We have an appointment to have our Min Pin pup's ears done at the end of February. I've been searching the net high and low for some good info on different crop styles. The only results I've gotten are pretty generic, and almost none include good pictures. Most of the info I've found is specific to dobes, danes, or pits. I can't find a lot on min pins.

What I'm looking for is good examples of military, medium, and show crops. I've seen a lot of different styles in person but not on the web. I'd like to find some good pics showing different types of tapered ends, "s" hooks, etc.. This is proving to be a difficult task.

Anyone know of any good sites on cropping and aftercare? I've found really good info on taping and posting, but I'd like to know more on caring for the scabs and the whole healing process. I'm very picky about this. I've always wanted to get a good crop on a min pin but always nervous that it wouldn't turn out right.

Any first-hand help or tips you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. Here's a pic: Chocolate Female Excuse the nails. Breeder did apologize up and down that she hadn't clipped them yet.

Edited by Jessica Pedicord (01/27/2011 11:38 AM)
Edit reason: Added a pic

We had a doberman who got a show crop. Honestly, you need to see ears that the vet has done in the past. Most vets do ears a little differently and you need to know the style that your vet is the best at. Ask to see pictures of past cropping jobs before you allow your dog to have the procedure. I've seen some really bad cropping jobs and once it's done, it's almost impossible to fix. If your vet can't provide pictures of their work, I would run the other way.
As far as healing, our doberman had very few issues. She showed no indication of pain at all and the hardest part was keeping her from bumping her ears into things and trying to keep her quiet. It was also tempting to quit taping them because it got to be such a pain, but make sure you keep it up so they will stand. When I worked for the vet, I can't tell you how many crop jobs failed because of bad taping jobs or stopping too soon. Keep them clean and follow your vets instructions and you should be fine.

I did a lot of "interviewing" before I found the right vet to do the crop. I'm very confident in the vet's ability to do the job. They've been very good to me and our dogs in the past. I've seen some great crops come out of their office firsthand, and I'm happy with how they look all healed up and finished.

My husband isn't really informed in the subject of cropping and I wanted to expose him to as many different looks as possible so we are on the same page before we decide on something at the office. I was trying to do as much prep work beforehand as I could. The vet will go over different pictures and styles with us before the surgery but I wanted us both to have a good goal in mind before that. Also, the office is over 2 hours away from us so we won't be making a trip down there before the procedure. We are going extra early to decide on the style.

Edited by Jessica Pedicord (01/27/2011 11:55 AM)
Edit reason: added info

That's the key - seeing past crop jobs. With Min-pins, there's very little need for taping/posting. I don't think I've ever seen a non-standing MP crop. The main reason for posting the ears right after surgery is so the ear heals without drawing up and crinkling, rather than an effort to make them stand. Most MPs can have the ears taken down and left down after the healing is complete.

Here's a couple links that have a few good pics. (I really hate the lower left hand trim - looks like a pit trim!


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.minpin.org/ill_stand_files/head/head_ears.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.minpin.org/ill_stand2.html&h=432&w=284&sz=48&tbnid=JpD6Wfmu5nDCFM:&tbnh=277&tbnw=182&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMin%2BPin%2Bear%2Bcrop%2Bpics&zoom=1&q=Min+Pin+ear+crop+pics&hl=en&usg=__ah16MsiKeBvw9Rocs0J2S8zl8tM=&sa=X&ei=CrJBTZqFHYSeOrzF2OkB&sqi=2&ved=0CBoQ9QEwAA

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=Min+Pin+ear+crop+pics&cp=21&wrapid=tljp129615131929600&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1099&bih=740

I've seen that first picture. I like the bottom right one. Wish the pic was a little clearer.

I wish they made a version of this chart for min pins. It would be extremely helpful.

Here is a picture of our doberman as a puppy after her ears were healed. Hers was considered a long show crop and they stood perfectly after she finished teething. As an adult, her new owners say that her ears still look great.

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab187/OliviaB444/P1010631.jpg

Edited by Olivia Brown (01/27/2011 01:03 PM)
Edit reason: forgot link lol

I like a 5/8 crop on most dogs. It's long enough to be a little elegant but is still in nice proportion to the head. I like a nice curve to the edge with a bit of a 'hook' at the tip. I don't care for the wider crops that just end in a point.

The most important thing is finding a vet with a lot of experience who does a nice job, and getting it done at the appropriate time. Not sure what that is for Min Pins. For Dobes it's right around 9 weeks.

We never posted ears until they were completely healed because we found that taping a raw edge was far too irritating, and the ears healed a lot faster and more comfortably if left open to the air. We keep the edges soft by massaging in antibiotic ointment 2X day, which also eventually massages out the stitches and keeps the edge scab-free. Once the ears are healed, then we post for five days, let down for 24 hrs, then post for five days, etc. until the ears stand on their own.

They look like this a couple of days post crop.

When posted they look like this.

Even thought they look a bit short in the first photo, once they start with posting they look pretty decent here , even thought they clearly aren't 'finished' yet in the photo.

One real handy way of fitting the ear to the dog is to lay the ear forward to the corner of the eye and use that as guide for length of cut. Always fits the dogs head nicely that way, unless other considerations (flimsy ear, owner preference, etc) dictate a shorter cut.

And remember too, that shape is at least as important as length. I've seen some very long crops on dogs (some of these on our dogs, unfortunately) that were supposed to be "show" crops, but they weren't shaped properly at all and it was enough to keep them out of the ring. It was unfortunate, because the edge was clean and they stood perfectly but they were just wrong.

There's really only one shot to get it right.