Not sure where this should go... Ears

majorsmommy · #1 12th January 2009, 10:39 AM

Major turned 3 months old yesterday... I can't decide if I want to get his ears clipped or not! I think he looks so precious the way he is... But my husband wants to get them clipped because he loved the way his daddy looked. I know if we're going to get them done, it needs to be done soon... Any suggestions? Is it hard for them to heal once they are done?

LILYLARUE · #2 12th January 2009, 10:49 AM

I've heard good and bad stories of cropping. It's the maintenence of the healing that is so much hassle to me. It's painful to them and painful for me to watch them in pain. So, I never gave it a thought after watching my friends Dane heal up.

It's cosmetic. That's it. IMO No other reason to do it. Unneccessary anestesia. Larger risk of ear infections too. Ask your hubby if he will have his ears cropped first then you'll consider the dog! LOL

It's a surgery and a long high-maintence recovery. A big undertaking to consider.

majorsmommy · #3 12th January 2009, 10:52 AM

Thanks for putting it into that perspective... With your one post, my mind is made up - it's NOT happening! My Major is my baby and I don't want him to go through that pain just for the looks... He's just as handsome either way to me!

Thank you!

Moon · #4 12th January 2009, 11:01 AM

Both my boys have natural ears. I think it gives them so much character. I laugh just thinking about my four month old Gus doing his burns through the house with his ears flying behind him.

joeys mom · #5 12th January 2009, 11:12 AM

I am so not sure about this but dont you have to have their ears done before they are a certain age -10 weeks old maybe?
I personally like the floppy ears myself!

ehayes21 · #6 12th January 2009, 11:32 AM

I think 12 weeks is the latest...so you are way too late to crop. So you have your answer.

kayboxer · #7 12th January 2009, 11:48 AM

We had Buster done at 13 weeks, and we had absolutely no problems. He was not in pain, in fact, we were worried that he would mess up the bandages from rough housing with Roxy! From the day we brought him home after the procedure he was his normal self. It is a big committment though. I had to drive an hour each way every week to have the bandages changed and ears aired for weeks. You can do this yourself but I just felt better having the vet do it. It can take up to a year to get the ears to stand, it all depends on the dog and the care. I love the natural look, our Roxy is natural, but my husband liked the cropped so we cropped our male. I have no regrets about it, and if I would have seen any suffering from him whatsoever I would definately have regrets. It's all a matter of opinion. It is like human cosmetic surgery, breasts or tummy or whatever, just because you do it doesn't make you a bad individual and some people have more problems than others.

SweetCody · #8 12th January 2009, 01:08 PM

I like both the cropped and floppy. I love my babies ears flopping down, it helps them get away with so much, cause really who can stay angry at a face like that. But I have to say the main reason we did not crop was the maintenance of making sure they are taped right and all that. Because if you don't do it right and be vigilant, then it was all for nothing. And I know what kind of person I am, so therefore I did not want to do it. Now I am so glad I didn't, my favorite pastime is snuggling on the sofa with my sweet Cody in front of a fire, and running his velvet soft ears through my fingers.

majorsmommy · #9 12th January 2009, 02:03 PM

I, too, like them either way. I'm the same way you are, Julie... It's not that I wouldn't want to be sure they are properly maintenanced, but I would feel so horrible if he went through the pain all for nothing. He's hardheaded and stubborn right now, and I know it would just be awful for him to have to go through that. He doesn't even like to have to sit still for one second - much less a few minutes while I'm doctoring him up.

Thanks for all the posts!

Hi From NZ · #10 13th January 2009, 02:35 PM

Major is so so so so handsome - I'm glad you've decided not to crop

majorsmommy · #11 13th January 2009, 02:38 PM

Thank you!

WAT · #12 13th January 2009, 02:41 PM

I like both looks as long as the ears are done properly, I have seen some messed up ears on Boxers and it is a shame.
Cam-mee and Torque's mom and dad had thier ears done, and they looked fantastic. Here are pics:
Dad(Banner) -
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n...BannerHead.jpg
Mom(Ebony) -
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n.../EbonyHead.jpg

I thought about getting Torque's done and talked to my vet about it. He talked me out of it, he said there is only one vet in town that does it and he crops them like a Pit's. That was the end of that. But if I could have been promised that his ears would have come out like his parent's, I think yes, I would have done it.