cropping ears

[ms533]

Does anyone here suggest or have any feedback on cropping pit bulls ears, I've had pits before and never cropped ears. I just got a 6 wk old and my fiance wants to crop his ears, but i am very hesitant. Any suggestions or issues i should be concerned about???

[Dawn]

You'd be best off taking him to a vet were it can be done properly.

[ms533]

oh definately, i wasnt talking about doing it myself, definatley not, but does it hurt the dog, is it similar to declawing cats??

[Dawn]

Well, it is similar to declawing except for the fact that declawing does serve a functional purpose (to us not the cat) and cropping serves no purpose to anyone. Yes it does hurt. He will probably be numbed during the operation, but it will hurt afterward. I have only regularly been around one dog that has cropped ears (a giant schnauzer.) His were cropped just after birth, and he still won't allow you to touch them. If he doesn't know you, he'll snap at you and growl if you move your hand toward his ears.

[fullhouse9873]

I think that pits look better without cropped ears!

[ms533]

I think so too, I'm pretty sure I've talked him out of wanting to crop lil Ace's ears... [img]smile.gif[/img]

[cody]

IMO, cropping ears is purely cosmetic and doesn't serve a purpose outside of the show ring, if you aren't going to show this guy, leave him natural, I love the floppy ear look too

[bearsmom]

You might want to take another look at your fiance. I know it sounds wacko, and I'm not pretending to know everything, so I hope you take this in the spirit it's intended. It sounds like the two of you have very different ideas about pet ownership, and that can translate into very different ideas about a lot of different things - like raising kids, goals, and values. I'm not trying to read too much into this, but both of your posts have indicated that your fiance wants to do things to this puppy that you disagree with, and you're hesitant to stand up for what you think. If it's your puppy, it's your responsibility to take the best possible care of him physically and emotionally. It sounds like you have good instincts about this stuff, so listen to yourself and don't let your fiance talk you into doing things to this puppy that you don't think are right.

I'm sorry about overstepping. I'm just concerned for you and the baby.

[lou3]

cropping ears, docking tails, declawing cats and nipping vocal cords are all illegal in the UK because of the animal welfare issues surrounding them, they are painful operations that have no benefit to the animal whatsoever and in my opinion anyone who performs any of these operations on their animals does not deserve to own them. I hope that soon the USA follows the UKs example and bans these cruel and unnecessary practises outright. I know this sounds a little harsh but i feel very strongly about this subject. I dont mean to offend anyone - this is just my opinion.
Lou

[bearsmom]

I don't have a problem with docking tails on some breeds, as long as it's done very, very early. It can be seen as a hygienic issue in many situations.

We also removed the dew claws on our Newf/Great Pyrenees because I have a fear of them being ripped off.

As far as ear cropping, declawing, and debarking, I think they're very unnecessary and ridiculous. Ear cropping is just vain. Declawing and debarking prevent animals from doing things that are most natural to them, and it seems cruel to me. In addition, they remove some of the animals' natural defenses, and that's wrong.

At the same time, there are people who think exactly the opposite, as is their right. I don't look for the US to outlaw these things any time soon. I would like to see some of the registries change their specifications to discourage such mutiliations.