About Ear-Cropping Great Danes

Cropped ears are not natural in Great Danes. The practice of cropping the ears of Great Danes began to prevent them from being damaged by wild boars during a hunt. Eventually, cropped ears became common in the breed because their owners liked the look, but today it is acceptable to show Great Danes with either cropped or natural ears.

  1. Surgery

    • Ear cropping is performed under general anesthesia, when the dog is anywhere between six to about 10 weeks of age, According to AllAboutGreatDanes.com, the vet or breeder cuts about half of each ear off so that it will eventually stand erect. After the surgery, the ears are covered by a special dressing, or foam and glue while the stitches heal. The vet removes the stiches after eight to 10 days, and then tapes the ears rigidly to make them stand erect.

    Healing

    • The tape is replaced weekly after the ears are cleaned and inspected to ensure proper healing and positioning, according to AboutGreatDanes.com. It may be necessary to keep taping the ears for several months up to a year, until they can stand upright on their own. If the surgery is not performed correctly, if there are complications, or taping is not done properly following the procedure, the ears may not heal and stand erect; they may even become disfigured.

    Controversy

    • Ear cropping has become a matter of debate. Some veterinarians refuse to perform the procedure, according to DaneRescue.net. Those who support the practice maintain that it reduces the chance of infection in the ear by discouraging microbial growth in a dark environment, while opponents say that there is no data to support that claim. They maintain that the dog suffers unnecesary pain and discomfort, and that such surgery should not be done for purely cosmetic reasons.

    Other Information

    • There are risks of infection and even death from the procedure. The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes the ear cropping of dogs for purely cosmetic purposes, according to AVMA.org. The association further encourages the removal of ear cropping from all breed standards. Ear cropping remains common in North America despite ongoing public campaigns against it, but it is banned in countries like the U.K. and many western European nations.