OBJECTIVE: To compare the duration of motor blockade associated with epidural ropivacaine and bupivacaine, each with morphine, in dogs undergoing soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, parallel, blinded clinical trial. ANIMALS: A group of 29 client-owned dogs, with American Society of Anesthesiologists scores I-III. METHODS: After intravenous (IV) acepromazine (10 μg kg RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) time to return of voluntary movement was: 4 hours (3-7) with bupivacaine (n = 15) versus 4 hours (3-6) (n = 14) with ropivacaine, p = 0.21. Return of normal motor function was significantly faster with ropivacaine [10 hours (6-12)] versus bupivacaine [16 hours (8-20)], p = 0.009. No dogs required intraoperative rescue analgesia. Two dogs receiving ropivacaine required postoperative rescue analgesia compared with no dogs receiving bupivacaine, p = 0.22. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this study epidural ropivacaine + morphine provided an alternative to bupivacaine + morphine based on a faster return of normal motor function and similar requirement for postoperative rescue analgesia.