[DobermanLuv]

Hi everyone, I hope this is the right section... I didn't want to put it in health as it's not really affecting my girl's well being, but I'm curious.

Today (I am so SO excited!) I adopted an awesome 6-8 month old, cropped/docked Dobie girl. Her ears are a short medium crop, maybe too much bell left, But I find it pleasant. The problem is, they touch over top of her head. One leans in too far, but stands. The other stands just at the base, creases, and then flips over the top of hear head, meeting her other ear above her head. It occasionally pops over to a flop, and rarely stands somewhat normally. I'd like to straighten them up. The ears have this bizarre double tassle like skin on the front base, on what I have read is called the "flap". It is far more pronounced on her lazy ear than her semi normal ear. The best way to describe it is like a turkey waddle/gobbler on her ears. I have never seen it on any dog... a vet said she was home cropped according to her previous owner but I think the margins of the ears are too clean and it's too symmetrical... maybe just a weird crop. I wish I had a camera to take a pic of the flaps... but I do have a pic showing the way her ears normally stand. Can someone advise me the best way to post these? THANKS!!! :thanx:

^ how the "bad" ear is most of the time

^ how the "good" ear is most of the time.

PS, I didn't mention her name because I haven't renamed her yet Any suggestions are appreciated! She's super loving and has a supreme temperament.

 

[PatchworkRobot]

Congrats on the new addition and bless you for adopting!

This is the method that my boy's breeder used for his ears.
http://www.dobermantalk.com/puppy-corner/47747-ear-posting-directions-photo-tutorial-my-method.html

 

[workingk9s]

Congrats! Agreed with Patch, get those ears up! There is still hope for them.

 

[o0 sHaDoWoLf 0o]

yep, agree with above posters. Still young enough to possibly stand

 

[longshot4me]

Good luck OP! Post, post, post... let us know how it goes.

Ahem. We'd all LOVE to see more pictures of this lovely lady too

and, WELCOME!

 

[DobermanLuv]

Good luck OP! Post, post, post... let us know how it goes.

Ahem. We'd all LOVE to see more pictures of this lovely lady too

and, WELCOME!

Thanks everyone, I am going to read this guide right now!! She is such a lovey dog. Not a possesive, aggressive bone in her body amazingly. The entire 2 hour ride home, she laid in my lap like a baby and kissed my face. Sadly, she has a whole row of keloid scars where someone misused a prong collar on her.. all in the rows of the prongs She needs a LOT of impulse control training, but luckily she just wants to play. That is a whole different topic though

I have hope for her hears, there's not a deep crease in the tissue and when she chews a toy, they both stand up correctly! Honestly her one "good" ear would even be okay with my if they were both that way.. I am not in need of show quality.. I just don't want one to flop over her head. Obivously the straighter I can get them, the better though!

Any idea what the strange skin tassles are on her?

PS- we waited two long years to find the right Dobie for us... seems we finally hit the jackpot

 

[DobermanLuv]

Okay, the guide makes WAY more sense than some others I've seen (straws, tampons, no pics either...) THANK YOU!!!!!!

 

[LindaH]

Just a small warning about adopted dogs. The first month or so is called the honeymoon period where she will be on her good behavior. When that period ends, you will find out who you really have. Congratulations on getting her!

 

[DobermanLuv]

Just a small warning about adopted dogs. The first month or so is called the honeymoon period where she will be on her good behavior. When that period ends, you will find out who you really have. Congratulations on getting her!

Linda, thanks for the words of wisdom. I am familiar with the honeymoon, lol, as before I moved recently I volunteered quite regularly at my local county animal shelter. Luckily, she's still quite young, and I have started her on NILIF. I am praying that the shift she will inevitably make will be tolerable, LOL.

 

[brw1982]

Congratulations on your girl! She is a cutie!!!!

I'd post her ears right away. It may take awhile but hopefully you can still get them to stand. Good luck!

 

[DobermanLuv]

Congratulations on your girl! She is a cutie!!!!

I'd post her ears right away. It may take awhile but hopefully you can still get them to stand. Good luck!

Okay guys, I got them posted up, and I was SO proud, the difference is I used athletic tape, and wrapped tampons. So I sort of spliced the two methods I have seen so I could get them up right now because it's what I have on hand. It looked great, if they stood in the position they were taped in they'd be stellar. She wouldn't stop shaking her head though and within minutes the base had popped out No treat would sway her.

My husband will be home from work soon and we'll go get backer rod. What should I do about the bottom popping out? More tape? Tighter tape? I'm terrified I'll cut the circulation off and kill her ear tissue. Sorry if these are dumb questions, I have never posted ears before!

 

[o0 sHaDoWoLf 0o]

Okay guys, I got them posted up, and I was SO proud, the difference is I used athletic tape, and wrapped tampons. So I sort of spliced the two methods I have seen so I could get them up right now because it's what I have on hand. It looked great, if they stood in the position they were taped in they'd be stellar. She wouldn't stop shaking her head though and within minutes the base had popped out No treat would sway her.

My husband will be home from work soon and we'll go get backer rod. What should I do about the bottom popping out? More tape? Tighter tape? I'm terrified I'll cut the circulation off and kill her ear tissue. Sorry if these are dumb questions, I have never posted ears before!

Definitely not tighter, my common mistake was that you have to pull get hear gently up towards the ceiling then insert post. Keep that ear taught and begin taping, you might have someone help hold her while you do this so that she stays still. This will keep the bottom posts from popping out.

 

[DobermanLuv]

Definitely not tighter, my common mistake was that you have to pull get hear gently up towards the ceiling then insert post. Keep that ear taught and begin taping, you might have someone help hold her while you do this so that she stays still. This will keep the bottom posts from popping out.

Ahh okay, thank you. I did pull the ears up as I inserted the tampon, but once they were in did not hold them taught when I taped, I just sort of shaped them around the post and loosely taped. She was so good through the whole process and sat still for me, but I'll have my husband hold her ear taught while I tape since I am all thumbs at this right now. Thank you so much!! I think there's plenty of hope left for her ears, as one is pretty decent the majority of the time, and they change positions on their own all the time... they're not hardened into one yet!

 

[melbrod]

There are a couple of different sizes of backer rod--5/8 inch is generally used for a larger dobe but if you think what you have isn't going in very deeply, you can get the smaller size--1/2 inch. Try tapering the rod tip like a pencil point to help it go in deeper. Twist and turn it as you insert it into the ear, stretch the ear up gently and stick it onto the post, hold all that together as you tape the ear--don't let go until you get a couple of strips of tape on.

I stick a piece of tape pointing downward into the ear as low and deep on the post as I can get it. Then I stick the tape onto the ear up and over the top of the head as close to the puppy's head as I can get it, all of the way around, then down and around the bell of the dog's ear and then stick it back onto the post, once again pointing downward--it sorta makes the shape of a vee with the other end of the tape.

It's all awkward at first, but you'll get the hang of it soon.

 

[CashKO]

You can also try a layer of torbots bonding cement to the inside of the ears above the nub tup to the tip. Let it become tacky for a minute or two and then stretch and place the ear on the post... the bottom will not pop out if it is set right. I had problems with the ear sliding back down the tape after a day... and i used the most reccommended tape, J & J zonas. You have to order the glue online or buy at a medical supply store... completely safe and will come off easy with the solvent when you are ready to change posts. Just watch she doesnt have a reaction to the glue, some dogs have minor allergy to the glue.

 

[DobermanLuv]

There are a couple of different sizes of backer rod--5/8 inch is generally used for a larger dobe but if you think what you have isn't going in very deeply, you can get the smaller size--1/2 inch. Try tapering the rod tip like a pencil point to help it go in deeper. Twist and turn it as you insert it into the ear, stretch the ear up gently and stick it onto the post, hold all that together as you tape the ear--don't let go until you get a couple of strips of tape on.

I stick a piece of tape pointing downward into the ear as low and deep on the post as I can get it. Then I stick the tape onto the ear up and over the top of the head as close to the puppy's head as I can get it, all of the way around, then down and around the bell of the dog's ear and then stick it back onto the post, once again pointing downward--it sorta makes the shape of a vee with the other end of the tape.

It's all awkward at first, but you'll get the hang of it soon.

Just an update- Missy (she finally has a name!) is leaving her taped ears alone, and I've definitely gotten better at it. I wasn't wrapping the base of the ear, which I am now doing. Thanks for all the information guys, I have a lot of hope this will make her "good" ear even better, and at least make her "bad" ear not be quite so crazy. I'm not expecting perfection, field goal post straight- just normal. Boy you can really tell how uneven the vet cropped her ears though now that I am stretching them out, jeez. No wonder her good ear is good, it's longer, less bell, and more shapley. her other has a pocket, is squat, too much bell... looks like two different people did them @[email protected]