cropped and my newest family already had her ears cropped. All of mine are rescue dogs so I get what I get. But, Annabelle's ears really are a hack job and are not what I would call profesionally done. I would check around and get people's opinion's of where to get it done if you decide to make sure it looks great.

 

Im with you. I like the natural look as well. I was mainly asking because Dozers ears are already small. They do not have the "natural floppy" look anyway. So I was reconsidering having them done. I have owned one other PB years ago and had his done. After words I wished I hadn't. The vet done them in more of a dobie style and It really didnt look right. Pluse it was a mess with all the tape/bandages and stuff. I will probably just leave the big guy as is :y_the_best:

 

:kiss_heart: natural ears :kiss_heart: they are meant to be there and there is no reason to crop. besides, you wouldnt be able to grab his ears, smoosh his face around and go 'gooshibooboo' if you cropped them! [i dunno if thats your thing but i always do that with dogs whos ears arent tiny]

 

hahaha.....as a matter of fact I did that to him tonight as I walked in the door from work....LOL

 

Phoebe had her ears croped when we got her. If it were up to me after the last month of dealing with the taping and care of her ears, I would not of done it and if we get another puppy, I won't do it.

 

if you go uncropped more power to you, its natural and more people are starting to appreciate it ...however if you do decide to crop heres what to look for: look for a VET that has experience with the procedure, ask if they have photos of previous ear croppings. in addition the ears should not be shaved contrary to what a lot of vets say it is actually counterproductive in reducing infection and only helps with the visibility during the cut. an experienced and talented vet won't need to do this. taping the ears is also unnecesary and hinders healing and doesn't influence the way they hold them at all. your dogs ear position and cartilage stregnth determine this. they either will or they wont stand up...the only way to influence this factor is if the dog develops the muscles and the nerves that control the ear by using them often,i.e. listening to you talk to them ,etc. laser surgery is also available and believe me the difference is worth it. two out of three of my dogs had the laser and the healing time was about three days. the stitches come out after 7-10 days although they usually come out on their own i've noticed.
also a blood test is something you should consider since death is a possibility any time a dog goes under anesthesia ( i know first hand ). my vet does it like this.
day 1... consultation. the vet examines the dog and the eras ask what kind of cut and advises on the likelihood of achieving the look your after. pictures of the cut your looking for are a big help.
day 2... surgery is performed and the doctor calls to inform you of its success. dog is held overnight for observation and care ( i.v.'s , and monitoring any excess bleeding in addition to pain meds)
day3...pick up your baby along with any sedatives or pain meds as some dogs may be allergic to the stitches or experience more pain. sometimes they need the cone, most times they don't.

and thats it...i'll try to post pics of my two pups ears after the surgery.

 

here is gin the day after her ears were done. i can't find my pics of o-ren but i'll put them up when i do.

[/img]

 

I prefer cropped, I think it gives the dog a more sharp, regal apperance. I got my males ears cropped and I would do it again, my vet has been in my family before I was born and is very experienced with ear crops so I was lucky. Sadly, most people just go to their regular vet and just think that they know what they're doing and end up with a bad ear job. Just because the vet says he DOES ear crops doesn't mean he does them correctly. My dog's ears were cropped, picked him up the next day, and acted like nothing was wrong at all. His ears weren't taped and they had no problem standing at all. I suggest, if you decided to crop, to call around and find out which vet is most talented with the APBT crop. As far as their being any health advantage to either or, there is no difference.

 

I like both looks. Before we got Piper, we were positive that we would have our Pit's ears cropped (my husband loves the look). Once we picked her out and brought her home, we changed our minds - her ears play a big role in her markings. I absolutely love her floppy ear look, but will consider cropping a definite option if we get another pup.

 

mattbone: Your Gin is beautiful!

 

I think it depends on the dog and what you like. If the ears are already small then its no biggue unless you want the look of cropped ears.

Here are a couple of my dogs

Not cropped and


cropped

http://members.fortunecity.com/tbulldogs/0772dcc0.jpg



Cropped and not

 

i dont get that. if you want a sharp regal dog then why buy something that isnt naturally like that? a dog is not going to care if it doesnt look sharp and regal, or does that not matter?

 

The APBT is a regal looking dog and the cropped ears just enhances it. Of course it is all just for cosmetic reasons, and I never said it wasn't. It is my preference and I prefer the cropped ears.

 

Maybe because some people love APBTs, other dog breeds don't act like APBTs, don't have the same personality, traits and temperament and don't have the same appearance other then the fact that they may have naturally erect ears.