When to start training those ears

[blaiseshimmer]

Hi Everyone - VERY raw newbie here, hope that I'll be able to ask the right questions in the right order.

We picked up our puppy a few days ago. Kelby is a blue merle (cryptic; I still have to try to take a picture of him that I can add to an offsite 'picture place'...for some reason, though, flickr hates me, so I hope I can link from photobucket)....anyway, right now he's beyond cute, literally and figuratively pipping away all over the place.

The breeder and the breeder for her stud both believe that this little guy has conformation potential (the only reason the breeders didn't keep him is because of space). I've never done conformation, but am willing to give it a try with Kelby, and if we both decide we'd rather vegetate on the couch than deal with a showring, that'll be okay as well.

Anyway, he's 8 weeks, his ears are still down. At what age do I need to start thinking about training his ears? When we had our first sheltie, he was already 6 months when we got him and his ears were already straight so I never learned to train them.

Any advice, suggestions will definitely be greatly appreciated.

 

[Altasmom]

Don't have the answer for you, but I am also interested in the answer. My little one is 12 weeks and most days her ears are down but the odd day one ear will stand straight upright and spend the day that way then lo and behold by morning the ears are both down again. The one day both ears were straight upright and she really did look like a fox.
Curious to see what others have to say.

 

[Ann]

Hello and welcome to the Forum! Just so you know, our Premium membership allows you to easily post pictures and keep a photo album here on the site. See "Become a Premium Member" on the tabs at the top of the page for more info.

As for your puppy's ears, if he's 8 weeks old, the time to brace his ears is now. There are a variety of methods used including glue and tape. Both work well and there are proponents of each. It comes down to what works best for you and your pup. There are many threads here on bracing ears with links to sites that will help you (search "ears" on the link above), but if you're close enough to your breeder and interested in showing Kelby in conformation, I'd recommend that you ask your breeder to teach you how to brace the ears. Sheltie ears can go wonky easily and ruin a show prospect. Besides being tipped with tape or glue, they will need to be braced together on top of the head until he's about 6 months old.

Most puppies get used to this routine quickly, although it's not uncommon for them to rub out the braces too, so patience and persistence is key.

Good luck with your puppy! Keep us posted on your progress and feel free to post any questions you have.