Ear setting/tipping

[haliaka18]

Hello every one thanks for your help.

I just wanted to know if my sheltie is 4months 7 days is he too old for ear setting and tipping? His ears slightly fold in half length wise, so they tend to lay down on his head a lot. They do face forward but only when he is very alert. I also wanted to know do their ears always stay facing front if they have been set, or is it normal for them to lay back when they are not alert? If he is not too old is this a good method: http://www.highledgeshelties.com/perfectears.htm

 

[tofu pup]

Hi and Welcome!

I just wanted to know if my sheltie is 4months 7 days is he too old for ear setting and tipping?

No, he's not too old to start. You probably won't get the spectacular results that you would get if he had had his ears kept in since her was a baby, but it's still worth a try to help his ears.

Keep in mind, also, that the ear-brace will be brand-new to him. He will want to shake and paw it off, because he won't be used to it. (This is another reason why we start gluing the ears together as soon as there's enough ear, hair, and puppy to hold it all together). Persistence is the order of the day. With patience and time, he'll get used to the brace - but initially, it'll be a challenge.

His ears slightly fold in half length wise, so they tend to lay down on his head a lot. They do face forward but only when he is very alert.

I'm not sure, but it sounds like he has low-breaking ears - could you give us a picture?

I also wanted to know do their ears always stay facing front if they have been set, or is it normal for them to lay back when they are not alert?

It's quite normal for the ears to be laid back when the dog is relaxed or running. And even dogs with excellent earset won't have them totally "up" unless they're alert.

If he is not too old is this a good method: http://www.highledgeshelties.com/perfectears.htm

Looks fine to me. However, it does look a bit complicated! We use this method, which involves a little less material and cutting. You'll need Japanese tape, Zo-Eze, rubbing alcohol, yarn, and some cotton balls/pads.

 

[BarbV]

Pictures would be a big help.

4 months is definitely not too late to start, but the sooner you get at it the better.

If indeed you have low breaking ears (like my hound dog, Bacca) you want to brace between the ears sooner than later. One thing I would ask: How thick is the ear skin? Bacca's are very thin which means that he has less prick, compared to Indy's, whose ear pads are fairly thick. This could be important as it might determine how you proceed.

The simplest method is simply to twist and glue the hair between the ears. But it might not be as effective. More complicated when you get into Japanese tape or other braces. Much more work. I've never attempted it, so I'm not sure about the "payback"

Ultimately it depends on your goals. If you just want a companion pup then you may not want to invest the time and effort.

 

[tofu pup]

The simplest method is simply to twist and glue the hair between the ears. But it might not be as effective. More complicated when you get into Japanese tape or other braces. Much more work. I've never attempted it, so I'm not sure about the "payback".

If the ears are breaking low, then one really needs to use some kind of a brace (tape, moleskin) to give the ear structure and support. Using glue alone will help keep ears over, and will keep them up on the head to some extent, but you are very limited in your ability to lift the ears, correct the break, and make adjustments as the puppy grows.

Our puppies have their ears glued for the first time around five weeks - as soon as the ears can be pulled together. The glue is really only a stopgap, to help us evaluate the puppy (it's much easier to see what you're looking for if the ears are put up), and it helps the puppies get used to having their ears fussed with. But by eight weeks, they're in tapes and they stay in tapes until they're a year old, with short breaks for showing and to see how the ears are progressing. I think the best way to put it is that taping is a more powerful tool than gluing, in the sense that my modern desktop is a more powerful tool than a word processor from the 80's. Taping gives you more flexibility, more precision, more finesse in terms of helping the ears to come along in the right way.

Taping looks complicated, but it really isn't. Of course, as Barb says, for a pet Sheltie, it's all a matter of how much effort you want to put into the project! Your little dog will still be your best buddy, regardless of his earset.

 

[Lightplum]

I couldnt not agree more. Taping give you that added little ability to "tweak" the ears. you can only do so much with glue...with tape you can adjust the break either higher or lower depending on how the ears are looking. Say you have one slightly higher than the other no problem easy fix with the next tape job...
I do the initial glue job at 6 weeks to bring the ears in, and I HATE it, while it does give you an idea of the puppy's look I just really dislike working with glue. Just a personal preference though. In the end do what ever works for you!