Many people call and want a dog that will not have cropped ears. Some like the look and some want a price break.

Bouvier ears have hair that grows continuously. If the ears are pricked (cropped and standing) then you have a healthy ear that remains dry because of air circulaiton. If you choose to have a natural ear you run the HIGH risk of ears that are damp and wet. The natural ear retains moisture and dirt. Even if your dog does not swim, or get wet in the rain, humidity and natural moisture from the dog still cause this condition. Sluffed off hair and dandruff will not fall out but remain in the ear exaserbating the condition.

What does this translate to? The number one cause of vet visits are ear infections. Not just for Bouviers but for all breeds. If a Bouvier has a flop ear, plan on at least one if not many visits to the vet.

You will become an expert in ear cleaning as well as the pharmacuticals that accompany the many types of ear infections you will encounter.

The three to five hundred dollars you saved in not cropping in the original purchase of your dog has now been eclipsed by the cost of vet visits, medicine and worry that you have about the ears.

We might also add that if you sleep in the same room as your dog, the constant flapping of the infected ear getting shaken by your dog in and effort to get fast temporary relief will keep you up at night. That will cost you in sleep which effects your quality of life at work and at home.

What can the end result be for a dog that constantly sustains irritation in the ear? Ear drum removal!

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dog_ears.aspx

a quote from the above URL (vet med)

"Dogs with chronic ear infections will benefit from anything that increases air flow into the ear canal. Ear flow can be improved by:"

They continue to show you what can help to keep your dogs ear dry. One solution is taping the ears over the top of the head. Now wouldn't it have easier to have had your dogs ears cropped so that the look was natural and easily maintained?

The question you need to ask yourself is, "Do I prevent possible problems that result in constant vet visits, Pain and suffering to my dog, and pay for a dog that will be most likely to yield less cost in the long run versus save 3-500 dollars up front? Given the cost of vet visits and medication, the up front savings can be eclipsed in less than one visit to the vet with a chronic ear infection in your dog.

We at Bajoron do not compromise in this choice. We believe that at this point since ear cropping is still allowed that we choose to crop to make your dog healthy and happy. If you want a dog with flop ears, buy a Golden retriever or a Black Russian Terrier, and then find a vet who wants to clean your dogs ears, or you become an expert. We might add that you will be doing this at least every week for 30 minutes each time. Why you ask? Because we had a Golden for 15 years and the ear infections and cleaning products we bought could have purchased many items! The vet got rich, and we funded him and the drug companies.

Another proof of our experience in this arena was our dog Orvis, a Spinoni Italiano. He was constantly being bothered d by ear infections. To prevent his problem, we had to clean his ears once each week. It was time consuming and costly. Due to allergies in our child, we returned him to the breeder. She was not as vigilant as we were, and allowed the infections to grow and become so bad that he had to have both his ear drums removed and all inner ear workings. We can't even imagine what that procedure cost.

Still want natural ears?