Okay this page was previously buried in my site, but there has been enough interest I wanted to make it easier to find. First you will find my opinion on cropping, followed by a list of Vets who still crop. I can only give personal referrals on Vets that have done ears for me, so contact all the vets that appear here and make your own decision.

There are a lot of good reasons to crop ears, and a lot of good reasons for floppy ears, you need to decide what you think is best. Dobermans with floppy ears look less like Dobermans and therefore less intimidating. Dogs that will be used as therapy dogs or SAR dogs, generally are more accepted by people when the Doberman has floppy ears. Cropped ears have the Doberman deterrent look to them. I have some of each. Cropped ears need less cleaning, stay dryer and have fewer infections. Floppy ears are cheaper, and you don't have to worry that your investment will be lost if they fall. Whatever you decide, your puppy will come to you with natural ears. Many breeders have vets that will crop ears at 5 weeks old to help make the pups more marketable. At five weeks of age, the ears are not very big, and the head is about the size of an apple. It is very hard to do a good crop that way. At 12 weeks of age the ears and head are balanced in their growth and a very successful crop can be achieved by a good Vet. We recommend cropping at 10-12 weeks and since your pup will be placed with you before that, we can not have the ears done for you. In the past when we have violated this rule, we found the puppy didn't get proper follow-up care and ended up with cropped ears that flopped which is a heartbreak to think of what the pup had to go through only to have floppy ears in the end still. Ear cropping though is an art not a science, and you have to trust the artist to some extent. I always ask to see pictures of previous crops the vet has done. Any artist that is proud of their work will keep a scrapbook or have dogs available to be seen. If you like how they turned out, then trust the artist if they want to do the ears early.

It is getting harder to find vets that are qualified and willing to do ear cropping as many of you have already found. It is no longer taught in Vet school and can only be learned by assisting a vet who already has the art. Most vets still tape ears around “posts” which range from popsicle sticks wound with gauze and tape, to tampons to plastic formed posts. After the ears are cut, they are sutured or glued at the edges and taped or otherwise braced in the upright position. There are many different lengths and styles to choose from, most likely your vet will recommend the one they are most comfortable with. Depending on the length and shape of the crop they may be in tape from 2 weeks to 1 year. Show crops are the hardest to get standing, but look amazing when they do. Medium is what I recommend for most pet dogs, they stand easily and take the least amount of time. I do not recommend military or guard dog crops for anyone, I find them ugly. Look at lot’s of pictures to decide what it is that you like the best, and discuss it with your vet. Then after surgery they will need taped and re-taped often while they heal. After a few times you get the hang of it and can re-tape on your own, though most vets will include several re-tapes with the surgery. The most important thing is to keep them clean and dry or they can get severe infections. This means no baths, no rain or snow storms. Second is trying to keep the dog from damaging their own ears, next keeping other dogs from damaging their ears. Dogs love to chew on each others ears and it seems they enjoy it even more if you have spent a lot of money on them and taped them nicely in the erect position! It is the hardest thing to go through when the pup s at the age they are just a ball of energy and you have to keep them quiet and interested in other things. Some get to wear lampshade collars to keep them from bothering their ears, and that is an experience in itself! But most of you will decide to crop, and will be happy that you did. Floppy ear Dobes are cute as well, and much less work and money, but don’t have the same look about them.

Here is a link to the different taping methods

Here is a list we are compiling of Vets that do ear cropping, if you have had a good experience, send in that Vet's info on to us for inclusion

Vets highlighted in Yellow are vets I have personally Used:

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Last modified: 02/02/12

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