The Cropped Ear Debate

   Whether or not to crop a Boxer Dogs ears invokes some strong emotions and always has carried with it some controversy. Cropping a Boxers ears goes way back to the early years when this breed was established. One of the reasons of cropping ears on dogs that hunt or fight is to give their opponent less to grab on to during an altercation. Some people also argue that by cropping the ears it will help deter ear mites and prevent having a moist ear canal, this has not been proven however. Breeders today generally still crop the ears and dock tails in an effort to maintain the breed standard. Ear cropping meets with the most scrutiny here in the United States; many believe it is unnecessary and puts the Boxer through much pain and discomfort.

   The process of cropping a Boxer Dogs ears involve surgery on a very young pup and subsequent visits to a veterinary surgeon. A period of 3 weeks is usually prescribed were the breeder or owner will administer disinfectants to the incision marks on the dogs ears. The Boxer will certainly go through considerable discomfort during this period and must wear a cone to protect itself from getting at the surgically altered ears. Unless you plan on showing your Boxer I certainly don’t see the need to have a Boxers ears cropped. In fact I find the look of floppy ears on a Boxer Dog quite cute, although they almost look like a different breed.