The Beauceron's ears are a distinctive trait of the breed, reflecting both its character and its history. According to the breed standard, they can be straight or floppy, but these characteristics depend on human intervention, through the practice of ear cropping.
In the Beauceron, the natural ears are floppy, meaning they are set high on the head and fold forward. This is the “natural” aspect described in the breed standard, which contributes to the breed's gentle, friendly expression.
Ear carriage can vary slightly from dog to dog and from lineage to lineage. According to the standard: “Natural ears are semi-erect or floppy. They should not be flattened. They should be flat and rather short. The length of the natural ear should be equal to half the length of the head.
Natural ears must not be straight, like those of a German Shepherd for example, as this is an eliminatory fault. Beaucerons with naturally straight ears should not be used for breeding.
When cropped, the Beauceron's ears become straight. Cropping makes the ears stiffer, giving them a more dynamic, proud appearance. However, it's important to emphasize that this modification is mainly aesthetic and has no particular function in terms of communication or health for the dog.
| Sibie, natural ears | Soraya, cropped ears |
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Traditionally, beaucerons' ears were cropped to protect them from injury. Originally, beaucerons were used for herding and protecting flocks; cropped ears were less likely to be injured in confrontations with predators. Ears are particularly sensitive, and injuries to the ears lead to heavy bleeding and long healing times.
What's more, the aesthetics of this style were part of the general image of a sheepdog or guard dog. This practice was perpetuated in part because of the symbolic value attached to the dog's appearance.
Today, ear cropping is done for aesthetic reasons only, but the practice raises ethical debates about respect for the animal and its well-being.
In many countries, ear cropping is banned due to animal welfare concerns. The European Union banned the practice in 2004. In Canada, there is no federal legislation on the subject, and each province has its own rules. Ontario is now the only province to authorize ear cropping.
In Quebec, a law prohibiting the practice came into force on February 10, 2024. The Regulation respecting the welfare and safety of domestic companion animals and equines stipulates that cosmetic surgery is prohibited, including ear and tail cropping, declawing (for cats) and devocalization.
There is no evidence that ear cropping has any health benefits. Natural ears are not more prone to ear infections (an argument often put forward by proponents of ear cropping). In fact, cropped ears can sometimes make dogs more vulnerable to certain infections or irritations, as they are deprived of their natural protection.
Surgery is performed when the puppy is between 7 and 12 weeks old. After this period, healing will be more difficult, and the ear may not stand straight even after the operation.
The operation is performed under general anaesthetic and consists in removing part of the external auricle.
After surgery, the puppy will have stitches for about 10 days. It is essential to keep the area clean and to prohibit play between puppies to prevent the stitches from tearing.
Post-operative care is required to promote healing and reduce the risk of infection. Care consists of hydrotherapy and the application of a healing ointment.
Once the ears have healed and the stitches have been removed, it is usually necessary to help the ears stand up straight by applying bandages, which need to be repeated regularly. This can take several weeks.
As you can see, ear cropping is not a benign procedure, and it can affect the puppy's health. In addition to the risks associated with general anaesthesia, there is also a risk of infection after the operation.
Over the years, my position has evolved. You may have noticed that some of my retired dogs have had their ears cropped. I've also had several customers who had their puppies' ears cropped, which was done at my vet's, and I took care of the post-operative care to ensure that the puppies didn't develop complications due to inadequate care.
However, several years ago, and before it was banned in Quebec, I made the decision not to have my dogs' ears cropped anymore, and to forbid my clients to do so as well. I do my utmost to ensure the best start in life for my puppies, focusing on their physical health and mental well-being, and ear cropping goes against these values.
As I explained above, ear cropping offers no physical health benefits and involves risks. In addition, we must consider the unnecessary pain inflicted on the puppy.
It is not possible to know the level of pain following the operation. I have to admit that when the puppies left the clinic, they behaved normally and were as playful as usual. This suggests that the pain level was not very high. What's more, they were receiving medication to reduce the pain. However, in the first 2 weeks after the operation, I could see signs of pain (attempts to scratch or rub the ear). In addition, post-operative care can be unpleasant and uncomfortable for the puppy.
In my opinion, this is a fundamental aspect that is rarely discussed when talking about ear cropping. As previously mentioned, the operation is performed between 7 and 12 weeks of age, in the middle of the socialization period. Puppies must not play with each other after the operation, which deprives them of essential interactions at their age.
After healing, puppies often have to wear bandages to keep their ears upright until they can stand on their own. This can further limit puppy activity and puppy play, in addition to modifying normal behaviors. For example, the play partner may always try to grab the bandages (with the ears underneath!), whereas he wouldn't normally play around trying to grab the other dog's ears.
In my socialization program, I do my very best to ensure that puppies have as many positive experiences as possible, whether in interactions with humans, getting used to handling, outdoors, in the car, and so on. My program evolves with my experience and new knowledge, with the aim of improving it. Putting my puppies through the stress of surgery goes against everything I do.
Remember that for the operation, the puppy will have to wait several hours at the veterinary clinic before being operated on. It's a stressful environment for a puppy (and an adult dog!), with unfamiliar people, stressed and sick dogs. After the operation, the puppy wakes up nauseous from the anaesthetic and has to wait in the cage for a few more hours. In short, it's a far cry from the positive vet experience of a vaccination visit, where I'm with the puppies at all times, and they eat good canned food while the vet vaccinates them!
Since surgery is now forbidden in Quebec, you'd have to add to this several hours of driving to get to a clinic the puppy doesn't know.
Although ear cropping was a common practice in the past, it's now clear that it carries unnecessary physical and mental risks. The pain, discomfort, stress and deprivation of social interaction during the crucial socialization period are not in line with my goal of providing a harmonious start in life.
This is why ALL my puppies are sold with natural ears, and you must commit to not having your puppy's ears trimmed.