Hello fellow dog lovers, I recently adopted a Doberman and noticed that his ears are naturally pointy, while some Dobermans have floppy ears. I am curious as to why this is and if there is any significance to it. Is it just a genetic variation or does it have a specific purpose? I've heard that some people crop their Doberman's ears to make them pointy, but that seems cruel to me. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Hey there, I've had the pleasure of owning two Dobermans in my lifetime. The first one had floppy ears and the second one had pointy ears. In my opinion, pointy ears make a Doberman look more intimidating and alert. However, my first Doberman with floppy ears was just as alert as my second Doberman with pointy ears. I think that regardless of whether the ears are pointy or floppy, a Doberman's natural traits and behavior are far more important.
When it comes to the practice of ear cropping, I don't believe it's necessary. It's definitely more of a cosmetic procedure for the sake of achieving the pointy ear look. Ear cropping can be painful for the dog and can cause permanent damage to their ears. Overall, I think it's best to appreciate their natural physical traits rather than forcing them to conform to human standards of beauty.