Ear Cropping Boxers Dogs

Think about this for a minute. How about I take a medical knife or a pair of medical scissors and freely cut off a section of your ears. No pain killers, no nothing. It would leave you looking a bit like Spock. And then, we tape them. You can not remove them under any circumstances. As a matter of fact, you can not even scratch them when they itched; doing so could cause damage.

How does that make you feel?

A bit painful and barbaric don't you think?

Too many people sit around and think dogs do not have feelings. They can not think, therefore they do not feel pain.

Wrong!

Dogs can feel pain just as much as you and I. They may not be able to comprehend what exactly pain is, but they know they are hurting and they don't like it.

If you accidentally step on a dogs paws what does it do? It yelps out and cries. And why do you think that is? Because it feels pain just like when your foot gets stepped on.

I come from a long line of Boxer lovers. Spend a moment around this gentle giant and it is easy to see why. When I was younger my cousins and grandparents owned Boxers with cropped ears and docked tails (the tails are a whole other issue). Back then it was not uncommon to see breeds of dogs with pointed ears. For me, it was natural.

I remember when those dogs were little, Duke and Rocky. Brothers who had stayed in our family which made it even more fun with family gatherings. One day they were brought home with their ears standing straight up and taped with medical gauze. They cried all night. It made me sad to hear these cries and I often wished I could help ease their pain. These are visions I will never forget.

As I got older and owned my own Boxers, Cain and Casey, I finally realize just how horrible ear cropping was. When I first got Cain who came from a long line of AKC show dogs, I was proud of my beautiful baby and wanted him to grow big and strong so that I could show him.

The more I researched and saw how ears were cropped and that the AKC only recognized cropped ears over natural ears in shows, the easier it was for me to say NO WAY! So, when he was old enough I had him fixed so that there would be no accidents, no breading and no shows. I received Casey from a Boxer Rescue, with no papers she could not be shown anyway. Their tails were cropped before I received them so I had no say so in that procedure.

I understand that backyard breeders do these things themselves. I also know there are people who buy dogs as pups use scissors on the ears and rubber bands on the tails. Even using a vet can still be painful and traumatic.

If you ever have the chance to love a Boxer with natural ears, I highly suggest you never let go of your beliefs.