[dollyrockfarm]

I have a male that is 7+ months old. His ears are doing really well. I have been leaving the posts off for a week or 10 days at a time. Well, I have noticed the lower half of the ears are starting to thicken up and get rather stiff, like I assume they are supposed to.

The top half of the ears are slower going, and at about the 10 day point they start to get kind of rubbery and the bend back and forth when he runs.

My question is, what are some other options besides using the standard posts, because with the pockets getting stiff, they don;t wrap so well. I've seen pictures of older dogs with tape on their ears, but they weren't posted. Problem is I can never really see clearly how its done.

 

[MsMoppett]

You are creating more of a problem for yourself when you leave the posts out for so long. You're unfortunately taking steps backward. Often, the posts are only left out for around 15 minutes for the ears to dry. Then, in with the new posts.

For help with the regular posting method, go to the puppy tab on the forum and "Ear Posting Tutorial" should be a sticky-marked thread at the top.

What you're seeing when dogs have tape on their ears but no posts are most likely Breathe Rite strips, which are used at the very final portion of posting when the base and majority of the ear is solid and only the tips wobble a little.

As far as other options concerning posting, there's a european way which consists of a kind of head-harness that holds the ears straight from the tips. It is usually made out of a coat hanger or something.

Look on this website, Ear Taping , and about half-way down you'll see the examples and how to make this wire rack.

 

[dollyrockfarm]

What you are saying makes no sense to me. Fully half the ear is hard, and only the top half wobbles and only after a week at least. How is that going backwards? Seems to me the ear is hardening up quite nicely. I have been leaving the posts out for days at a time for several months and they look and stand up great, so how is that going backwards? There has been steady progression forward on the ears since the beginning.
I read the puppy ear tutorials, I am not confused about the regular method of how to post an ear.

At what age does one typically stop having the posts in 24/7 then? And what is a breathe right strip? Thanks.

 

[dollyrockfarm]

wow, 77 views and no one can answer at what age you stop having posts in and whats a breathe right strip? this forum is pathetic.

 

[timmylampp]

i would say stop posting at about a year. a breathe right strip is something that you put across your nose to open your nostrils so you can breathe at night when sleeping. Freya had a weak ear and i kept it posted for 24/7 for 5 weeks. it worked for me. what i found works really good is (don't laugh) douche rods. cut the rods off at the base. make sure you get the kind that has the bulb at the end. this part sits in the ear perfectly.

 

[MeadowCat]

wow, 77 views and no one can answer at what age you stop having posts in and whats a breathe right strip? this forum is pathetic.

And people are so motivated to help when you are rude.

There was good advice given to you above. All the experienced Doberman people will tell you not to leave ears unposted for more than a few minutes, as it does set you back in terms of how long it takes your dog's ears to stand (regardless of whether they are firming up at the base or not).

Many people don't use breathe right strips at all. Sometimes, with a long show crop, just the very, very tip of the ear isn't standing. Breathe Right strips are for people who snore or get congested at night, and are occasionally used in posting.

Your breeder should be helping you with your posting questions.

 

[TxDobieLady]

first of a snippy post will not increase your response rate but rather it will make people turn away and it depends on the dog and the length of the cut at which point to stop posting it varies for everyone

 

[PatchworkRobot]

wow, 77 views and no one can answer at what age you stop having posts in and whats a breathe right strip? this forum is pathetic.

Nobody is going to help you with this attitude.

You were given great advice and there are literally hundreds of threads on this topic that all give the same answers. Why not search them up too?