Ear Cropping

I was wondering if anyone knows what is/was the original purpose of ear cropping?

 

Looks..........

 

never cut your dogs ears .

 

That's what I was thinking. I don't plan on it when I get my dog. It's illegal here too, but so are alot of things.

 

illegal to own a bulldog or what do you mean ?

 

To crop ears. It's only illegal in the U.K. To own APBT, here in Ieland there's a couple of things you're supposed to do (muzzle, short lead, id tags and my pet hate, you're supposed to be 16 and I was 15 at the start of the month lol) but it's never enforced.

 

The purpose of ear cropping historically and today really is a situational one, it differs with the breed being cropped and the owners. Show people and "pet" owners do it for looks, people with certain guarding and war dog breeds would historically crop ears and dock tails to give the dog an advantage over the human it was being sent out against (less parts for the human to grab and control the dog with). Some terrier people prefer a partial dock and use the tail like a handle to pull the dog out of the ground - but that is off topic since we are discussing crops.

For dogs that were injured in a fight, hunting, or working cropping was done to remove parts too damaged to fix. For dogs with chronic ear infections many vets used to believe cropping would help, the jury is out today on if it makes a difference.

 

Good answer RTH.

 

Exactly what Release the hounds wrote.

Thats why its just hilarious to see people now a days with a pit that has cropped ears.
Now use at all just for the looks. But still they claim. No i took this dog because i love the breed. Not of it's Bad ass looks.
it's a shame there are many owners like that. even on this form.

and for all those owners please respond... Why did you people crop your dogs ears?

 

Ha ha!I Never wanted any crop's but my wife insisted on mia and jake's being so we got them done and they do look good.I feel that it's your dog do what you want.Will I get any cropped in my next litter, probably not.

 

i like what your sayin .. on another take ,i knew a horseman , hunter ,who spent a lot of time in mexico . told me that they crop their dogs ears b/c of extreme temperature . was i green ?

 

cuz a coyote will chew the shit out of a dogs ear

 

they used to hunt couger "mtn lion" if that makes any difference ?

 

Jacko.
Imo, when you actualy WORK with your dog, its only a responsible thing to do, (working = hunting etc)


i would like to no, Why be discussed by ne type of illigal dog activity, but yet love to make your own pet look like one? (public question)

 

That's about as real as it get's!!! The good ol ear hold lol, But what do i know.

 

Lee has it right, Damn coyotes

 

not a fan of cropping myself. i think it ruins a good dog's looks most of the time. that said, i will say some dogs look great with crops, but most don't.

but i have no problem with someone doing it, their personal preference... but to me, it's for looks. a dog isn't gonna bleed to death from an ear injury. it really doesn't serve much of a functional purpose. and a dog worth it's salt knows how to get out of an ear hold.

now, i will say some breeds, such as the doberman, look like idiots without their ears done, lol

 

Khanfueshus say to crop or not to crop that is the question lol. In todays society ear cropping is only done for cosmetic reasons. Back in the old days some old timers use to crop a dogs ears for a functional purpose.

 

did you read my post Khan? if ya ever seen a dog close on a coyote, a coyotes reaction is MANY random bites (they aint ear suckers) and your dogs ears can end up a bloody shredded mess thats gonna require alotta attention, aftercare. ive seen dogs get cropped at the age of three just because it was an easier solution.
if that aint serving a purpose i dont know what is

come out next winter and we'll see if that little dog of yours ears leave looking like they did when ya got there. :rolleyes: and btw, youd be suprised how much a dogs ears can bleed. obviously not to death, but it does make for a mess in the cab of a truck. speak from experience, not speculation/opinion

 

also it might be possible that ,historicly when at work a bad ear wound could temp blind a dog with blood .