THE CROPPING CONTROVERSY

The The Great Dane is, historically, a cropped breed. Danes were originally used as war and guard dogs, and to hunt wild boar. Because their ears were often torn by the boars’ tusks during the hunt, they were cropped very short. Over the years, this short crop has evolved into the longer, elegant crop many associate with the Great Danes of today.

The Canadian Kennel Club Great Dane breed standard makes reference to both cropped and uncropped ears, and gives a detailed description of each. It is perfectly acceptable to show Danes either way, and no preference should be given to either in the show ring.

The Great Dane Club of Canada has members who prefer to have their puppies cropped, those who prefer not to, and those who will crop or not depending on the individual puppy and the home it will go to. The ears are cropped by a veterinarian, under general anesthesia. Proper aftercare and taping are required to ensure that the desired result (ie. an erect ear) is achieved.

The Great Dane Club of Canada supports the rights of their breeder-members to choose how they wish to present the Danes they breed. Either choice is acceptable according to the breed standard, and the ultimate decision to crop or not is left to the individual.