Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I don't normally post here so please let me introduce myself. I own Max, a six year old Great Dane. I love Danes and am working toward my goal of someday being a serious reputable breeder who breeds to better the breed that I love. I have spent the past year screening breeders and am finally expecting my first show puppy. I will be getting her in the beginning of February. Her name is going to be "Bree". She is the first cropped Dane I have owned and so I am trying to learn as much as I can about cropping and ear taping. Here are my questions. I have posted these questions elsewhere and have recieved no answers to the specific questions I have asked. I hope you guys can help me!

First off how does an ear break? You know where the cartiledge looks like it collapsed? Does that happen during the surgery? During the Rack/Styrafoam cup stage? Or during the training tape stage?

How often do you change the bandages? I have heard that you are supposed to let the ear air out for a couple days in between. But how can you do that doesn't the ear flop over? Or is it already standing to some point?

And lastly when you change the bandages will the ears flop over or stand up? If the ear are supposed to flop over when you change the bandages is that okay or are you supposed to hold the ear up and not let it fall? You can tell I have a lot to learn but I really really need answers to these specific questions! Thank you for reading this. And thank you ahead of time for any help.

Congrats on the new addition coming!

Without trying to sound rude or disrespectful, these are questions that your breeder should be answering for you. Reputable ethical breeders who show their dogs and have show potential puppies for sale are MORE than happy to help with their puppies after they go to new homes.

Cropping is very time consuming, sometimes frustrating, and overall just pretty harrowing for a first time cropped dane owner. Ears can take as long as 18 months in tape before they will stand on their own. If you are not completely vigilent about keeping the ears taped, they will more than likely not stand. Some dogs ears will go up by 6 months, but with the long show crop, this is very rarely the case. When you begin taping, you want the ears to stay up for at least a week before you take them down to either air them for a few hours or before you apply a new taping. Some puppes are like Houdini with tapes and you will tape the ears multiple times a day.. some pups are better and will leave their wraps alone. The longer the ear is down out of wraps the longer you are going to be taping.

Cartlidge breaks when the ears are left down for an extended period of time. It's not a break like a broken bone per say when the cartlidge breaks.. it's more of a folding over and eventually if left down long enough that fold will be permanent and the ear "broken". Finding the correct vet to do the cropping is almost as important as the aftercare. Cropping is an art, and there are many different types of crops that vary from breed to breed. There is NO WAY I would let a dobie cropper crop my dane puppies, as the ears would not resemble what a dane ear should. Also your regular vet, who may do "cropping" but is not specialized in danes will probably give your dog a pet crop that is really quite unattractive and not suitable for the show ring. Experienced vets who know how to crop the breed they specialize in will know based on the earset, the ear leather and the puppy, how to crop the ears to make a stylish appearance. Hopefully your breeder is having the puppy cropped prior to you picking it up or shipping it to you. This is the norm for ethical breeders.

Good luck with your new puppy! If you are buying a show puppy make sure it is from someone that actually shows their dogs in AKC conformation events, health tests (and can show you the paperwork and does a minimum of hips, heart, CERF and thyroid), offers a guarantee, and has references (past puppy buyers and other breeders) and is a member of a local dane club or all breed club and/or a member of the Great Dane Club of America. There are TONS of dane "breeders" out there that know all the right key words and make a pretty picture of themselves while they have a litter on the ground ready to go.. sadly, the buyers for these litters become very disappointed when they realize that they in fact, paid a show puppy price for a pet quality puppy. Good luck again!!
FarView Great Danes

Congrats on the new addition coming!

Without trying to sound rude or disrespectful, these are questions that your breeder should be answering for you. Reputable ethical breeders who show their dogs and have show potential puppies for sale are MORE than happy to help with their puppies after they go to new homes.

Cropping is very time consuming, sometimes frustrating, and overall just pretty harrowing for a first time cropped dane owner. Ears can take as long as 18 months in tape before they will stand on their own. If you are not completely vigilent about keeping the ears taped, they will more than likely not stand. Some dogs ears will go up by 6 months, but with the long show crop, this is very rarely the case. When you begin taping, you want the ears to stay up for at least a week before you take them down to either air them for a few hours or before you apply a new taping. Some puppes are like Houdini with tapes and you will tape the ears multiple times a day.. some pups are better and will leave their wraps alone. The longer the ear is down out of wraps the longer you are going to be taping.

Cartlidge breaks when the ears are left down for an extended period of time. It's not a break like a broken bone per say when the cartlidge breaks.. it's more of a folding over and eventually if left down long enough that fold will be permanent and the ear "broken". Finding the correct vet to do the cropping is almost as important as the aftercare. Cropping is an art, and there are many different types of crops that vary from breed to breed. There is NO WAY I would let a dobie cropper crop my dane puppies, as the ears would not resemble what a dane ear should. Also your regular vet, who may do "cropping" but is not specialized in danes will probably give your dog a pet crop that is really quite unattractive and not suitable for the show ring. Experienced vets who know how to crop the breed they specialize in will know based on the earset, the ear leather and the puppy, how to crop the ears to make a stylish appearance. Hopefully your breeder is having the puppy cropped prior to you picking it up or shipping it to you. This is the norm for ethical breeders.

Good luck with your new puppy! If you are buying a show puppy make sure it is from someone that actually shows their dogs in AKC conformation events, health tests (and can show you the paperwork and does a minimum of hips, heart, CERF and thyroid), offers a guarantee, and has references (past puppy buyers and other breeders) and is a member of a local dane club or all breed club and/or a member of the Great Dane Club of America. There are TONS of dane "breeders" out there that know all the right key words and make a pretty picture of themselves while they have a litter on the ground ready to go.. sadly, the buyers for these litters become very disappointed when they realize that they in fact, paid a show puppy price for a pet quality puppy. Good luck again!!
FarView Great Danes

Thanks! Don't worry I didn't take your reply as being rude. I understand that since I havn't been posting here you don't know me. No need to be concerned, I know about reputable breeders and how to find them and screen them. My breeder is an excellent breeder. I have personally seen her dogs in the ring. She is also MORE than happy to answer any question that anyone might have for her. The reason that I posted on this board is that I won't be getting in touch with her for a few days and I was reading about cropping and these questions came to my mind. I was curious and wanted to see if I could get answers about this sooner. When I get in touch with my breeder I was planning on reviewing these questions with her. Thanks for you reply and your concern, I really appreciate it!

Glad to hear that you are getting a pup from a person that is actively showing and it sounds like you have done your research and will be happy with the breeder

There are, sadly, many that *think* they are getting a quality puppy only to find out that they didn't..

What color pup are you getting? and where are you located? Maybe I will see you at a show this summer if you are close to Illinois!

Caroline Smith
FarView Great Danes

I live in East Tennessee I am getting a fawn. Someday I would love to get into mantles but for now I am sticking with the fawns. What a nice web-site you have! you have very beautiful dogs

Thanks for the compliment I'm still trying to get everything switched over from my old site... pain in the butt, but AOL kept losing everything on my site and it's very hard to access to do updates.

You'll have a ton of fun with your fawn puppy! Fawns are the best for someone to begin showing with, as they usually have better heads and tend to finish more quickly than harls/mantles. A lot of judges show prejiduce towards "colored" dogs and will not put them up, especially the mantles since they were only recently (back in 1999 I believe) added to the allowable colors to be shown.

If you ever go to the Louisville KY speciality we might see you there! I believe one of my pups that I co-own will be going there this year, but I hope to have at least 2 of them there next year and maybe my obedience hopeful Minka. She is a spitfire!!! LOL

Caroline Smith
FarView Great Danes