types of ear cropping

[summerlove]

I plan on having my puppy cropped when i get him or her but i don't know what all cropping there are and i don't even know how to tap them and i really need some help on this please. Like what cropping would be best and his or her tail will be cropped as well and how long does it take for the ears to heal?

 

[Sansal]

The tail should have been docked when the puppies are only a few days old. You can not dock the tail after the puppies are already a few weeks old.

May I ask why you want to crop the ears? It is very painful to the dog and requires a lot of work on your side. You would need to find a vet who has experience and who will be able to show you how to care for it. Maybe you can call your local boxer club and ask if they can refer you somewhere.
I have to be honest, I'm against it, I find it cruel and unnecessary but unfortunately the US is one of the few countries who still allows it. So if you decide to go ahead with it make sure you find someone with experience who can help you with it.

 

[TwoDogs]

I just met a dog the other day who had a bad ear crop/tape job and ended up losing one ear to infection as a result. If you want it done, get it done right.

My suggestion is to contact your local breed club and get a recommendation for a vet through them. Most vets don't do ear croppings regularly and you really want one who knows what they are doing. Boxer ears are cropped a certain way--more like Doberman or Dane ears than like Dogo or Staffie ears. You need to go to someone who has done alot of Boxer ears.

The vet will explain the necessary aftercare to you and show you how to attend to the taping and dressing.

If the tail wasn't done by 3 days old, then you shouldn't do it. After that point, the nerve pathways are completely formed and the procedure becomes extremely painful for the pup and more like an amputation. In fact, my vet wouldn't even consider docking a dog past that point unless there is some health reason requiring the amputation. If the tail hasn't been done, there is no point in doing the ears.

 

[LILYLARUE]

There are more and more US boxers that are going "Au Naturale". Save your dog the pain and potential of damage and leave the pup the way you get him. Many vets are now refusing any type of cosmetic dockings/croppings - it's only for looks and it's very painful for the pup. As far as my opinion goes - leave him be. Nothings unusually cuter than a natural eared, tailed boxer!

 

[summerlove]

the breeder i'm get her/him from is docking the tails when they are born and the vet i use does cropping i checked, and i was just wondering about the cropping but i do think you guys are right on not getting them cropped. i mean i love my pets like their my children and i wouldn't want my child in pain for a sec. so i don't want a cropping if it will hurt him/her. i have heard of a way they stand the boxers ears without cutting them. what are your thoughts on this way?

 

[janmark]

To crop or not to crop is a total matter of opinion. Jada is my third boxer and all of them have had their ears cropped. You want to make sure that the vet you choose does have experience. I hear a lot of people talk about the "pain" but I'm not sure what pain they have because Jada never showed any discomfort after her cropping. She was actually more blah after being spayed then cropped. My previous babies (Baby & Renska) both had the typical styrofoam cup and ears taped but Jada was my first that did not have anything on her ears after surgery. I instructed my vet that I did not want a long cropped show type ears just something to match her face and with how he did it we had very little taping. Her one ear had a little bend to it and we taped it for a while but I decided that it gave her "character". Both ears do stand very well now and the one can still bend a little but again character. This is obvious a serious decision as anesthesia is involved and you must be prepared for the after care, but I still say go with what you want.

 

[summerlove]

well my vet i have used for years told me if i did get the ears cropped he would show me everything i needed to know and if i was still not sure on the tapping after word he would show me again and what types of ear cropping styles are there? i don't one but of one. If it does hurt her/him then i will have it done, i just love the look and my past boxer mix had his done when i got him at 8 and they where beautiful. so can you tell me some of the ear cropping styles? Janmark?

 

[janmark]

I'm not that sure of the different types of styles myself. The only thing I am familiar with is when you want to "show" the dog the ears are cropped longer and that is a lot of work in order to keep them standing. I told my vet that I wanted the shortest possible crop that fit her face. I had every confidence in my vet and believed him to be the expert and I was not disappointed. Jada did not have to have a cup and the doctor said we didn't have to tape. With this method one ear was perfect, however the one ear flopped towards her head (which you can see in my avatar photo) and hindsight is 20/20 I should have massage her ear and coxed the ear back over but since this no tape style was new to me I didn't. It then healed that way so we did end up taping only that ear to get it "re-trained". Now it will slightly angle towards her head at time but I'm not a perfectionist and believe it just ads to her character. As far as the pain goes. Since we do not have the luxury of actually asking our four-legged friends if it hurts I can only go by actions. Jada never missed beat and I can only recall one time when while healing that she scratched her ear and gave a quick whimper. That one time was the only time she showed pain or discomfort. My post is not to talk you or anyone else for that matter into cropping but I believe it's all down to personal choice.

 

[summerlove]

i really like the crop job on her. she is beautiful i have to say and i think this crop fits her face and her look. do you know what it is called?

 

[janmark]

I honestly don't know if it has a name. With each dog we had we just requested the same a short crop that fits their face. I've only heard of the short crop that is more for pets and easier to maintain and the longer show crop which takes A LOT more work. Sometimes your vet make have pictures of dogs they have cropped so it doesn't hurt to ask or they may be able to put you in toch with other owners. I told my vet that I had no problem being a reference. Do remember thought there is a very small window to get their ears cropped. I'm not sure how old your puppy will be but if over 12 weeks it should not be done. I think Jada was between 9 - 10 weeks when we did it.