Ear Questions??
 

I have been wondering about this whole ears up/down thing...when I got Bentley his ears were down, but the breeder said they have been up. She did not clipper them so I did when we got him home. They still didn't stand so we went to the vet & had them taped. They said to keep it on for 4 days then off for 1 wk. After untaping them they stood up that night and part of the next day then fell. We waited the week and went back, a different vet did them this time and seemed to be a so-so job, very coned and unstable feeling. She didn't clipper the hair off either. We ended up taking him back the nexxt day to have her redo it because it came loose as soon as he layed down. The cotton tips popped out of his ear causing the posts to break his ears backwards some.
After another 4 days we took them off tonight, 1 stood, the other did not and now they are both down again. He is 20wks on Fri. and seems to have huge ears, then again he weighed right at 7lbs at the vets last wk. I have include a pic taken the night we took the 1st round of tape off & his ears were up so you can see how big they are. I know pups can go through awkward stages where they are all legs, not proportioned, etc. Does this happen w/ ears too? Does anyone have any suggestions or experiences that will help? How thick are their ears typically? I have a schnauzer and his ear leather is really thick. Bentleys feel so thin compared.
I figure I will do the taping the next time now that I have a better idea how. Ultimately I love him either way but I would really like them little buggers to perk up, I love the expression.
Thanks for everyones help!

sorry...forgot the pic
#1 - With his ears taped the 1st time & his fav toy
#2 - While his ears were taped the 1st time
#3 - just after I brought him nome and clippered his ears.

Bentley is so adorable. My Gucci's ears were up since I got her and always being up. I do know of some that they never go up and others that just go up on their own. I think they look cute both ways. Sometimes when they are teething they ears can go down. Good luck. He is very cute.

It maybe that they will go up on their own. My only concern is that Bentley's ears seem bent from the base of the ear. Millies ears were down when I got her, but her ears were only down from about 1/3 down of the tip, the other 2/3rds (from base to bent part) were up (does that make sense?) So it seems that Bentleys ears will have to work more to get them to go up from the base. The cartilge may be weak and that is why it is taking so long. Millies ears went up on their own.

Some people feed their puppies cottage cheese to build up the cartilge. Not sure if this works or not, but some people say it does.

I don't think his ears are too big to stand up. I have seen plenty of pictures of big eared yorkie puppies whose ears are standing.

sorry I'm not much help.

I am unsure of what you mean by bent at the base?? He gets about a Tblspn of cottage cheese every night over his dry food...I too have heard it is good for this and many other things. Unfortunately I don't know anyone close that also has yorkies so I can feel and compare the differences....it is encouraging that you don't think they are too big to stand though. I am pretty sure he is teething...he chews on everything and @ 5 mos. he should be....thanks for the help

I wouldn't worry too much. Teething causes them to drop sometimes. :)

He looks so cute ears up or down :luvu:

Max has big ears but they stay up, so I am not sure if size is a factor or not?

Wow....Total friggin' idea shock...The cartilege may indeed be weak...I wonder if there's a link between flopped ears and the Soft Trachea defect...We know that the Soft Trachea defect that leads to CT is caused by weakened cartilege in the throat, where the cells there can not produce a certain protien...You see where I'm going with this?

Well, up or down he sure is cute!!!!
:)

I hope
 

someone has the answer because my Lucy's ears look exactly the same. I have never taped them and they have never even come close to standing (except when she's facing into the wind or looking up at me). I hope they stand but it won't matter if they don't.

The groomer said Rags ears would never stand up because they were too big and thick. She didn't want to trim them but I insisted. The next morning they were both standing and still are. He was four months old at the time.

Chloe's ears were up when I bought her and went down within a day or two. I was told to buy Carnation dry milk and sprinkle on her food, also everytime I was near her I would massage her ears. It is a cartilage issue. I then taped them, which can be done without a vet, for a week, then off a week. After two tapings, they stayed up, not sure if they would have come up on their own or not. This summer, after a year of being up, she got hot in the Fl weather and her ears drooped, so I had them shaved at the end and they came up again, but I have never had this trouble with Lacey. Hers have always stayed up. Chloe's coat is cottony, Lacey's is silky, I wonder if that's why, but I do have my doubts that Chloe's ear will always be up.

I have noticed that the "leathers" seem to be getting thicker, they were really thin when we first got him. The way I understand it from research is that by taping them up it forces more blood into them or something. The cartiledge thing is probably right on. I have also read that they can be "broken" by other dogs chewing on them & other things when young. We are very strict to keep Wickett from chewing on Bentleys ears when they play. We also massage them whenever possible, although he doesn't hardly stay still longer enough to do any good.
It seems that if they were able to stand once they should be able to again. Maybe I am just not being patient enough...that never was one of my stronger virtues :embarasse
Thanks to all of you for your ideas and experiences, keep 'em coming!!