What's your opinion: Ears up or down?

  • Thread starter Thread starter luvmysheltie
  • Start date Start date
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!
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:smile2:Some dogs for some reason, probably genetics, will never have the "right" ears. Treader has ears that almost tip. I think that his Papillon side has something to do with that, because a Pap's ears are so huge!:eek2: It's cute, because when he walks sometimes his ears will bob up and down.:razz:
I've got to get a video of his ears bobbing sometime!:yes:
I've got to share some more pictures of Treader sometime. I've been slack.
 
We have one of everything at our house. Barkley, age 15 months, has perfectly tipped ears. That's because his breeder set them for me once a month until he was one year old! Pixie, age two, has very flopped or fallen ears. That's because I tried to do them myself and gave up at 6 months and they just fell. I think she looks adorable that way though. Ivy, age 10, has ears that could pick up satellite feeds, they are so pricked and huge! :lol: My first Sheltie, Scruffy, had naturally perfect tipped ears so I thought they all "came that way" and was I ever surprised when my next puppy came with tape! :eek2: Our rescue boy, Bandit, now also gone, was two when we got him with pricked ears and they suited him. One of these days I'll figure out the picture upload and display my herd! :biggrin2:
 
I like up

I got my Sheltie's when living in Germany from a family in Austria who showed Shelties. Their ears naturally fold over on the tips. It is the standard in Europe for their ears to fold over. I had 3 Shelties while growing up that my dad got me and their ears were straight up. But really I would love them either way. :wink2:

Sorry, my title says up, I meant tipped. I didn't change it when I posted, new to this, greenie :)
 
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I prefer the tipped

Dreamer's folds too heavy most of the time. Rain's are naturally tipped, and Presley's are prick. I'm training the puppies' ears, so, hopefully, they will have the nicely tipped ears. :smile2:
 
Dashers are pricked too.

He is still really cute. He also has the coolest cowlick down the middle of his face that is brown. Everyone that sees him always loves that look. Someday I will post a picture If I can learn how to do it.:lol:
 
Ginger's ears stick up. We've never taped them.

If I ever got another Sheltie puppy, I might consider training the ears. The tipped ears look so cute!
 
My first sheltie had one ear straight and the other folded over. I considered folding the other one over, but just having one gave him charactor.
 
I personally like tipped ears....

I like the tipped ears, I'm not sure why but it seems to make them seem more in proportion, or something.

My old boy, Timber had marvelous tipped ears and then suddenly when he got older one (e.g. 8 years) of them started to sag, so he ended up with kinda lopsided.

My new boy, Bacca - I have tipping his ears using Speed Sew. It's not a big deal. I've only had to reglue once since I brought him home at 8 weeks.

But here is the big question: If tipped ears are not necessarily natural for the breed (that is, requires out-side intervention) why is it a standard for the show breed? That is, if the majority of Shelties ears don't tip, shouldn't that be the new standard?

I would love to hear from AKC/CKC/UKC judges on this.
 
On most "traditional" looking Shelties, I prefer the tipped ears. But some Shelties just suit the prick look!

Romeo has the cutest little tipped ears. He was supposed to be a fancy-dancy show dog, until he topped out at 14.5", too short and boy-ish to hold his own in the ring. But the breeder trained his ears religiously hoping that he would grow and be ring-worthy. The work paid off and he has beautiful little ears, despite never seeing the conformation ring. When I trim them properly, he looks like a little teddy bear.

Gio, on the other hand, can join the satellite club! He's got great big, pricked, wide set ears. But they suit him perfectly, I think he would look goofy with tipped ears.
 
Interest

In Europe all the dogs to have what I think you called tipped, that is folded over and even when the dogs looks up they stay foleded over. No one as far as i can see would be able to sell a dog with pricked ears.
http://www.sunnyhills.se/Sheltie/LufsenSv.htm

I am not sure if this link works as I have never done this before, but this is what i would say is a classic European look for a dog. This is perfect set for a Shelties ears. I am no expert at all but I do not think I would buy a puppy if the ears did not sit sorrectly.
 
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