Dobermans are an ancient breed that has undergone some changes throughout its development.
She became more friendly, obedient, and also acquired a pleasant and sophisticated appearance.
Their breed's character is free of malice and unreasonable aggression, which makes it ideal for training, tracking, guard duty, hunting, sports and many other areas of activity.
The Doberman's abilities make him an almost universal dog that will find a calling in any job.
Do I need to crop my ears?
Ear cropping is a surgical procedure during which part of the dog's ear is removed . After the procedure, the veterinarian who performed it creates an erect appearance for the ear.
Ear cropping is a process that depends on the wishes of the owner. The operation has no contraindications, and there are almost never complications after it. At the same time, you can easily leave the dog with its natural ear shape.
It all depends on what goals you are pursuing when purchasing a dog . If you need her as a loyal friend, then you can do without docking.
If the dog is raised for official purposes, you need to remember that the dog will be more comfortable with cropped ears and tail.
Also, participation in international exhibitions does not allow docking of parts of the dog’s body.
Setting up ears after cropping
Setting up the miniature pinscher's ears is done 3-4 days after the sutures are removed. There are several methods, the simplest and most inexpensive is pasting them with a plaster using cotton swabs.
- Cotton swabs are disinfected with an antiseptic, and the ears are lubricated with brilliant green or streptocide.
- The stick is glued to a strip of adhesive plaster 5–7 cm long and covered with the same tape so that the adhesive layer remains on the outside. They glue the structure to the inside of the ear. A similar operation is performed on the other ear.
- The bases of the ears are separately covered with adhesive tape, and then connected with tape, fixed in a figure-eight motion: one ear and the other are wrapped alternately, forming a bridge.
The dressing is changed every 3-4 days. The production process takes from 3 to 12 months. Ears develop fastest in puppies up to 3 months old.
The development of infection, frequent removal of the bandage, and ear injuries can slow down the placement.
Pros and cons
The opinions of dog handlers and breeders have been divided regarding this procedure for a long time..
Some argue that the Doberman's natural appearance - long ears and tail - is acceptable. The latter are inclined to think that the dog will be more comfortable with docked ones, plus this adds more aesthetics to the animal’s exterior.
Here are all the pros and cons regarding cropping Doberman ears.
Advantages:
- Ear cropping does not in any way affect the development, health or life expectancy of the Doberman;
- Gives the dog's head an aesthetically pleasing appearance;
- In hunting and dog fighting it will help to avoid additional injuries;
- To some extent reduce the risk of ear diseases;
- The Doberman will take on a more familiar appearance.
Flaws:
- Inadmissibility to participate in international exhibitions;
- Complex process of ear placement;
- It will be more difficult for the animal to express its emotions, because with the help of its ears it can also convey its mood;
- The procedure is only for the dog to meet human standards of Doberman beauty.
Expert opinion
Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich
Expert dog handler.
“It is a myth that the tail and ears interfere with the Doberman in everyday life. If a dog is born with them, it means that he will fully learn to use them, because these are parts of his body. But nature doesn’t give anything for nothing: a tail, for example, is needed to control the body in a jump, and the fact that a Doberman can cope with this without it does not mean that it does not need it. Same with the ears. Here only the owner decides how he likes to see his pet.”
Preparation and postoperative period
10-12 hours before plastic surgery, the puppy is transferred to complete fasting, drinking water in full is possible. The operation is performed under general anesthesia, so it is painless for the animal.
After the procedure, stitches and a bandage are applied along the wound edge, which the puppy will wear for several days.
In the first days, you must follow the specialist’s recommendations! It is advisable to put a protective funnel-shaped collar on the animal to prevent scratching of the ears and tearing off the bandage.
In the first days, swelling and soreness of the ears is possible, which can be relieved with painkillers.
Some breeds require additional gluing for the correct placement of the ears, which is done from the 2nd day of surgery. After a week, the stitches are removed.
Is it necessary to dock the tail and why?
A similar situation exists with tail docking. Dobermans with a short tail are more common than those with a long one .
Most of all breeders carry out this procedure with puppies, so it is incredibly difficult to meet long-tailed Dobermans.
There is one catch associated with this - due to docking, the genetic shape of the tail is not fixed in any way in the standard.
Therefore, it is impossible to determine which tail of an undocked dog is suitable and which is defective. A puppy can be born with a completely different tail - bent, twisted, raised up.
This is another reason why it is better for a Doberman to have this part of the body docked, because you will always be at risk when participating in exhibitions or competitions.
NOTE!
The tail must be docked if the dog develops in hunting and fighting activities.
Tail docking is a procedure that also depends on the wishes of the owner, but the shortened appearance of the tail is the most acceptable feature for a Doberman.
Breed standard
Regardless of the opinion of the dog owner, there are certain standards and requirements for the appearance of the pinscher. According to the breed standard, the ears should be set high and have a triangular shape. They can be erect, which is achieved through docking. If the ears are undocked, according to the standard they should be turned towards the temples. In this case, the inner edge of the ear should fit tightly to the cheekbones.
Advantages and disadvantages
This aspect of the breed was also the subject of controversy after Germany banned Doberman tail docking.
As usual, two sides emerged, opponents and supporters of this procedure.
Pros of tail docking:
- The dog's injury rate is reduced;
- Pleasant and familiar aesthetic appearance;
- Avoiding disqualification at some shows.
Cons of tail docking:
- It will be more difficult for the dog to socialize among other relatives;
- Expressing emotions with a tail is much easier;
- Participation in international exhibitions is allowed.
How much does it cost to crop ears?
Veterinary clinics in Russia offer ear cropping services from 600 to 7,000 rubles, depending on age.
Ear cropping for miniature pinschers, including miniature pinschers, is an optional operation. Experienced owners do without docking and give the ears a V-shape - you can put the ears with the tips down.
The exterior of such a dog still shows the breed. Today, more and more miniature pinscher owners are abandoning cropping in favor of natural ear shapes.
At what age is the procedure performed?
The docking age is selected very responsibly, because if it is not calculated correctly, the dog can be crippled. The time at which ears and tails are docked varies.
Ear cropping usually occurs 5-10 days after birth . At this age, the puppy will undergo surgery without anesthesia, because the nerve endings have not yet formed in the cartilage.
But, if you are late or simply did not have time to make a decision, then you have a second try. This procedure can be performed when the dog is 2-3 months old. In this case, the operation must be performed under anesthesia.
Cupping cannot be done while the dog is changing teeth..
A Doberman puppy's tail needs to be docked in the first week of its life. This is also due to the fact that the cartilage has not yet had time to ossify and so the procedure will be painless for the puppy.
At most, the operation can be performed on the fifth day, but the third would be ideal. But even in this case, you have a second chance.
You can perform tail docking later until the dog is six months old..
But at this age, the tail vertebrae have already ossified, and in order for the procedure to take place correctly and without harm to the dog, you need to seek help from an experienced veterinarian.
Tail docking
There are two ways to dock a miniature pinscher's tail. The first one is only suitable for very small puppies. For kids, an elastic band or thin rope is wound around the place where the tail needs to be amputated (2/3 of the natural length is cut off). Blood stops flowing into the tissue, the cells dry out, and a piece of the tail falls off.
Puppies older than 10 days are recommended to undergo surgery under general anesthesia. The miniature pinscher is injected with an anesthetic and artificial ventilation is installed.
The cupping site is treated with an antiseptic and shaved. The skin is pulled to the base of the tail, an incision is made between the vertebrae with a scalpel, the skin is pulled back onto the stump and sutured, a bandage is applied.
Preparing for surgery
If the operation is performed when the puppy is very young, that is, less than a week has passed since birth, then anesthesia is not needed. Blood circulation in these parts of the body is still slow and therefore they will heal quickly.
If the procedure is carried out later, when the dog has already grown up, then anesthesia cannot be avoided.
In this case, the puppy must be prepared:
- The Doberman must be healthy the day before surgery. There should be no lethargy or weakness;
- The dog should not have worms and fleas, i.e. it must be treated for these parasites;
- The dog should not be fed during the day;
- She should not drink or eat for two hours before surgery.
Indirect necessity
There are fundamental concepts about the breed and what its representatives should look like.
This is especially true for show animals:
- miniature pinscher
- doberman
- staffordshire terrier
- Cane Corso
- pit bull terrier
- Shepherd dog (Central Asian, Caucasian)
Plastic surgery is performed mainly on guard and fighting breeds. In the first case, to give the dog a menacing appearance, in the second, to protect against ear injury during a fight with rivals.
How it happens in stages
There are several steps in this procedure:
- The doctor administers anesthesia and examines the dog's head and ears;
- Marks excess skin, guided by the principle of cutting off 2/5 of the auricle. This proportion also depends on the size of the puppy's head;
- The doctor attaches a stencil and trims away excess skin;
- Sews up the wound without piercing the cartilage.
The ear cropping procedure cannot be done at the same time as tail trimming . At least 7 days should pass between them, and the ears should be trimmed earlier.
Which ear shape should you choose?
Dog breeders distinguish the following types of cropped ears:
- short;
- exhibition;
- fighting;
- long.
The pit bull's ear is set high, so when docking the baby, 2/3 of the baby's ear is cut off. However, the breed standard does not specify the specific shape required for a show dog.
Now the shape of the ears is a matter of taste of the breeder or owner.
How to position the ears
To ensure that the ear does not fall off after the operation, but retains its shape, the puppy undergoes a gluing operation.:
- Lift your pet's ear, take a wide strip of adhesive tape and stick it from the cut edge on the outside of the ear. During this procedure, it is important to slightly stretch the ear tissue and glue it in short strips for better fastening. Be careful so that your dog does not develop swelling in the future;
- Leave an untouched space of 2-2.5 cm at the top and bottom of the ear. This will make it more convenient to check for swelling;
- Install the bridge between the ears using adhesive tape. Remember that a dog can walk with this design for two weeks;
- If the ears begin to tilt in different directions, the structure should be rebuilt.
There are also other types of designs for setting the ears:
- Straight;
- Curved;
- Zigzag.
You need to know that ears are placed immediately after surgery. You must first process the edges and then wrap them with adhesive tape.
IMPORTANT!
The ears should always point upward. To prevent them from falling, you can use a cotton swab or a foam rubber band.
Also, a deviation of 2-2.5 cm from the seam will allow you to treat the cut every day, as well as monitor its condition . In the fresh air, all wounds heal much faster than in the absence of oxygen.
Post-operative care
An amputated tail requires virtually no care: it needs to be examined daily in order to notice suppuration or an inflammatory process in time, and treated with an available antiseptic.
After surgery, the ears need daily cleansing of scabs: the resulting crust is softened with peroxide and removed with a cotton swab. This is necessary in order to avoid the appearance of scars. The edges are lubricated with brilliant green or streptocide. If your miniature pinscher scratches its ears, it is better to wear a protective high collar.
How much does the procedure cost?
Remember that the younger the Doberman, the less money you will have to pay for the ear cropping procedure.
Before the age of one month, it will cost 500-1000 rubles to install drooping ears on a puppy, and docking surgery for dogs up to six months costs 2000-3000 rubles.
If you are not comfortable taking your puppy to a veterinary center, you can call a doctor at home, but in this case you will have to pay an additional 1000 rubles.
Also remember that the final price of the operation is also influenced by the presence/absence of anesthesia, the qualifications of the doctor and the prestige of the clinic.
It happens that docking is also performed on adult dogs. In this case, the price will be the highest, because the dog may experience complications during wound healing.
Owners of adult Dobermans pay 3,000-5,000 thousand rubles for the procedure..
Rehabilitation
After surgery, special attention should be paid to antiseptic care rules.
The animal should not scratch the cut area. For this purpose, an Elizabethan (protective) collar is used, which is not removed until the wounds along the cut edge of the lobe are completely healed.
After removing the miniature pinscher's protective bandage, antiseptic treatment of the edges of the cuts and seams begins. For 7 days, Chlorhexidine, Dioxidine, Diquinoxide, Imibact or analogues are used in combination with tissue-regenerating ointments.
Miniature pinscher ears after cropping
