How to put ears on a dog or puppy at home

Why is it important for your ears to go up?

Not all dog lovers choose to take a dog with them simply to complete their family. For some people they are a source of income, it is necessary that the "examples" respect certain characteristics and measures in order to meet the standard of the breed being bred.

If only one of the numbers is out of line, many puppies will be put up for adoption. But is it really important for their ears to go up?

To answer this question, you need to know the importance of their movement: a dog uses its body to communicate, and not being able to use its ears will be a hindrance for it in communicating with other dogs and people.

But there are dog breeds that require them to be dropped instead: hunting dogs or truffle dogs, in order to better smell and focus on exploration, have their ears dropped by nature.

This allows them to avoid being distracted by cues from the environment (and the forest will be full of noises that can distract them) and focus on their sense of smell.

On the other hand, speech differs for a "show" dog or for those selected to maintain breed standards: even the angle of ear opening is calculated if it is turned too far to the right or left and, or less pointed.

But for many of us, who often choose the path of adoption, it is enough that our little friend is healthy, and everything else is indifferent, nature will take its course and sooner or later alert us.

Story

Laika is one of the oldest dog breeds. Initially, it was bred by residents of the North, including the Tungus. By crossing with other dogs, representatives of the breed deprived their offspring of the valuable qualities inherent in the husky. To preserve the purity of the breed, northern hunters shot all alien dogs without regret.

Intensive breeding of huskies began in the nineteenth century. Then the husky was called the northern pointy-eared dog. At this time, breed standards were clearly described, and the behavioral characteristics of these dogs during hunting were studied. In 1928, for the first time in Russia, an exhibition was organized where various varieties of huskies were presented.

During the war, huskies were used for transporting goods, as well as for blowing up objects and searching for mines, which reduced the number of representatives of this breed. In order to rectify the situation at the end of the war, dog kennels were created, in particular those that exclusively housed huskies. Intensive breeding of these dogs has provoked the need to establish new breed standards.

Today we have many types of husky breeds. They all differ from other dogs in a common set of character traits.

But when does a puppy raise its ears?

Just like us humans, every puppy has its own growing season and should never be forced. The puppy's ear cartilage has not yet reached maturity: the ear is soft and quite large compared to the head.

Only with the formation of elastin networks and bundles of collagen fibers in the cartilage tissue will the ear rise. Some people, especially breeders, are frightened by the thought that the cartilage in the ear may break rather than weld together, causing the dog to grow up with one ear up and the other down.

Therefore, they decide to keep the puppies isolated both from other animals and from people: this is wrong, because in order to have a dog in the family that will not be aggressive and unsociable, you need to teach it to communicate from an early age.

The time it takes for the ears to rise depends on various factors:

1. dog breed : in dogs whose ears are already the same size, puppies of 2 months raise them, like a Siberian Husky, in a German Shepherd, for example, a puppy can even be 6-7 months old;
2. Period of development of the dog : often in puppies the resting position of the ears, lowered, remains for the entire period of teething, even if the often lazy nature of the dog can lengthen this time;
3. Parasitic diseases due to the presence of worms in the ear canal (helminthic infections): in this case, one should be surprised by the opposite, that is, if the ears remain in an upright position even after 2 months, because this is a sign of infection;
4. Ear diseases in dogs and tumors;
5. Birth injury;
6. Stressful conditions in dogs;
7. Proper nutrition with sufficient intake of vitamins;
8. Side effects from medications or vaccinations.

© shutterstock

How do you know if your dog's ear needs to be taped?

So, the owner noticed that the puppy’s ears do not straighten out well, they fall inward towards the top of the head or stick out to the sides, and dangle when walking. Now we need to find out whether the ear can rise on its own or whether gluing is required.

Step 1. Determine if there are any creases

It is necessary to carefully examine your pet's ear. If it collapses at the very base, it definitely needs support. Such an ear will definitely not rise without the help of the owner. It must be completely straightened and glued directly at the base in such a way as to completely prevent it from collapsing. The ear should be vertical.

A standard knob looks like a horizontal section with a very thin layer of cartilage. The ear cannot hold up normally and breaks in this thin place, falling forward. This situation can be prevented by feeding the animal calcium from an early age. But if a crease has already formed or is just emerging, it is necessary to glue the ear.

Dog with a crease in the ear

Step 2. Looking for scars and weak spots

If there are no creases, but the ear still falls down, it is necessary to examine it for scars and weak spots. Such areas inhibit development and prevent the healthy ear from rising. The inspection algorithm will be as follows:

1. Squeeze the ear at the base with your thumb and forefinger. Start feeling it from bottom to top with your fingertips.
2. Find the weak point that prevents lifting. It could be a small speck or a strip of thin fabric. To make sure this is the right place, pinch the spot between your fingers. The ear will rise and straighten as you hold it in this problem area.
3. The spot located in the upper part of the cartilage does not require gluing. It is enough to start giving your pet vitamins to restore cartilage tissue. The ear will straighten and become stronger without outside help.
4. If the weak area of ​​​​the tissue is located in the middle of the ear or at its base, gluing is necessary.

If the owner has not found any weak points, but the ear is soft in itself and collapses completely, gluing will not solve the problem. It is necessary to first carry out a course of restorative treatment with vitamins and calcined products. When the cartilage becomes strong and complete, you can start gluing it if it does not rise on its own by that time.

Puppy with house ears

Possible solutions

While our little puppy is completely healthy, we can only wait until he grows up and his ears rise up. However, after about 8 months, if the ears just aren't showing signs of wanting to stand up, you need to take him to an excellent veterinarian: there may be a troubling cause at the base.

However, the vet always tells us what to do:

1. Make sure that your puppy’s diet is not lacking in vitamins and calcium: it is useful both for teething and for the maturation of cartilage;
2. do not exceed the desire to protect him from any ear injury: this will affect his psychological state;
3. maintain a calm environment free from anxiety and stress;
4. carry out periodic checks with a veterinarian;
5. bandage the ears, fixing them in an upright position or wrapping them up;
6. use adhesive tape to keep the ear straight;
7. select operation.

"Anatomy" of the ear

All sheep dogs are born blind and deaf - imperfect.

Their small ears are also imperfect - they are soft due to the imperfect cartilage that makes up the auricle. The soft, weak cartilage grows, strengthens and increases in size along with the puppy, turning into an elastic cartilage plate that lacks blood vessels.

The cartilage plate is covered on both sides with a layer of thin connective tissue that provides growth and nutrition to the main cartilage - the perichondrium. The perichondrium, on the contrary, is literally dotted with mini-hematopoietic capillaries and blood vessels, through which the cartilage receives the necessary substances for its growth and compaction using the method of ordinary diffusion (penetration upon contact).

A puppy cannot be confidently classified as a purebred puppy until its ears stand up.

Using the same method, the shepherd's ear cartilage is built up - the perichondrium has semi-stem cells, which, like bricks, are built into the cartilage tissue.

The puppy's ears do not stand up until the perichondrium completes the main cartilage to the required density!

Cartilage cells, in turn, produce collagen and elastin, on which the strength of the shepherd's auricle depends - the density of the cartilage increases due to the addition of new layers on both sides of the perichondrium.

Small German Shepherd puppies have ears that appear too large for their heads. This is due to the active work of all parts of the auricle (cartilage and perichondrium). From 2 to 4 months, active collagen production occurs, the ear actively increases in size, becoming, as it were, “growing.” The scheme of superstructure, increasing the growth and strength of the cartilage works throughout the first period of the puppy’s growth, when its size increases significantly, but the ears still remain drooping.

Puppy ears look disproportionately large

Up to 4 months, cartilage tissues behave especially actively, but by 5 months the growth of elastic layers and the integration of stem cells decreases, and, having reached a certain density, the growth of the ear slows down, so that in a short time it almost disappears.

The metabolism in the auricle becomes so low that visually the ear seems to no longer grow, however, limited living processes in it continue throughout life, otherwise it would be impossible to restore the tissues of the shepherd's ear if damaged.

What is necessary for the proper formation of the cartilage plate and the development of the perichondrium?

First of all, it is necessary to provide the cells of cartilage tissue with nutrition so that they can “build”. To do this, you need to feed the puppy a balanced diet with sufficient amounts of calcium and phosphorus.

Attention! Mineral supplements with a high content of these substances are categorically not recommended for independent use if you want to quickly give your shepherd ears!

Excess calcium and phosphorus can negatively affect the formation of ear cartilage and the development of the musculoskeletal system of the German Shepherd.

We must not forget about the composition of the blood - it is the main nutrition for the growth and strengthening of the cartilage plate, through diffuse contact with it through the perichondrium.

Not only nutrition, but also the obligatory physical activity of a German Shepherd puppy, both at home and on walks, will help improve the blood supply to the perichondrium.

Under such conditions of detention, the shepherd’s ears stand up on time and no additional actions are required on the part of the owner.

How to put ears on a puppy

A beautiful dog with even and straight ears is a real pride of the owner. Often, erect ears are considered the main sign of the breed of a tailed pet. However, they cannot always stand up on their own when they reach a certain age; they may remain hanging.

If the type of ears and their condition are not important to the owner, then he often does not pay attention to this defect, but what should those whose dogs take part in competitions and exhibitions do? In this case, you can try to install the ears yourself, but it’s still worth considering important features first.

When should you get up?

Newborns and suckling puppies have pendulous hearing organs. At one and a half months there are signs of rising shells. Straightening occurs unevenly. First one rises, then the other, the process can be interrupted or reversed. When replacing baby teeth with permanent ones, the protruding ear may fall off.

It is considered a positive sign if the ears of shepherd dogs at four months of age become elastic, even when the setting process has not yet been completed. By five months, the adolescent's shells take on the appearance of an adult dog. If this does not happen within six months, you need to contact a veterinarian. Cases of ears standing up spontaneously at 8 months without any action have been described.

Small fold-eared shepherd dogs.

Why do you need to put on dog ears?

Straightened and even ears are the main indicator that the dog belongs to an elite breed. Dogs with long ears that stick out upward look proud, courageous, and impressive. This is one of the main reasons why dogs' hearing organs need to be erect.

But still, many owners often do not pay much attention to the appearance of their pets’ ears, much less their position. They perceive the puppy as he is. Some breed standards require a straight and hanging position.

If a dog does not have ears, then this may be a physiological feature of the breed. In this case, the owner can correct them. The main thing is to study the features of this process. In any case, the choice should remain with the person; the dog does not care what kind of ears it has, this does not in any way affect its devotion and love.

Setting up ears for an adult dog

When a dog turns one year old, the cartilaginous tissue in the auricle finishes forming. If by this age your pet’s ears have not stood up, nothing can be fixed. Neither massages, nor feeding with calcined cottage cheese, nor vitamins will help. Gluing can slightly correct the shape of the ear, but the creases cannot be corrected.

The only way out in this situation is plastic surgery. If the owner wants to make the pet's ears erect at all costs, he will have to put the dog on the surgeon's table. Nuances of the upcoming operation:

1. The desired effect is achieved by trimming the animal's skin in the forehead area.
2. Sometimes, after the first operation, the ears do not stand up as they should, so you will have to perform a second, and, if necessary, a third.
3. The effect of erect ears can also be achieved by sewing a whalebone or implant into the auricle.

At the stage of preparation for the operation, the owner needs to analyze all the pros and cons. Even purebred individuals whose ears were installed through surgery cannot participate in breeding, and the consequences of surgical intervention can be completely unexpected.

An adult Doberman whose head is decorated with a homemade design

Dog breeds with erect ears

Dogs with erect ears are beautiful, stately and graceful; incredible energy emanates from them. Their appearance confirms their aristocratic origin, they are truly created for participation in competitions and exhibitions.

Dog breeds with erect ears include:

• Doberman;
• Likes;
• Shepherds: Belgian and German;
• Husky;
• Terriers. The ears are usually erect on the Scottish, Yorkshire, and Toy terriers;
• Australian Cattle Dogs;
• Spitz;
• Boxer;
• Miniature Pinscher.

But it’s still worth remembering that husky puppies can have floppy ears at an early age; this is often observed in German shepherd puppies. This is a normal phenomenon; gradually, during the process of growth, the cartilage will strengthen, and the ears will fully form and rise.

Nowadays absolutely any breed may require ear glueing. However, most often owners of such breeds as Shepherd, Doberman and Boxer resort to help.

Important! Before exposing your ears, you should consult with a specialist who already has experience in this field. It is he who will help you choose the correct shape of the ears that will suit the animal, and will also be able to show how the first gluing is carried out.

Why does a shepherd dog have such ears?

The deep and voluminous auricle of the German Shepherd is a moving locator that sensitively picks up sound at a frequency of more than 30,000 Hz and at a distance much greater than a person can hear.

Since the range of frequencies a dog can hear is much higher than that of a person, the German Shepherd determines the source of the sound and its direction and distance instantly and accurately thanks to such an auricle at a distance of 25-50 m (depending on the pitch of the sound). And a shepherd dog can detect the sound of thunder or the sound of a running chainsaw at a distance of 9-12 km!

For comparison. The lowest sound for a person is 16 Hz, the highest is 20 thousand Hz. The upper limit of frequency fluctuations perceived by a shepherd dog as sound will be 80-100 thousand Hz.

Delicate hearing is especially important for the German Shepherd, as for a dog with high service qualities and no less high requirements for its work.

Sensitive ears allow you not only to rely on the shepherd as an excellent watchman, but also to guide it from a great distance, giving commands at frequencies that are not perceived by the human ear or in a low voice.

What to do if your dog doesn't have ears?

To raise the ears of puppies, it is not at all necessary to resort to radical measures; you can try to help the animal at home. Sometimes the laxity of the shells can be temporary; it is enough to take a few simple and important measures that can strengthen the cartilage tissue:

• Review your pet's menu. The animal's diet should contain a lot of calcium; this component is required to strengthen cartilage tissue. You should definitely include natural cottage cheese and goat’s milk in your diet. Gelatin is of great benefit to cartilage, so your pet should be regularly fed jellied pork ears;
• Buy the necessary vitamins. The most suitable vitamin complexes for dogs are Volmar, Kanvit, Kalfefit, Silver Trail, Canina, Beafarm and others. But you should still consult a veterinarian first. If vitamins are selected correctly, they can prevent the development of nutritional deficiencies, and they will also increase the strength of the animal’s bone and cartilage tissues;
• Do not forget about increasing blood supply. Ears can be lifted with a simple massage. To do this, you need to clasp the base of the shell with two fingers, then you need to massage your ears with your fingers, you need to move from the base to the tip. The movements should be slow and smooth, but they should also pull the ear upward.

Basic principles for choosing a husky puppy

In ancient times, the selection of puppies from a litter was quite cruel. They were thrown into ice water and observed for one minute. The most persistent ones were selected based on the endurance factor, while the rest could prove themselves based on other characteristics of the breed. It was important that the cub did not whine when he was held suspended by the scruff of the neck for a long time. Particular preference was given to those who entered into the fight for mother's milk, pushing aside others, and showed zealous resistance when braking or trying to turn it over. Such strict and sometimes cruel tests determined the qualities that would allow one to become an excellent hunter of any animal in the future.

The best age to buy a baby is 2-3 months. When choosing a new friend, it is better to spend several days observing the litter. This will help to draw conclusions about the activity, habits and character of each of them. Preference is given to well-fed and frisky ones. Body proportions play an important role; it is desirable that the puppy’s height at the withers corresponds to the length of the body. If the puppy is lethargic, has thin paws and often whines, then this indicates possible diseases or developmental pathologies.

Bonding - pros and cons

The “gluing” method helps to radically make your puppy’s ears droop. It has proven itself in practice and is widely used for installing cropped and undocked ears on various breeds of dogs.

Some pets behave excitedly after gluing. They try to rip off the bandage and the structure with their paws, and rub their heads against the furniture. This way they can damage the ear cartilage and make the situation worse. In this case, you should loosen the tie and wrap or put on a special protective “collar” for the puppy.

Sometimes, after removing the adhesive plaster, an allergic reaction, pimples or scratches are clearly visible on the ears. Suitable for their treatment:

• baby powder;
• hydrogen peroxide;
• pharmacy blue.

After the ears have rested, the wounds have healed, and the crusts have dried, you will need to repeat the gluing procedure.

The “gluing” method is completely safe for the physiology of the animal and has no contraindications. This procedure should be carried out carefully, observing all preparatory and main steps.

Nutrition

High-quality food greatly affects the condition of the ear cartilage, so puppies should receive enough nutrients with vitamins and minerals. The diet should include calcined cottage cheese, which you can make at home yourself. To do this, just bring 400 g of fresh milk to a boil and pour in 1 tbsp. l. calcium chloride, then discard the resulting clots in a colander. Cottage cheese rich in calcium is ready. Feed your baby this healthy product, and soon you will forget about any problems with your pet’s ears!

If you find it difficult to cook, purchase a preparation with easily digestible calcium at the pet store. The veterinarian will tell you which one when examining the puppy.

Why don't my ears stand up?

It should be noted that this process begins at different age periods in different dog breeds. For example, in young huskies and huskies this occurs between one and a half months and two months, in Yorkshire terriers - after three, in a German shepherd - at three to four months, but it can be at two or five. That is, there are average periods for each breed. But deviations from them in one direction or the other are possible for a month or a month and a half. This is completely normal and should not cause concern to the pet owner. Many factors influence the shift in ear rise towards lateness. Here they are:

1. Pet's uncleanliness. This often happens when, trying to buy a purebred dog cheaper, you purchase it without documents on the market. The dog’s impure blood will manifest itself over time not only as problems with the ears.
2. Weakened immunity after illness.
3. Period of teeth change. Most often, at this time, the ears of German shepherds, which previously stood well, “fall over”.
4. The puppy is too large. Dogs have different offspring in a litter. And sometimes the biggest dog with fleshy ears has a similar problem.
5. Fear, stress. If you bought a purebred puppy from a breeder and brought it home, then the period of its adaptation to the new place of residence may be manifested by falling ears. The stress that a dog experiences in a new environment, among unfamiliar smells, makes him, without maternal warmth, feel constrained, constrained, and wary, which leads to a similar problem.
6. Lack of calcium and minerals. The strength of cartilage tissue, like our nails and hair, depends on the presence of “cementing” substances in them. However, many dog ​​breeders do not agree with this and argue that erect ears are a genetic problem. In one litter there will always be stronger and weaker offspring. The latter will be characterized by a similar problem of ear cartilage, as well as other diseases.