Crop Or Not?

To crop or not crop, that is the question. In Canada, we still have the right to choose if we crop our dog’s ears in many provinces. At our kennel have both cropped and natural ears. The crop and tail docking was designed to aid in the Neapolitan Mastiffs original purpose - guarding. It was intended to make the Neo look more intimidating, alert and aloof. Cropping and docking make it difficult for intruders to read their body language (They have very expressive natural ears).

Everyone has an opinion, but does everyone have the facts to make an educated decision? Here are some facts that may help you make your decision:

Ear Infections - We have not found that cropping has lessened the chances of ear infections. Cropped ears collect debris, and floppy ears don’t have good air flow, but we have found that chronic ear infections are almost always caused by allergies of some sort.

Ear Rips: When Neo’s play they often grab each others ears, which can lead to tears. If you only have one Neo, that’s not really a concern.

Surgery Complication - Neo’s are sensitive to anesthesia and therefore need about half of what is usually used. If too much is used, they may not wake up. It is imperative that you use a vet with Neo experience or understanding

Hematomas - No ears means no hematomas. They are very painful and are caused by dogs shaking their heads during an ear infection. Sometimes they clear up on their own, but sometimes they need to be drained by a veterinarian.

Stigma - unfortunately if you choose to crop you may get some unwanted opinions about the proceedure.

There is no right or wrong choice, it’s just a matter of taste. The most important thing when choosing to crop your Neo’s ears is to make sure your breeder is using a Veterinarian that has Neapolitan Mastiff experience to reduce the risks of surgery.