Just as the Doberman Pinscher is born with a thin, fragile tail that is typically cropped, this breed is also born with medium length ears that are floppy. However, the Doberman is usually recognized as having pointed ears. How do they get those? They get those from a cropping procedure which is rather like a cosmetic make-over. If you are researching the Doberman Pinscher, you should definitely know about this procedure and make your own decision.
The ear crop procedure is actually a surgery done under general anesthesia with all the pre surgery requirements. It is done when the Doberman is around two months of age and is a rather involved procedure from start to finish and requiring more than just the surgery. Surgery itself takes less than an hour. The surgery includes cutting and suturing the ears. Then the ears are protected by a cup until the stitches are removed and healing is completed. After all this, the Doberman's ears have to be taped into the upright position without tape and this can take anywhere from 4 months to a year.
A Doberman Pinscher owner is usually able to choose which of three ear styles he would like to have. The choice includes the short military crop which is short with a wide base. Next is the medium crop, somewhat longer with a smaller base. Last is the show crop which is the longest ear which is longer yet with a small base.
As with tail cropping, ear cropping has come into disfavor, developing a more and more negative connotation and impressions that such cosmetic surgery is really not an ethical procedure for veterinarians to be doing. In fact, there are numerous countries such as South Africa, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. Ear cropping is still legal in the United States. However, even though when you read the standards for the Doberman Pinscher it describes the ears as erect and cropped, owners will find fewer and fewer veterinarians who are familiar with and will do the procedure.
Therefore, if you wish to acquire a Doberman Pinscher for show purposes, you may have a hard decision to make regarding the ear cropping. You will definitely need to secure some consultation from vets and breeders about the positives and negatives of the cropping procedure. You will need to learn about the rather lengthy procedure, your involvement in the procedure and finding an experienced veterinarian willing to do the procedure.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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