What's your opinion: Ears up or down?

  • Thread starter Thread starter luvmysheltie
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luvmysheltie

I've seen Sheltie ears straight up and I've seen some floppy. Do they naturally go up and are trained to flop?
 
They do naturally stand up a lot of times...but sometimes you end up with low ears. Very few lines have naturally tipping ears. They have to be taped, or fabric glued, at the age of 3 month-9 months. If the ears aren't tipping and staying by 7-9 months, they never will.
Also, someone told me that feeding them cottage cheese while "training" the ears helps too.
 
I did not tape Smoke's ears, and they are pricked. However, one of his littermates did come out with naturally tipped ears.
 
Ripley has naturally tipped ears and Frosty has naturally pricked ears. I thought about taping Frosty's when it became obvious they were going to stand, but in the end I didn't want to go to the trouble. I think either way looks good for a pet sheltie.
 
Cait has naturally tipped ears. They are small and adorable -- also, one of her most darling features as they are very expressive, moving and changing angle and the degree of tip with her thoughts. If she is at high alert, her ears will prick for a moment but, at almost 16 months, clearly her ears are tipped to stay.

I bought her from a hobby breeder who not only didn't tape ears, she had never been touched with a brush or taught anything about house breaking or leashes before I got her at the age of 16 weeks. :eek2: Fortunately, she had been handled a lot. In fact, when I got her she expected to be carried everywhere. Patent training and long hikes took care of the rest and now Caitie runs the other dogs ragged.

I often sit and look at her just to admire those cute ears.
 
Ohhhh those ears.

Auber's got cute little prick ears. They were tipped the day I picked her up at 5 1/2 months old. The stress of moving to a new home made her ears fly and I worked with them for another good couple of months (close to three) trying to get them to stay tipped. My efforts failed and as soon as I would remove the tape braces they would fly again within the hour. Another taping, another flying...it was a bad process. She hated the torture of taping and removing to test and taping them again so I just gave up when she was almost 9 months old. She's just a pet I rationalized. Why put her through this when I can't show her since she's altered. Her ears took a weird turn on me though. After they flew and became cute little prick ears her tips instead of turning down so sweetly turned back. The very tips of her ears lean every so slightly backward. I love it. It gives her such personality. She cracks me up when she turns them side to side listening to sounds outside, the neighbors, other dogs barking, etc. It's her little sonar that is accompanied by x-ray vision through walls and doors.
 
Sparky's ears are tipped, but Max's aren't and he is so adorable with his pointy ears that we're not having them done. They seem to go with him and his pointy nose, LOL!
 
those ears

I got Gabe when he was 18mos old so I didn't have a choice about his ears. The breeder tried taping them but apparently, my boy had very stubborn ears! Now one tips forward but not as far as it should and the other leans backwards. I absolutely adore his ears!
 
When Jack came to live with us, his ears were taped by his breeder. When the tape wore off, we tried the recommended Speed Sew to put them back down. However .... Jack must have been meant to have prick ears! He looks so alert and attentive with his little satellite dishes!

Shelties are Love!
 
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