Gluing ears and negative feedback

BarbV

BarbV

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I own a pet store and often bring my 6 month old into the store. I'm still attempting to glue his ears. I don't know how many times customers have said things like "what's wrong with his ears" or "did you crop his ears". I try to explain gluing and why. And they look at me like I'm look at like I'm abusing my dog.

I try to explain. No it's not cropping. It's simply glue hair to hair. No, it doesn't hurt or even bother them. But they all look at me from I'm from Mars. They actually think that sheltie ears are supposed to be pricked. Then a customer today compared gluing to cropping ears and tails. And almost patted my hand saying he "understood " because he had bioxers.

No, no, no!

Aargh! How do you all deal with this. How to get understanding out there?
 
You don't. I try to gently explain that all we're doing is training the ears to set correctly, and if that doesn't work, I walk away. I'm sure that's hard to do in your store where you're a captive audience, so I guess you have to just change the subject. It's very irritating, I agree!
 
Perhaps get a handout written by a vet to give them? Explaining it can actually have health benefits? Really not sure what else to suggest. I've already gotten some strange looks when I mention doing this to my future pups. However, I've had 2 shelties - one with pricked ears and one with tipped. They have both played in the same field behind our home - my last sheltie with pricked ears was constantly at the vet for ear infections caused by spear grass. My current sheltie with the tipped ears has never gotten spear grass in his ears despite spending more time in that field. I find spear grass on the outside of his ears but never in the cannal. A neighbor's sheltie has pricked ears and also picks up spear grass in that field. It's only my experience but it's my reason for wanting to tip my next pup's ears and the reason I give to people who want to know why I would even consider it.
 
I had never heard of glueing before having a Sheltie. So I'm guessing most people just aren't familiar with the practice, and the closest thing they can compare it to (in their limited experience) is ear cropping? It's great that you're explaining it to people, but yeah.

You'll never get understanding from everyone, haha. I'm in a group on Facebook, and every time someone asks how to glue ears, there are SO many replies saying things like "Oh, I just left mine alone, I love my dog just the way he/she is!" Because the rest of us don't love our dogs. :rolleyes2:

You just can't get away from judgmental people.:hide That's why I don't go anywhere, lol.
 
People are more emotionally "charged" on any issue these days. Everyone believes they are right and most subjects have two sides. There will always be a chasm in just about everything, but the trend is to be highly defensive and voice their opinions more openly now. I think the world in general needs a chill pill, and a huge dose of tolerance on people's individual choices. As long as those choices aren't harmful I don't see why people have to be in your personal biz, so to speak. Pet Peeve of mine.

I prefer tipped ears, because I think it is adorable and compliments the Sheltie face. Kaleigh's had to be glued, but Savannah had such paper thin ear leather I was afraid to do anything. She tends to have droopy more hound dog looking ears which react to temperature. The colder it is the more they hang. So I gauge weather by her ears and I find that to be a silly precious perk that I cherish about her.

Maybe state is equivalent to highlighting one's hair colour, or painting your nails, those are examples that might be understood (tolerated) a bit better by those that get huffy. The good news is you comprehend that it isn't hurting or abusing the puppy.
 
tesslynn said:
People are more emotionally "charged" on any issue these days. Everyone believes they are right and most subjects have two sides. There will always be a chasm in just about everything, but the trend is to be highly defensive and voice their opinions more openly now. I think the world in general needs a chill pill, and a huge dose of tolerance on people's individual choices. As long as those choices aren't harmful I don't see why people have to be in your personal biz, so to speak. Pet Peeve of mine.
Click to expand...

YES, people are all charged up these days. Good grief! o_O
 
I work as a cashier at a pet store, my boss is nice enough to let me bring my pup to work. I get the same thing; it's very frustrating. People don't understand, and it's difficult to not to argue back with them lol
 
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