I have always cut my dogears off. When I made the California King, each one of my dogears matched with those on the other square. Some I had loped off and some I did not. The 'did not' made a larger and harder nub to sew through or around. I broke a zillion needles and just about ruined my poor little machine. I won't skip that step the next time. I wanted to know if it would make any difference and now I know. It also bothers me that my square doesn't look all square and nice with the dogears.