AKC says
"Ear cropping is a decision made by a dog's breeder or owner. While it is true that some breeds are shown with their ears cropped, there is nothing in AKC rules and in fact nothing in any breed standard that compels an owner to have this procedure performed as a prerequisite to entry at a dog show. Even if it is traditional in a particular breed that the dogs have one of these alterations, it has the same potential to win as any other dog of the breed and will only be judged based on the compliance of that dog to the breed standard."
 
This from the group that has given us a set of breed standards and idiot judges that have consistently awarded major conformation prizes to German Shepherds whose "slightly" sloped backs have resulted in such short back legs that they nearly fall over on the turns, greyhounds with such slim pelvises that they can be delivered only by C-section, and Collies with such narrow skulls that they have seizure disorders. 
 
If anyone knows of a member of a breed that is traditionally cropped that has ever won best at a major dog conformation, I would like to know about it. Dog conformation, like the fine art market, rewards the wrong people (owners), and encourages the right people (breeders) to do the wrong thing.  In many more advanced countries ear cropping and tail docking for cosmetic reasons are prohibited by law.

I think ear cropping makes a Doberman look more menacing, which is why the kind of idiots who want a menacing looking dog line up to do it.

Second only to declawing a cat. 
 
Man, you guys make me realize just how much I miss having a dog. German Shepherds and Dobermans are two of my favorite breads - along w/ rottweilers and boxers.

Confession.  i don't get dog shows.  I understand the need for competition and showing off, but i seriously do not get how these things are judged.  I will occasionally watch a few of these over a course of weeks where it is often the same dogs competing.  Why is the best in show at show A not the best in show B?  It's not like there is a talent competition or they write an essay each time?  I'm not trying to be a smartass.  I'm genuinely perplexed.  To me , all the dogs look the same as the y did the previous week. Can someone enlighten me.
 
i think doberman's like a lot of breeds get a bad rap because of bad owners.  Anyone who has been around a pit bull (or most of the breeds mistakenly labeled as such) who was raised to be a family dog, knows they are usually very sweet unless mistreated and trained to be a monster.

 
 
Dog shows should be banned, as should the standardisation and classification systems related to pedigree breeds.
 
It encourages genetic engineering of the worse sort, where arbitrary aesthetic attributes are bred into and maintained in each particular breed, often with devastating results.
 
Another wonderful example of man's vanity expressed through eugenics and the deliberate manipulation of the genes, and hence the phenotype, of a helpless species of animal.
 
It could be argued, I suppose, that if such meddling leads to the increased well-being or longevity of a particular species, then it's acceptable. Such breeding techniques have been practiced for centuries to improve the productivity of the food industry and the efficiency and suitability of working animals - but the welfare of the animal has generally been of secondary importance to the returns - unless, of course, if neglecting this particular aspect has a negative effect on this productivity or efficiency.
 
But to continue to sculpt and fashion the gene pool of a species, when it's been proven that in a lot of breeds to do so does serious physiological damage to the animals concerned, is simply barbaric, unacceptable and intolerable.
 
 
 
 

dubdisciple
The cropped ear thing is kinda effed up. It's  on par with forcing a child to get cosmetic surgery

Or having them circumcised (male and FGM), other than for genuine medical reasons in the case of infant boys, of course.
 
I'll steer clear of the religious aspect of this repugnant and loathsome practice, but anyone who thinks that needlessly chopping pieces of flesh off their children is acceptable needs some serious psychological help, and furthermore should be prosecuted for child abuse. In my humble opinion anyway.
 
 
 
 

I hate when i see cats that have been bred to the point where their noses seem pretty useless

Pugs: then and now
 

I've heard (... ) that trimming dog ears makes noises louder and more irritating to them and adds to their aggressive nature. That's why slash-eared Dobermans and pits are used as guard dogs. True?
 
Also, miniature animals like tea-cup poodles suffer the most with internal organ failures and genetic defects.
 
Out here it used to be common to cross breed huskies with wolves. No longer legal due to their unpredictable nature. I say they're totally predictable. At some point the wild side of your wolfsky is gonna wanna eat you. Plain and simples.
 
And if you live out of town don't leave your dog tied up in the yard. You just make it easier for ol' lobo to pick 'em off.... and you won't hear a thing. They command silence from their domesticated kin when inviting them for dinner. All you'll find in the morning is the pole, the chain, and the collar... and a few foot prints hear and there.