Last Pictures Before Ear Cropping

[Giselle]

I do not see any reason at all for cropping ears unless you are going to show her, and she clearly has too much white on her body to be shown in Showmanship, which requires Boxers to have cropped ears. Try taking her to work sometime and reasurring people about Boxers, then maybe they wouldn't be as scared. Please change your mind and curve around having her hurt by cropping her ears!!

I wholeheartedly disagree. Boxers are allowed to have less than 1/3 of their coat be white. Flashy Boxers are very popular in the show ring (flashy usually meaning Boxers with white chests and socks).

Disqualifications Boxers that are any color other than fawn or brindle. Boxers with a total of white markings exceeding one-third of the entire coat.

Also, if you'd read Timlewis's posts, he stated that he *wanted* his dog to appear threatening so as to protect his wife and children. I believe that is fine as long as he knows how to properly care for his dog, and from the looks of it, he knows what he is doing.

Timlewis, I commend you for handling this topic in a very civil manner and I wish your puppy a speedy recovery.

[leansnslobbers]

My personal feelings? Well, I understand the desire to keep your family safe..point is...ears are not going to be the deciding factor if some lunatic wants to harm your family. A boxer is a family pet, but also one who will not stand for harm to be done to his beloveds....ears do not change this fact...Your dog barking at the door/window/fence whatever is deterent enough...

I doubt anyone thinks less of my dane when she's barking because she doesn't have cropped ears.

I personally am not for or against cropping, but I am against doing it for the wrong reasons. If you TRULY like the look..then that's your perogative. But if you're doing it for a reason such as you are doing it for...well, I think you should think long and hard.

I worked at a kennel, we boarded several boxers, most natural earred. One was downright vicous...he was natural earred..he couldn't have looked any meaner had he had devil horns coming out of his skull.

Point is...when your dog is barking...a criminal is looking at the TEETH not the ears.

[timlewis]

Again I Thank All Of U For Ur Replies, Zoomer U Suggested I Take Her To Work, Well Im Not Sure U Understand That I Do Work In A Coal Mines. Not For Sure Where U R From But I Do Go Into A Big Hole In The Ground And The Conditions Where I Work R Not Somewhere I Would Even Let My Dog Go, Although I Go Because I Make Good Money Considering Where I Live. And I Do Think That Cropped Ears Make A Dog Look Meaner, Simply Because It Makes Them Look Like There Alarmed About Something Or That THEY Mean Business While Barking. And To Get Back To Taking Her To Work, I Dont Want People To Know She Isnt Mean So Why Would I Want To Do That. I Understand Some People, Most Of U All, Buy Adopt Whatever, Get A Dog For A Companion, My Main Reason For Wanting A Dog Was For Protecting My Family. Now A Boxer May Not Be The First Choice For A Lot Of People, But I Had To Think About My Two Children. It Doesnt Matter What I Bought Its Just A Pup To Them So I Also Wanted A Dog That Would Be A Good Family Pet. Now Considering I Wanted Both Of Those And I Love The Way A Boxer Looks ( With Cropped Ears And Without But Not As Much) A Boxer Was The Perfect Choice Because They R Some Of The Best Dogs You Can Get Around Children, And People Do Think They R Mean Just Because They R A Bulldog. Now That I Have Her I Absolutely Fell In Love With Her, But I Still Want Her To Look Intimidating And To Me Cropped Ears Make Her Look More So. And To Im Not As Much Into Dogs Cats Animals As Some Of U R. I Do Love Daisy, But I Hear A Lot Of People Say That Their Dog Is Just Like A Kid To Them And They Love Them Just The Same As Someone Would A Kid. Not So. Until U Have Had A Child Or Are A Parent Of A Child Then U Will Never And I Do Mean Never Know The True Love U Have For Ur Own Flesh And Blood. A Dog Is A Very Good Companion But Not A Child And As I Stated Before It Is Not Even Sensible To Compare A Dog To A Human Because Their Not, So No Ive Never Had My Ears Cut Off Or Will I Never Hopefully But That Does Not Mean That I Shouldnt Have My Dogs Ears Cropped. I Do Understand Where Your Coming From But None The Less Come Tuesday Her Ears Will Be Cropped So That When She Gets Older (in My Opinion) She Will Look Meaner. Again I Thank You All For All Of Your Replies And I Have Not Meant To Offend Anyone By My Statement Or Make Anyone Mad This Is Just My Opinion And I Do Hope To Keep Hearing All Of Yours Whether I Agree Or Disagree With Them.

[Ginger's Mom]

Well Tim, I am very impressed with the way you have taken and responded to some of the replies in this thread. I think Daisy is adorable (and yes I do think cropped ears make a dog look more threatening). I hope all goes well on Tuesday (?). And would like to see a lot more pictures of this little cutie as she grows.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Tim, you do what you think is the best. She is adorable, either way. My hat goes off to you for working in the coal mines. I lived in coal country in Virginia for awhile and I know the pitfalls of your job. You have my total respect. Be safe and take care.

[critter crazy]

Tim, I think that you have handled yourself very well, and i commend you! I Myself like the look of cropped ears, and I understand the need for a dog as protection! I used to spend 90% of my time alone with my children as my husband was in the Army and traveled alot! I got myself a 120# Rottweiler, just for piece of mind, and it worked! he may have been the worlds sweetest teddybear, but no one else knew that! I hope she makes it out of surgey okay, and I know that you will be taking the best care of her! good luck! By the way, she is looking fabulous, and is just adorable!!

[zoey]

I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but I wish you'd reconsider. Sometimes the ears aren't done evenly, or are cut too short. Then the dog has the pain, plus the deformity. Just a thought. Your dog is so pretty just the way she is.

[Husky15]

You know what, you do what you feel needs to be done Tim. Daisy is a beautiful Boxer and will look great either way. Millions of people buy dogs just for guarding them, but usually fall in love with him . My uncle bought a dog and he said himself he'd want it for a guard dog. But there is so much love between those two, they're inseperable. I respect you so much for the love you have for your wife and children, and how mature and self-controlled you are in this thread, and how respectful you are. I think I would have made a snap or two by now, but you haven't. So I tip my hat to you for that. Cropped ears may hurt but eventually it wont and your dog will look beautiful and as intimidating as you want her to. You never know, the cropped ears may benifit you and your family in the end.

But I do agree with leansnslobbers in one thing. The criminal will be looking at the teeth alot more. But cropped ears just add to the look.

[Zany_girlie]

Awwww...shes so cute! I really dont understand why anyone would ever want to crop those cute floppy ears! They just give her a really innocent, cute, cuddley look!

[cyber-sibes]

Hello again. I know I already posted my support for this to be your decision, but I wanted to add to the "do cropped ears look more intimidating" debate.
I would say YES. When my husky puppy was in obedience classes, another very large breed dog (it was either a mastiff or a pyrenees) kept snarling & snapping & trying to grab her. The trainer explained that some dogs "interpret" perk (upright) ears to be a sign of aggression, so they respond more aggressively to dogs with standing ears. So, at least to another dog, she will look more aggressive. I think that with cropped ears, boxers/dobies look more "alert", you can see those ears swivel and lay back, in my opinion they just convey the dog's stance a little more clearly than flop ears. But, like mentioned, it's her teeth that will be getting the criminal's attention!

[timlewis]

Awwww...shes so cute! I really dont understand why anyone would ever want to crop those cute floppy ears! They just give her a really innocent, cute, cuddley look!

EXACTLY, the cropped look is not for when someone is already trying to break in but rather just as they go by and they may see her in my yard and think how mean she looks. thank you all

[coco-bean]

People are Scared sh**less of coco and her ears are floppy! We know that she wouldnt hurt anybody but she just gets so excited to see new people that she ends up scaring them instead! I'd keep the floppy, theres no REAL reason that they need to be cropped accept for your pleasure! I understand that your family is your most important thing, but cropped or NOT cropped, when someone breaks into a house they are not looking to see who has the meanest Looking dogs, their just looking at this animal who could turn and attack at anytime if any one of the family members in harmed! So it doesnt matter if the ears are cropped, because dogs can guard a family with their ears floppy just as well as if the ears werent! Believe it or not, but theres alot of people who are scared of breaking into a house With a dog, they dont care what it looks like, all they know is "this house has A dog, stay away from it"! I just hope you dont, but i know it's your choice!

[Iilo]

Tim,

Just want to stop by and say I agree with your decision to crop her ears and also with your statement that way too many people here compare their dogs to humans. I am guilty of calling my two "kids," but I'm not under the impression that they are anything like what my own flesh and blood will be.

You've got a really cute puppy there... And as soon as she gets that goofy tape off her ears, I'm sure she'll be very intimidating. Also, even though she is a Boxer, were your wife and kids ever in danger, I'm sure she would protect them with her life.

[BC_MoM]

I think Tim has the right to do what he wants with his dog. I don't know much about cropping (like pain, if any, that the dog goes through, etc..).

Personally, I wouldn't crop a dogs' ears, but that just because I'm squeamish and just think it sounds gross! lol

Cropped ears won't make her look meaner, act meaner, etc, but it's Tim's dog, his rights.

I'm upset that PT would so strongly disagree with someone and their opinion. You can state yours, but no need to hijack the thread that was posted to just post pictures of a little cutie like this girl before she gets her ears cropped.

I'm not going to say anymore, as my opinions here are usually taken negatively or wrong. I'm afraid I've said too much already.

[Vela]

Well I don't think I was negative towards him at all, and I didn't hijack it, but I did give him very important necessary information about anesthetics in Boxers. I don't crop, I don't like it, but it's his dog. We don't have to agree with him but I think he is doing his best to learn about better foods and take good care of her, he wouldn't be here if he didn't. Not everyone feels the same about their animals, but that does not invalidate ANYONES feeling. Some see them as children, that is their right and perogative, some don't, same goes. As long as they take good and proper care of the dog, the rest is irrelevant.

I find it interseting some say cropping to show is fine, but not if you aren't going to. Well, dogs don't care about showing, it's done for the person, because they want to show. It doesn't benefit the dog, it benefits the person, so IMO it's the same thing.

I just hope Daisy comes out okay in the end and nothign happens during surgery. I'm sure Tim does what he feels is best for her and he obviosly cares or he wouldn't have come here to find out how to feed her better and make sure she's doing well.