What happens if a Doberman’s ears are not cropped?

Without ear cropping a Doberman cannot have erect ears; a purebred Doberman’s ears fold downward, and cropping is needed to set them erect. The main drawback of floppy ears is poorer hearing and poor ventilation, which easily breeds bacteria and leads to ear mites or otitis.

After cropping, provide good post-operative care and avoid surgery in very hot summer weather, otherwise the wound easily becomes infected and inflamed.