The Case For Ear Cropping

Those in favor of ear cropping say that cropping a floppy ear reduces the chance of infection, and it reduces the risk of a working dog being dragged down by its ears, or grabbed by the ears.

I don't know about you, but I don't see my Cane Corsos as being in any significant danger of being dragged down by their ears or grabbed by their ears. The only thing which has any application at all to the typical everyday Cane Corso is the question of infection.

Do dogs with erect ears really have fewer ear infections? If so does that constitute a valid reason for cutting off parts of other dogs ears?

A little common sense gives us the answers. Offhand, I can only think of two dogs with naturally erect ears. They are the German Shepherd, and the Corgi. There are others, of course, but the point is there are far more breeds with floppy ears, and not so many with erect ears.

On the other hand, you could probably rattle off 20 breeds which have floppy ears. Even in just the mastiff classification, I can immediately think of several. The Boerbel, the Dogue De Bordeaux, the English mastiff, Tibetan mastiff, the Kangol, Spanish mastiff — all have floppy ears.

Other big dogs with floppy ears — the Rhodesian Ridge Back, the Saint Bernard, the Newfoundland, even the Great Dane, which is the German contender in the mastiff category has naturally floppy ears.

The only difference between these breeds and the Cane Corso, is that these breeds do not have their ears cropped. With the possible exception of the great Dane, where this still sometimes occurs.

Do all these dogs have ear canal infections because they have floppy ears? Of course not. How many Labradors are there in homes around the world? Do they all suffer from chronic ear infection because of floppy ears? Obviously not.

The simple fact is that some dogs are more prone to ear infections and some are less prone.

None of our dogs have ever had cropped ears. And in all the floppy eared dogs we have owned, some have tended towards infections others have gone through their entire life without a single infection.

It's down to the whole physiology of the individual animal, not whether or not it has floppy ears.

The Case Against Ear Cropping

The fact is that the major animal medical associations have all stated that there is no medical advantage to an animal from the ear crop. They all recommend that breed associations remove cropped ears from breed standards. They all recommend that vets educate the public as to the pain and suffering that is caused by an unnecessary practice

Ear cropping — and the tail docking which frequently occurs in the same animals — is banned in the UK and across all Europe.

Prominent veterinarian Bruce Fogle was an early and outspoken advocate for preventing these practices. Fogle has been Veterinary Consultant to Microsoft Encarta, and Veterinary Advisor to the Encyclopædia Britannica.

On a side note, Bruce treated one of our dogs, many years ago — a more knowledgeable and compassionate vet would be hard to find. In 2000, he wrote:

"Dogs have their ears partly amputated — 'cropped' is the benign word people like to use - for no other reason than to make them look fierce. This is primarily a German tradition, born out of the military origins and uses of breeds like Great Danes, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, and Schnauzers. This mutilation — I am sorry to be so blunt, but that is what cropping is — is banned in its country of origin, and in most other FCI countries. North America remains the only significant region in the world where ear and tail amputations are still routinely performed. There is no medical or work-related justification for these procedures to be performed on pet dogs. Many dedicated, dog-loving veterinarians will no longer carry out these alterations."

In the years since Fogle's statement, the major animal medical associations have made their positions clear. The American Animal Hospital Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have condemned ear cropping, and they have also called on breed organizations to remove cropping from all breed standards.

American Veterinary Medical Association

"The AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards."

American Animal Hospital Association

"The American Animal Hospital Association is opposed to ear cropping and/or tail docking in pets for cosmetic reasons.

Veterinarians should counsel and educate pet owners that these procedures should not be performed unless medically necessary. AAHA also encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards."

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

tail docking in the canine or equine (2) - ear cropping in canines. The CVMA strongly encourages breed associations to change their breed standards so that cosmetic surgeries are not required and to assist the veterinary community in educating the public that these procedures cause unnecessary pain and suffering.

Examples of cosmetic surgical procedures include: - tail docking in the canine or equine (2) - ear cropping in canines.

The CVMA strongly encourages breed associations to change their breed standards so that cosmetic surgeries are not required and to assist the veterinary community in educating the public that these procedures cause unnecessary pain and suffering."