Simple good ear hygiene can do a lot to prevent ear infections as well. Ear mites can contribute to ear infections, especially in the outer ear canal, due to their droppings. Willie got an external ear infection once that I had to medicate with an antibiotic ointment, though his ears weren't floppy at all. I really don't think it's necessarily accurate for that vet to say Jasper would not get infections if his ears were cropped. Boxer ears do not hang down too heavily and they do not have "hairy" ears.

People with dogs who have very heavy ears are often advised on keeping a closer eye on ears and keep them clean. If they swim or get the ears wet I think it's especially encouraged to clip the ears up for a bit until dry.

However, I would not crop the ears of a bassett or bloodhound or cocker just to reduce ear care and possibility of infection, thus why it is totally an invalid excuse IMHO for the cropping of Dobes/danes/pits etc etc.

Honestly, and no offense intended here, I think people just get used to a look and so they don't like to see something different, even to the point they turn a somewhat blind eye to the fact that there IS pain involved for the dog. Would you want to see a yellow lab with cropped/pricked ears similar to that of a doberman or a boxer? They have a very similar type of ear to the natural ears of those breeds. We are used to a lab's ears the way they are, so I'm willing to bet most people would be appalled/shocked to see cropped ears on a lab.

If the ears of these breeds had never been cropped in times past, we would all be perfectly used to seeing these dogs with their natural ears, the same way we are with a lab, retriever, weimeraner, and on and on with other dogs who have natural ears that are very similar in size and set.