# Taping ears question



## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

Today I got my dog's ears taped at the Vet. When I told the breeder this, she was worried and said Vets are terrible at taping ears. I sent her some pictures but haven't got a reply yet. 

I thought I would look for some answers from the community here as well. 

She says taping them the wrong way can be a bad thing but I don't see how they can be wrong. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

Sorry for posting this in the wrong part of the board.

Any answers anyone? Is this correct? I am worried that if is not, I might be doing some kind of damage or am I okay?


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

im not expert, but this looks exactly like how my puppies ears are taped right now. Are there any foam rollers on the inside of those ears or is it just tape? It's a little hard to tell from the pics. oh and how old is the pup?


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## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

Right now he is four months and three weeks. 

The Vet used medical gauze for the inside. I will probably take the tape off myself Tuesday or so just to see how things look and put it back on if need be. I'm just a little worried about it being too tight and doing something to the ears if that is even possible.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Why would the vet tape the ears on a puppy that young? If this is the same puppy you posted pictures of in your introduction, his ears looked like they were already UP.


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## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSDWhy would the vet tape the ears on a puppy that young? If this is the same puppy you posted pictures of in your introduction, his ears looked like they were already UP.


This is what my breeder recommended. She has been in the GSD business for over 30 years so I figured she knows what she is talking about. 

You're right, they were up but only for a couple days. Since then for three or so weeks they rarely were up. I told the breeder this and she told me to get them taped.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

the ears do the ear dance. one up, one down, flopped over the top, turned out, bent in half, both up, both down. when this phase is going on my pressure is doing the pressure dance. you want the those Wombat ears up.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Your puppies ears were probably doing weird things because he is teething. Generally if they have been up once, they will come up again on their own once they are done teething. I too have had GSDs for 30 years and have never found it necessary to tape the ears on a pup that young, especially one that has had it's ears up already. 

This breeder must have a lot of soft ears. No breeders that I know would recommend taping that young, they would tell you to give the pup another month or 2.

Did the breeder ever respond to your email?


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## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSDYour puppies ears were probably doing weird things because he is teething. Generally if they have been up once, they will come up again on their own once they are done teething. I too have had GSDs for 30 years and have never found it necessary to tape the ears on a pup that young, especially one that has had it's ears up already.
> 
> This breeder must have a lot of soft ears. No breeders that I know would recommend taping that young, they would tell you to give the pup another month or 2.
> 
> Did the breeder ever respond to your email?


Not yet unfortunately. 

I am now debating if I should just take them off?


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

It's up to you. When was your pup born?


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## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

04/06 - I got them taped 08/22.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Personally, I would wait until the end of Sept or beginning or Oct before I started getting concerned about his ears. (In other words close to 6 months.) Since his have been up already.

Puppy ears can do WEIRD things.

For instance, this was my puppy at 8 weeks. (Taken 5-16)










This was taken 2 days LATER on 5-18.










After another 3 days we had this. (Taken 5-21)










And 5 days later we had this. Taken 5-26.










*As you can see she went thru all of these "ear stages" in only 10 days.

A lot of pups get "weird" or floppy ears when they are teething. (Though no matter WHAT some folks say, not ALL of them do.) If they aren't up or mostly up by the time the pup is DONE teething,{which is usually around 6 months.} THEN it is time to take action. Usually when you start worrying before that you are getting worried for nothing. If their ears look like the second picture the whole time from 8 weeks on, and have never even attempted to stand, then I would be concerned. But "generally" if they have been up once, they will be up again on their own. *


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## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

Thank you for the information BlackGSD.

I have an update on the situation and that is I have removed the tape this evening instead of waiting the two weeks as told and this is the outcome:










Looks like they will be standing from here on out and I'm happy I took them off. Based on the community here and the research I did, it was too early to put them on in the first place, especially since they were already up in one point.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

that's a nice looking dog. i love the dark face.


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## XLR3 (Aug 23, 2008)

Thanks doggiedad.

Also, his ears came back down this week. Today one of his baby teeth came out so he is still teething. I assume at this point I should just let it be and wait.


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