The Doberman is one of the most elegant dog breeds. Long legs, a toned body, sharp ears and a completely fearless look - all these features do not leave indifferent anyone who has ever seen him. A distinctive feature of the Doberman for almost the entire time of the existence of the breed is considered to be a docked tail and ears. Recently, however, this procedure has caused a huge amount of controversy, both among experts and among the breeders themselves.
A bit of history
Docking of tails and ears in dogs has been common since ancient Rome. Dog fighting was especially popular at that time. The main purpose of docking was to give the animal additional invulnerability. Dogs with long ears and tails were more likely to get injured and lose the fight.
Some regional exhibitions allow Dobermans with uncropped ears to participate. At the international level, however, the basic standard rule prevails.
The Doberman is a breed that was bred in the 1860s not so much for combat fights as to provide reliable protection to its owner. The creator of the fighter was the German policeman and tax collector Friedrich Louis Dobermann. The civil servant constantly carried large sums of money with him, and his main hobby was dogs. For his own safety, he decides to create a new breed that could provide the protection of its owner at the highest level.
For several years Frederick crossed different breeds of dogs. In the blood of the Doberman there are genes for Beauceron, Pinscher, Rottweiler, Mastiff and English Greyhounds. This breed has taken the best traits from each variety of dogs - endurance, aggression, strong character, short hair, long legs and impeccable physique. Looking at the first results of crossing, Friedrich decided to transform the new breed and from the very beginning of its existence introduced the rule - the obligatory docking of the ears and tail.
Doberman breed standard
Doberman's ears must be cropped only if you want to participate with your pets in international exhibitions. A dog with a long tail and drooping ears will not be allowed past the first stage of the competition, even with ideal parameters.
Please note that the uncropped Doberman ears are quite large. Dogs with docked ears are less prone to cartilage fractures, ear problems, and require minimal maintenance.
If you do not plan to make your pet a champion of the breed, then cropping is not considered a mandatory element. Moreover, in some countries this procedure is officially prohibited by law. Protectors of animals are also active opponents of cropping, considering it a mockery of pets.
Features of ear cropping
Please note that after docking, the shape of the Doberman's ears may differ from your expectations. Each dog's ears become individually due to their different structure.
It is quite difficult to put ears on a Doberman. The process itself consists in the fact that first a specialist cuts off a part of the cartilage along the ear, and then with the help of special glue a special elastic bandage is applied to the cut site. Cupping should be done at an early age. Your puppy will need a lot more attention after the surgery. The fact is that the ears of dogs during the healing process can give them some discomfort.
If the puppy removes the bandage, the wound will take much longer to heal. Moreover, the ear, after premature removal of the bandage or as a result of improper care, may not stand up correctly. This factor can be decisive when evaluating a dog at a show.
