#all this to say the teddy bear rounded crop that some lgd dogs get done looks stupid

[anxeious]

is cropping dogs' ears basically always animal cruelty? only because humans think it looks better?

simple answer: no, not necessarily! let’s talk about it!

also i know i might ruffle some feathers here but please look at this w an open mind (adding a read more i know most people prob don’t care) this is long sorry lol <3

i used to be super against cropping (ears) and docking (tails) (will abbreviate as c/d) too until i learned more about it. i also used to be super against the breeding of dogs in general and was very adopt don't shop, i have since educated myself a lot more on the topic (i support ethical preservation breeders of purebred dogs ONLY i do NAWT support backyard breeders or puppy mills who breed mixed breeds, designer dogs or poodle mixes/doodles for profit, people who mass produce dogs, or breeding outside of the standard) now that we have that clarified let's get into it

in the case of livestock guardian dogs (lgd), farm dogs, or working dogs, it actually prevents injury! in the case of a lgd who protects livestock from predators (think coyote, wolf, bear, etc) something like an ear or a tail would be a great spot for a predator to grab onto in the case of an altercation. the ears have a lot of blood vessels and would bleed a lot, having an ear ripped off in a fight with a wolf wouldn’t be very good. with farm dogs similarly, as well as docking tails so something as heavy as a cow doesn’t step on it. working dogs used for personal protection same thing, nobody could grab onto their ears/tail during a fight. also, for the work that they do the ears would hit their face and can split or a hematoma can form, when this happens once it is likely to keep happening/be a reoccurring issue. this is very very painful. as well as cropping ears it’s meant to give them a look of alertness instead of approachability, that’s the part people confuse with “just to look scarier”. while it did help them to “look scarier” it also helped deter potential attackers which in turn keeps the dog & person safer. the dog in the pic that i rb'd that ur referring to is a lgd

so ear cropping non working dogs of cropped breeds for aesthetics is a thing yes and is obviously highly controversial. i’m not gonna sit here and say it isn’t for aesthetics. some people argue it prevents ear infections which might be true but that doesn’t negate that it’s primarily for aesthetic purposes. plus basset hounds and spaniels get a lot of ear infections and are not cropped. but as long as it is done by a licensed vet under anesthesia with multiple ways to control pain (nsaid, nerve block, injectables, etc) in a sterile environment by someone experienced who knows how to do it properly while being closely monitored by professionals before, during, and after the procedure, followed up with proper aftercare, pain management, ointment, antibiotics, cleaned regularly and taped/posted (this is so the ears sit up straight, cropping is done when the puppy is weeks old so the cartilage hasn’t hardened yet) it is perfectly okay, the dogs do not notice, play like normal, it heals nicely and the dogs have little to no pain (this can be clearly observed w people who have c/d puppies) the puppies are back playing with littermates nearly as soon as they wake up. also, dogs CAN communicate when c/d. dogs like huskies have upright ears and communicate just fine, regardless, the ears/tail aren’t only way dogs communicate with one another. the issue is when people diy this procedure with no anesthesia or pain management in an unsterile environment, with no experience or knowledge on how to do it properly, and end up with a botched crop that gets infected and causes the dog a lot of pain. THIS is the issue and what so many people (myself included) should be against. when it’s done properly it is perfectly safe. dog ears heal very very quickly, and when done properly it takes around two weeks to fully heal, after that is just posting so the ears stand up. crops not done by vets are the horrific crops u might see pics of online, super botched inflamed, infected, red and swollen, very painful. that’s why it’s not ideal that a lot of countries ban the procedure in hopes of stopping it. people are going to do it regardless. banning it just prevents professionals from being able to do it safely and encourages people to do it at home with scissors thus causing puppies a lot of pain.

why crop? well, in a lot of cases it IS done to look more intimidating (i mean if u get a big scary dog for protection purposes, that’s kinda the idea, no?). also show dogs of c/d breeds are obviously c/d as showing dogs is about preserving the breed’s original purpose & breed standard. in the case of ethical breeders of cropped breeds (like a doberman) the puppies are almost always c/d BEFORE they go to their homes. breeders have a specific vet they trust (often traveling quite far) and would never make their buyers have to seek out a good vet on their own. the average person doesn’t know what to look for when it comes to finding a good vet for such a procedure nor would they pick up on an red flags, so the breeders get it done at their preferred vet before the puppies go home and kickstart the healing/taping process before pups go home. these breeds are cropped because ethical, reputable, and responsible breeders breed towards the breed standard, which for dobermans includes c/d. the breed standard is there to serve the breeds original purpose and is what ethical breeders breed towards. even in personal protection breeds who are not doing protection work, the ears are cropped in an effort of preservation. dobermans specifically were c/d because they were the first breed bred for personal protection. they were originally created to protect tax collectors many years ago as this was a dangerous job at the time. and being c/d makes it harder for people to grab onto them in the event of an altercation. so in an effort of preservation they are still cropped.

there are cases where it’s medically necessary as well, like a dog keeps getting happy tail but i figured you were talking about cropping for non medical reasons so i didn't include that here