# Taping Ear Time for Akira



## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Hi guys It’s seems like the time to tape one of her ears is looming on me as we’ve reached 6 months. Was hoping to get some solid instructions from someone with knowledge and experience and maybe some tips to ensure I don’t mess it up. ps we are at 25.5 inches tall at the withers and she’s filling out fast. Ive got to do a solid weighing of her next time we head to the vet but her growth is looking good. we are doing an embark test soon.


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)




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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

It’s going to be a disaster I can already smell it but here goes nothing


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## peachygeorgia (Oct 5, 2021)

Id wait, my friends GSD had floppy ears until he was 7 months, and I've seen people here say theirs didn't stand til 9 months and even later, no reason to worry about and go through the whole process of taping where you could do more bad then good imo

my chi mix had floppy ears until she turned 2, then they randomly stood up one day and never went back down, lol


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## mnm (Jan 9, 2006)

I'd leave it alone. If it's been up, it should go back up. FYI - Females are supposed to be 22-24" tall at the shoulder.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

From one of the OP’s first threads, Akira is a mix


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Fodder said:


> From one of the OP’s first threads, Akira is a mix


One of her ears stands and both of them use to stand but she was playing rough with another pup when they nipped her ear and one of them flopped.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

mnm said:


> I'd leave it alone. If it's been up, it should go back up. FYI - Females are supposed to be 22-24" tall at the shoulder.


I suspect she still has a little growing to do so I’m unsure where that will end up. Ive been worried the ear would stay flopped just because she was playing rough when it fell.


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

My dog is one of the ones here whose ear didn't stand until 9 months. We had another dog whose ear took that long, too.

I would leave it alone. I'm a firm believer that if it's meant to come up, it will. If it's not meant to, you can't force it to stand.

At 6 months our current dog had one erect ear and one completely flopped ear. He just needed more time to get that left ear organized.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

HandlingAkira said:


> I suspect she still has a little growing to do so I’m unsure where that will end up. Ive been worried the ear would stay flopped just because she was playing rough when it fell.


Is the ear healthy? How long ago was this and was there any damage? My dog Bear had hematomas in both ears from playing.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

So let me get this straight. You did not want to pay for a purebred, but you don't want a mix. You bought what you were told was a GSD/Pyr mix, Pyr's have floppy ears. But now you want to make sure she looks like a GSD so you are going to tape her ears. There is ample proof that you could do irreparable damage to the ears by taping and zero proof that it actually helps. 
Just wow.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Bearshandler said:


> Is the ear healthy? How long ago was this and was there any damage? My dog Bear had hematomas in both ears from playing.


The ear is healthy smooth she can make it stand when she sees something interesting or hears the treat bag however it has a small crease but nothing major. I’m worried about ear infections in that ear so we have to clean it all the time. Her ear that stands is always clean but the flipper gets nasty daily. The vet mentioned it was due to it not having good air flow from flopping.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Sabis mom said:


> So let me get this straight. You did not want to pay for a purebred, but you don't want a mix. You bought what you were told was a GSD/Pyr mix, Pyr's have floppy ears. But now you want to make sure she looks like a GSD so you are going to tape her ears. There is ample proof that you could do irreparable damage to the ears by taping and zero proof that it actually helps.
> Just wow.


Uhm. No. No. And No. One of her ears stand one flopped from playing rough. It had nothing to do with money everything to do with my beliefs- I didn’t want to get a purebred when I could bring home a rescue that needed a home. Also the ear problem has nothing to do with her appearance. She’s beautiful. Her ear gets dirty and she is more prone to ear infections and the vet says it’s due to her flop on that one side. Both ears stand when she hears something interesting. One flops when she relaxes. Please instead of assuming something about my reasonings on something ask. You can say all you want to paint me out to be the bad guy if that’s the pre formed notion and what you want to see. However her well being is my top concern. Also he only reason I decided to consider it was because a lot of breeders that are knowledgeable on ears flopping after they’ve stood have used it to help build the muscles again. They have said they did it at 6-7 months so I turned to the forum. Why do you have to paint me as someone like that when you don’t even know me?


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Sabis mom said:


> So let me get this straight. You did not want to pay for a purebred, but you don't want a mix. You bought what you were told was a GSD/Pyr mix, Pyr's have floppy ears. But now you want to make sure she looks like a GSD so you are going to tape her ears. There is ample proof that you could do irreparable damage to the ears by taping and zero proof that it actually helps.
> Just wow.


Also her littermates ears are standing.


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## Bearshandler (Aug 29, 2019)

HandlingAkira said:


> The ear is healthy smooth she can make it stand when she sees something interesting or hears the treat bag however it has a small crease but nothing major. I’m worried about ear infections in that ear so we have to clean it all the time. Her ear that stands is always clean but the flipper gets nasty daily. The vet mentioned it was due to it not having good air flow from flopping.


It doesn’t sound like your dogs ear went down from rough play. It sounds like it will go up on its own and you have no reason to tape it.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

HandlingAkira said:


> Also her littermates ears are standing.


So? My sister is 5'5, I'm 5'8". She has blond hair and green eyes, I have brown hair and grey eyes.
I have a GSD laying on my couch who's ears did not stand until she was nearly a year. If you want a dog with pointy ears you buy a dog with pointy ears. Taping a mixes ears is just cruel.


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Neb is a mix (with zero GSD, but he's part husky and spitz, pointy-eared breeds, which is why I'm mentioning him). One ear is fully erect, the other the tip flops over (he's also part lab and parson russell terrier, and that's a PRT ear shape, albeit his partially erect ear is a lot bigger than a PRT's). 

When he was younger he had some issues with ear infections, but they went away after around 12, 15 months. What changed? No clue. But he's not had one since. So if Akira is getting ear infections in that ear, it seems easier to keep it clean (daily if need be) and make sure it's dry (microfiber towels are your friend!...we also have a beagle, speaking of ears) rather than taping it which can be damaging and certainly does not sound comfortable. 

You could also talk to your vet about whether there are preventative drops or something you could put in semi-regularly to stop infections from occurring. I've no idea if there is, but it's a thought. What sort of infections is she getting? Is the ear damp, or...?


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## Sonny1984 (Oct 25, 2021)

Does the floppy ear actually get more ear infections or are you just worried about it? Also, how are you cleaning it? Floppy eared dogs are more prone to ear infections because the moisture that gets trapped in there lends to more bacteria growth. Usually it would be more of an issue with a basset hound or cocker spaniel, a dog with big big floppy ears. Any dog can get ear infections, so even if Akira is you can’t be sure it’s because of the floppy ear. If you let your dog run around I’d think the floppy ear would get plenty of air flow, if it doesn’t already just standing and laying around. I wonder what the vet would say if you asked them if taping the ear to reduce the likelihood hood of ear infections is a reasonable and good idea.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

jarn said:


> Neb is a mix (with zero GSD, but he's part husky and spitz, pointy-eared breeds, which is why I'm mentioning him). One ear is fully erect, the other the tip flops over (he's also part lab and parson russell terrier, and that's a PRT ear shape, albeit his partially erect ear is a lot bigger than a PRT's).
> 
> When he was younger he had some issues with ear infections, but they went away after around 12, 15 months. What changed? No clue. But he's not had one since. So if Akira is getting ear infections in that ear, it seems easier to keep it clean (daily if need be) and make sure it's dry (microfiber towels are your friend!...we also have a beagle, speaking of ears) rather than taping it which can be damaging and certainly does not sound comfortable.
> 
> You could also talk to your vet about whether there are preventative drops or something you could put in semi-regularly to stop infections from occurring. I've no idea if there is, but it's a thought. What sort of infections is she getting? Is the ear damp, or...?


she has these minor ear infections due to the moisture trapped. nothing serious yet due to the build up of moisture in her ear. I clean it with a solution the vet gave me also with these wipes she gave me 1-2 a day as she said. If I clean before dinner by the next dinner it’s black and smells awful. the ear looks irritated and the vet says to just keep cleaning. I will ask about preventative measures. I told the vet and she said at some point the ears should stand again if they had already stood before. I will try the microfiber


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Sonny1984 said:


> Does the floppy ear actually get more ear infections or are you just worried about it? Also, how are you cleaning it? Floppy eared dogs are more prone to ear infections because the moisture that gets trapped in there lends to more bacteria growth. Usually it would be more of an issue with a basset hound or cocker spaniel, a dog with big big floppy ears. Any dog can get ear infections, so even if Akira is you can’t be sure it’s because of the floppy ear. If you let your dog run around I’d think the floppy ear would get plenty of air flow, if it doesn’t already just standing and laying around. I wonder what the vet would say if you asked them if taping the ear to reduce the likelihood hood of ear infections is a reasonable and good idea.


it gets minor infections currently but I am worried they will get worst. I use prescription ear cleaner and wipes the vet recommended 1-2x daily as the vet recommended but it’s like an endless battle. she has free access outside whenever she wants and plays a lot so I’m unsure. I’m mainly worried because when the ear was standing it stayed clean when it fell it got nasty and she gets itchy.


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

Definitely try to keep the ear dry as possible. I got Neb while having two GSDs and didn't know that could cause ear infections at first. 

Neb's ear looked irritated too if iirc (it was 14 years ago! he is OLD) - sorta red, not raw, just inflamed. But it did get better, and I bet Akira's will too.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

jarn said:


> Definitely try to keep the ear dry as possible. I got Neb while having two GSDs and didn't know that could cause ear infections at first.
> 
> Neb's ear looked irritated too if iirc (it was 14 years ago! he is OLD) - sorta red, not raw, just inflamed. But it did get better, and I bet Akira's will too.


did the itching go away for him?


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Sabis mom said:


> So? My sister is 5'5, I'm 5'8". She has blond hair and green eyes, I have brown hair and grey eyes.
> I have a GSD laying on my couch who's ears did not stand until she was nearly a year. If you want a dog with pointy ears you buy a dog with pointy ears. Taping a mixes ears is just cruel.


it stood then fell. I made a thread because my dog with pointy ears for the longest time’s ear fell after an accident and after about a month hasn’t come back up unless she hears something weird. Ive seen many people with a lot of knowledge and experience post ears and when done correctly it’s worked. So ignorant me thought oh maybe this will help with my ear infection battle of a lifetime so I made a thread. Why are you thinking it has anything to do with appearance?


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

HandlingAkira said:


> did the itching go away for him?


Yes. We gave him drops to help with drying (this is all coming back to me! - I think that's what they were for) that we'd massage in. I think he got two ear infections (but I'm senile) and that was it after that, we if I'm remembering gave him the drops semi-regularly for awhile and then because nothing had happened again stopped and he was totally fine and has been, like I said, a looooong time now, he's over 14 years old. I don't remember things completely but there is hope!


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

jarn said:


> Yes. We gave him drops to help with drying (this is all coming back to me! - I think that's what they were for) that we'd massage in. I think he got two ear infections (but I'm senile) and that was it after that, we if I'm remembering gave him the drops semi-regularly for awhile and then because nothing had happened again stopped and he was totally fine and has been, like I said, a looooong time now, he's over 14 years old. I don't remember things completely but there is hope!


Also last question sorry! Did his ear smell like death before the drops worked? I’m scared it’s something underlying that my vet has overlooked


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## peachygeorgia (Oct 5, 2021)

If she can make her ears stand when she's interested in something, and her siblings all have erect ears, they will stand

Also, there may be an underlying issue when it comes to the ear infections, her ear shouldn't be that messed up because its just flopped over imo, at least to my knowledge, I always had floppy eared mutts before my last two, and we never had a problem with ear infections


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

I honestly have no memory of what his ear smelled like! Sorry! 

@peachygeorgia has a point. Xerxes has floppy beagle ears and at least in the four or five years we've had him he has never had an ear infection. Could just be luck of the draw with her unfortunately.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I have had lots of floppy eared dogs. Multiple hounds, lots of staffy/pit mixes and pure, spaniels, setters, mutts of every sort, shape and description large and small. While floppy eared dogs are more prone basic hygiene should be all that is needed unless there is an underlying issue. 
They would never have banned ear cropping in multiple countries if it posed a legitimate health issue.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Just stop the obsession and enjoy your dog.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

wolfy dog said:


> Just stop the obsession and enjoy your dog.


what? I was mentioning an actual problem I was facing.


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## mnm (Jan 9, 2006)

If you're doing all of that, and the ears are still very gunky from one cleaning to the next, there's more going one. First, I'd look at what food you are feeding and see if the main protein source is Beef or Chicken, and the grain source is Corn or Wheat... both are very high for allergies. The vet may need to do a culture of the ear gunk, so it can be treated properly. In the mean time, I would recommend a solution of equal parts of Apple Cider Vinegar, Isopropl Alcohol and Water. Use to wipe out the ear. Do not use if there are any open scratches or sores, as it will sting. The ACV balances the pH level, the Alcohol evaporates the water, and the water dilutes the solution.


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## peachygeorgia (Oct 5, 2021)

I agree, there must be something else going on, id get them checked out

as for all of the other stuff, I believe people could've been a little kinder on this thread, but still, I agree with leaving them be


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## Hopps (Dec 5, 2021)

mnm said:


> If you're doing all of that, and the ears are still very gunky from one cleaning to the next, there's more going one. First, I'd look at what food you are feeding and see if the main protein source is Beef or Chicken, and the grain source is Corn or Wheat... both are very high for allergies. The vet may need to do a culture of the ear gunk, so it can be treated properly. In the mean time, I would recommend a solution of equal parts of Apple Cider Vinegar, Isopropl Alcohol and Water. Use to wipe out the ear. Do not use if there are any open scratches or sores, as it will sting. The ACV balances the pH level, the Alcohol evaporates the water, and the water dilutes the solution.


I agree. That does not sound normal at all. The ear smelling like death sounds really bad. If you look at a lot of water dogs, most have flopped ears. If floppy ears led to more water infections, someone would have changed it at some point. Something doesn’t sound right!


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

HandlingAkira said:


> what? I was mentioning an actual problem I was facing.


I have missed a potential medical issue. Sorry. On that note, I had a dog with a smelly ear and the vet pulled out a dead bug, wrapped in ear wax. It was the grossest thing you could expect to coming out of an ear.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

wolfy dog said:


> I have missed a potential medical issue. Sorry. On that note, I had a dog with a smelly ear and the vet pulled out a dead bug, wrapped in ear wax. It was the grossest thing you could expect to coming out of an ear.


Oh my gosh jeez. I need to check for that


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

Hopps said:


> I agree. That does not sound normal at all. The ear smelling like death sounds really bad. If you look at a lot of water dogs, most have flopped ears. If floppy ears led to more water infections, someone would have changed it at some point. Something doesn’t sound right!


I feel my vet brushed it under the carpet but I'll be sure to be more assertive and ask for a culture.


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

peachygeorgia said:


> I agree, there must be something else going on, id get them checked out
> 
> as for all of the other stuff, I believe people could've been a little kinder on this thread, but still, I agree with leaving them be


Thanking you for offering me actual advice and help. It makes a genuine difference


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

mnm said:


> If you're doing all of that, and the ears are still very gunky from one cleaning to the next, there's more going one. First, I'd look at what food you are feeding and see if the main protein source is Beef or Chicken, and the grain source is Corn or Wheat... both are very high for allergies. The vet may need to do a culture of the ear gunk, so it can be treated properly. In the mean time, I would recommend a solution of equal parts of Apple Cider Vinegar, Isopropl Alcohol and Water. Use to wipe out the ear. Do not use if there are any open scratches or sores, as it will sting. The ACV balances the pH level, the Alcohol evaporates the water, and the water dilutes the solution.


We are feeding Lamb and rice formula and she only gets beef in the form of raw supplemental feeding and beef derived treats would that be enough to make a difference? I will request the culture and will try out your tip and update. Thank you so much I hope it helps her ear.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

HandlingAkira said:


> We are feeding Lamb and rice formula and she only gets beef in the form of raw supplemental feeding and beef derived treats would that be enough to make a difference? I will request the culture and will try out your tip and update. Thank you so much I hope it helps her ear.


Shadow gets hives in her ears if fed ANY beef. I mean any. I have to check treats, meds, supplements and food. Within a short time she will start shaking her head and scratching at her ears. Left untreated I have no doubt it would result in nasty ears.


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## Katiebob (Aug 9, 2021)

Sabis mom said:


> Shadow gets hives in her ears if fed ANY beef. I mean any. I have to check treats, meds, supplements and food. Within a short time she will start shaking her head and scratching at her ears. Left untreated I have no doubt it would result in nasty ears.


Yep. Juno gets this with chicken. She had an ear infection before we cut chicken out and her ears have been clean as a whistle since. 

Hope you get to the bottom of it!


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## Ed From Ohio (Apr 22, 2021)

Well regardless of what others may judge. If you want to coax it up and it's already trying you might just try some Breathe Right strips. See what happens.


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## Sandyjc60 (Feb 22, 2021)

HandlingAkira said:


> Hi guys It’s seems like the time to tape one of her ears is looming on me as we’ve reached 6 months. Was hoping to get some solid instructions from someone with knowledge and experience and maybe some tips to ensure I don’t mess it up. ps we are at 25.5 inches tall at the withers and she’s filling out fast. Ive got to do a solid weighing of her next time we head to the vet but her growth is looking good. we are doing an embark test soon.


All my GSDs have had floppy ears until 8/9 months, they also flop when tired. Nothing to fret about. Taping, nah, not worth it. Sounds like she’s doing really well


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## GSD family (4 mo ago)

HandlingAkira said:


> Uhm. No. No. And No. One of her ears stand one flopped from playing rough. It had nothing to do with money everything to do with my beliefs- I didn’t want to get a purebred when I could bring home a rescue that needed a home. Also the ear problem has nothing to do with her appearance. She’s beautiful. Her ear gets dirty and she is more prone to ear infections and the vet says it’s due to her flop on that one side. Both ears stand when she hears something interesting. One flops when she relaxes. Please instead of assuming something about my reasonings on something ask. You can say all you want to paint me out to be the bad guy if that’s the pre formed notion and what you want to see. However her well being is my top concern. Also he only reason I decided to consider it was because a lot of breeders that are knowledgeable on ears flopping after they’ve stood have used it to help build the muscles again. They have said they did it at 6-7 months so I turned to the forum. Why do you have to paint me as someone like that when you don’t even know me?


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## GSD family (4 mo ago)

Taping an ear does absolutely nothing to build muscle. If the ear is taped no muscles are required to move it. Therefore no muscle exercise is taking place. No muscle building going on.
I’m getting pretty fat lately. Are you telling me that I can tighten up my midsection simply by taping it where I want it?
I slightly apologize for the snarky comment. I am a hobby GSD breeder. I’ve determined that it is solely genetics. However, ears can be damaged. Those little buggers get so rough with each other. My last litter had one female in it that liked to fight. I was certain that she had permanently damaged the ear. One was up at 11 weeks. The other hadn’t came up when she left for her new home at nearly 6mo. There was no signs of even trying to come up. Same as Akira, some times she would stand it up out of excitement or alertness. But instantly flop when it was all over. I sold this dog to a foundation that trains dogs for PTSD recipients, so the floppy ear wasn’t an issue. Pictures I received only a week after they took her showed that that **** ear stood up. All on its own. At first I dismissed it thinking it was just by chance. But I continued over the next several weeks receiving pics with both ears standing. So I called to find out. They told me that her ear stood up the very next day after they took her. I was heart broken. This pup was going to be my hold back pup to replace her mom when she is retired from breeding. This pup was one of the best put together pups I’d even seen. Literally. I received comment after comment on her. Even with the floppy ear. I sold her because I didn’t want to breed a GSD with a floppy ear. I tried to buy her back. I offered three times what they paid for her. It was a no go. I kick myself in the butt every time I think about her.
Point is, if the ear is going to stand, it will. If it was once up and fell, it will stand back up. Where your dogs ear was injured, you may or may not have success taping. But tapping an ear does nothing to build muscle. In fact, my opinion would be that it does more harm than good. When an ear is taped, blood flow is greatly reduced due to lack of movement. Plus you can exacerbate the condition by taping to tight and restricting flow even more. Your dog will likely injure herself trying to get that crap off her ear.
Much much more to say but not enough time. Good luck with that.


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## GSD family (4 mo ago)

I know the post is late. I’m curious how Akira’s ear turned out?


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## HandlingAkira (10 mo ago)

GSD family said:


> Taping an ear does absolutely nothing to build muscle. If the ear is taped no muscles are required to move it. Therefore no muscle exercise is taking place. No muscle building going on.
> I’m getting pretty fat lately. Are you telling me that I can tighten up my midsection simply by taping it where I want it?
> I slightly apologize for the snarky comment. I am a hobby GSD breeder. I’ve determined that it is solely genetics. However, ears can be damaged. Those little buggers get so rough with each other. My last litter had one female in it that liked to fight. I was certain that she had permanently damaged the ear. One was up at 11 weeks. The other hadn’t came up when she left for her new home at nearly 6mo. There was no signs of even trying to come up. Same as Akira, some times she would stand it up out of excitement or alertness. But instantly flop when it was all over. I sold this dog to a foundation that trains dogs for PTSD recipients, so the floppy ear wasn’t an issue. Pictures I received only a week after they took her showed that that **** ear stood up. All on its own. At first I dismissed it thinking it was just by chance. But I continued over the next several weeks receiving pics with both ears standing. So I called to find out. They told me that her ear stood up the very next day after they took her. I was heart broken. This pup was going to be my hold back pup to replace her mom when she is retired from breeding. This pup was one of the best put together pups I’d even seen. Literally. I received comment after comment on her. Even with the floppy ear. I sold her because I didn’t want to breed a GSD with a floppy ear. I tried to buy her back. I offered three times what they paid for her. It was a no go. I kick myself in the butt every time I think about her.
> Point is, if the ear is going to stand, it will. If it was once up and fell, it will stand back up. Where your dogs ear was injured, you may or may not have success taping. But tapping an ear does nothing to build muscle. In fact, my opinion would be that it does more harm than good. When an ear is taped, blood flow is greatly reduced due to lack of movement. Plus you can exacerbate the condition by taping to tight and restricting flow even more. Your dog will likely injure herself trying to get that crap off her ear.
> Much much more to say but not enough time. Good luck with that.


It ended up standing! She woke up from a nap one day and it was up for good. Her ear issues with infections and dirty ears are also gone!


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