The Old-Fashioned Ear Trim


Twenty years ago, you never saw a schnauzer or a doberman with untrimmed, floppy ears. Surgical ear cropping was a requirement for the show ring and a trademark of their breed. Life is a lot different for those flop-eared pups today. More and more dog owners are taking a pass on pointy, vertical, aftermarket ears. What brought about this change?


The habit of cropping dog ears is said to have sprung from necessity. Once upon a time, when dogs worked for a living, they would spend all hours hunting down food or furs for their masters, or driving wild animals away from a flock of sheep. Long, dangly ears do provide a handy mouthful for a sharp-toothed opponent. They bleed profusely when damaged (and subsequently take a long time to heal), so it seems logical to remove the floppy parts of them from a dog who will be engaging in face-to-face combat on an everyday basis. Many years ago, however, the dog moved away from the position of hunter and eased into a position on the couch. Thus, it makes little sense to continue trimming ears so they will not find their way into the mouth of a vicious animal.


There is still some sluggish debate over whether cropping might reduce the incidence of ear infections later in life, by allowing more air circulation in and around the ear canal. I don’t know of any veterinary professionals who really believe that, though. If ear amputation were the way to go with ear infections, hundreds of miserable cocker spaniel owners would be beating down our door to get this surgery. There is currently no documented evidence that ear canal health is enhanced by shortening the ears.


In the modern world, ear reduction surgery is done to bring a dog’s appearance more in line with someone’s idea of breed perfection. Since 95% of our dogs are companions and not dog show contenders, there’s no utility in achieving a breed ideal…. is there? Actually, I read that ear cropping does shape the perception strangers will have of your dog (trimmed = more menacing) and even the image they are forming of you! Check out that article, if you like, at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0158131#pone.0158131.ref036.
My advice on ear cropping is simply this: if you’re going to get it done, know why you are doing it. If there is some important reason that your schnauzer or great Dane needs pointy ears, then by all means have it done. Find a clinic that is experienced with the surgery and splinting, that handles these very young patients with special care, and be prepared for the occasional ear that just won’t do what it’s told. But if your pup is destined to be a companion, look before you leap. I’m not surprised that this surgery is becoming less popular. The real question is, why did it take so long? Looking back, it seems that many of my clients bought into ear trimming solely because they didn’t realize they could just… skip it.


Dr. M. S. Regan