Cropping??to do or not to do

[BostonKisses]

Cropping??
Although we have not found our puppy yet, jerry and i have been discussing alot of things about her.
one of the things that have come up is weather or not to crop. I love the look of an adult croped boxer and so does he. it is something we are thinking about doing but are not 100% sure about it yet.

I am a bit worried about putting the puppy through pain and such. i have been reading up on it alot. some sites say it isnt painful if done right and others say it is mutalation and crule. i have heard about some vets using lazers to crop?
i am also concerned about recieving a bad crop. like uneaven or ugly shaped. i know there are different crops available but i cant seem to find pictures that actually show the different types of crops avail. so if anyone has a link or something to a site with that info id appreciate it.


on the other hand i have heard that if you dont crop your dogs ears could end up being wild or unnappealing, flopping all over or even standing upright like a bat, and you will lose that "boxer" look that i love so much.

id like to hear some opinions on cropping if anyone has any, so i can think about it a bit more.

i guess my main question is: How painful is it really? will she suffer horribly? will it traumatise her forever?



thanks for your time.


Sarah
Boston Kisses
http://sites.centralpets.com/mammal.../Sabsplace.html

 

[Boxer_21]

Both of my boys have natural ears. Not because I think it's painful, but because I didn't want to put myself through the hassles of taping and added costs. My boys' natural ears are beautiful. Neither one's ears are appauling or stand up to make them look like a bat. They both have the boxer look.

Before joining Boxerworld, I also thought that it was a painful process. I've since learned that as long as you go to a vet who knows what he/she's doing cropping is not painful like I thought it was. There may be some discomfort especially immediately following the procedure, but it's not a 24 hour excruciating pain. They do not suffer nor are they traumatized for life. If this were the case, there would be a lot of miserable show boxers.

If you do decide to crop in the end you'll need to keep a few things in mind...

One, it can be a bit on the expensive side. You'll need to find a vet who is reputable and recommended to crop ears. A lot of vets aren't experienced with cropping and you may end up with a bad crop job. A good way to find a vet who can do this would be to contact your local boxer club.

Two, you'll have to do a lot of follow up care (taping, etc). This is very important to make certain that they will stand properly. This is also a lot of work, espcially if you have no experience in doing so. I'm not sure how much or if vets will charge you for follow up tapings and check ups.

Three, even if you go to the most reputable/recommended "ear cropper" there is a *chance* that the crop job will come out bad. Of course, once the cropping is down, there is no going back.

Four, you will need to have your puppy's ears cropped by the time it's 12 weeks.

Here are some other links that offer more info. This is a subject that comes up frequently so feel free to use the search function to come up with more links.

http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27892&highlight=cropping+pain
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26435&highlight=cropping+pain
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37356&highlight=cropping+pain

- Mandy

 

[Jaelle]

For my boy, I finally decided to leave his ears natural. But as one was really flying, I tape them to have the correct fold, and now, my boy is very nice with nice looking natural ears.

 

[robynkendall]

I was also considering getting my babys ears done but I have decided not to. I checked out the photo gallery to see if I liked adult dogs with natural ears, and they are beautiful! I guess you just have to weigh the pros and cons and do what you feel comfortable with. I decided the risk was not worth it for me, plus I have already given the vet all my christmas money!! Good luck, I know it's a hard decision!

 

[ZsaZsa&Eva]

I have grown up with and my parents still have a boxer with her ears cropped. She is beautiful from her ears to her tail.
Then, I started seeing lots of boxers with natural ears and I just think that they are adorable. Both of mine have natural ears. I never taped them. I wanted them to be whatever they grew to be. I think that their ears are adorable and express a lot of their personality. Some people may think that they are unattractive or "incorrect" but I love them and that is all that matters.
I think that whatever you choose for yours, you will love. My suggestion would be wait to meet your baby and see what that face and attitude tells you.
Good Luck,
Monica

 

[adeinert]

Be 100% sure you want cropped ears if you're going to go through all that and definitely research the boxers in your area with nice crops and what vet they went to. I have seen many, many bad crop jobs away from the show ring. In fact, rarely does a decent crop job make it to rescue. That tells me that there are a lot of vets out their doing bad jobs and those who are talented are used by the owners "in the know."

That being said, all my boxers' have natural ears that fold correctly. I did foster one puppy who's ears started "flying away". I followed some advice on here about folding them and massaging them down. Rarely have a seen an adult dog with the "flying nun" look. I remember one in the last couple years out of 300-400 boxers a year that had ears that didn't lay flat.

Ashlie and the natural boxertrio

 

[dukie's mom]

I prefer the look of the natural ears. I think they look friendlier and less threatening.

It's a cosmetic proceedure and my opinion is why subject the animal or yourself to the stress.

Rarely have a seen an adult dog with the "flying nun" look. I remember one in the last couple years out of 300-400 boxers a year that had ears that didn't lay flat.

I had a female with ears like that and I thought they were cute!!!

 

[Az Boxr Lovr]

Hi...we have Joe's ears cropped. We did it because it was the look that we wanted. We found an excellent vet in Arizona and stayed there for 10 days after the crop was done for a follow up visit. His ears turned out great however, we had to post them for 6 months. It's a lot of work, but worth it in the end if it's the look you want. Good luck with your decision.

Cheryl

 

[Zannie]

its a personal choice i like the natural look alot better but everyone has thier own style they like.good luck

ann

 

[adeinert]

Originally posted by dukie's mom




I had a female with ears like that and I thought they were cute!!! [/B]

:D In fact, we always refer to that boxer as the "cute one with the flying nun ears"! May not be the standard but he was one cute site!:D I am positive he hung the moon for his family so ears folded or flying out there he was one cute furkid!


But I guess if someone wanted to make sure they folded, it is possible.

Ashlie