American Bully Ear Cropping — The Honest Discussion

What Ear Cropping Is

A surgical procedure removing part of the ear pinna so the remaining ear stands erect. It is performed under general anaesthetic, typically between 8 and 12 weeks of age, and is followed by several weeks to several months of posting and taping while the ears set.

It is cosmetic. It confers no health or functional benefit to the dog.

The Arguments For

• Tradition and breed appearance. Cropped ears have been associated with bull breeds for a long time and many buyers prefer the look.
• Show conventions. Some show contexts have historically favoured cropped ears.
• A claim about ear infections. This is the argument you will see most often, and it is the weakest. There is no good evidence that cropping reduces ear infection rates in this breed. Bullies are not especially prone to ear infections from ear shape; when they get them, allergies are usually the underlying cause.

The Arguments Against

• It is painful. The surgery requires general anaesthetic and the recovery involves weeks of taping on a young puppy.
• Anaesthetic risk. Small, but non-zero, incurred for no medical reason.
• Communication. Dogs signal with their ears. Removing part of the pinna measurably reduces the signals a dog can send to other dogs.
• No health benefit. The main veterinary bodies that have taken a position oppose cosmetic cropping, on the grounds that it is surgery without medical justification.
• Complications. Infection, poor healing, ears that fail to stand, and asymmetry all occur.

Legality

The legal position varies a great deal by country and, in the United States, by state. Cropping is banned in the UK, most of Europe, Australia and elsewhere. In the US it is legal in most states, though several restrict who may perform it and some prohibit it outright.

Check your own jurisdiction before making any decision. Where it is legal, it should only ever be performed by a licensed veterinarian under anaesthetic. Cropping performed by a breeder or non-veterinarian is illegal in many places and, more to the point, causes real suffering. This is not a procedure to have done cheaply.

If Ears Are Cropped: Aftercare

For owners taking on an already-cropped puppy:

• Clean the incision as directed, usually twice daily, until it heals
• Posting and taping continues for weeks or months; follow the vet's schedule precisely
• Watch for swelling, discharge, odour or pain, all warrant a vet visit
• Keep a cone on to prevent scratching at the ears
• Understand that ears sometimes do not stand despite everything being done correctly

Caring for Natural Ears

Straightforward. Check weekly for redness, odour or discharge, clean the outer ear only with a veterinary ear cleaner when needed, dry thoroughly after swimming or bathing, and never put anything down the ear canal.

Recurring ear infections in a bully usually indicate an underlying allergy rather than an ear problem, see allergies.

Our Position

We do not crop, and we do not arrange cropping. Our puppies leave with natural ears.

The reasoning is simple: it is surgery with no medical benefit to the dog, performed on a puppy that cannot consent, for an aesthetic preference held by humans. We would rather not, and we have never found the appearance argument persuasive enough to change that.

We are not going to lecture anyone who takes a different view where it is legal, plenty of good owners do. But we will not do it here, and if cropped ears are essential to you, we are honestly not the right kennel. See our available puppies or the breed characteristics guide.

This guide is written from a decade of breeding experience and is general information, not veterinary advice. Anything specific to your dog belongs with your own vet, who can actually examine it.