Is it better to glue or tape w/brace collie pup's ears down? He is 10 weeks old, not sure which method? Help!!

Question

I need help tipping 10 week old Collie pup's ears. Glue is easy, then
there is the tape/brace method. Which yields best results? The purpose of bracing is to help the 'ear set', but I'm not sure if this
is necessary. Can anyone help?

Answer 1

I assume you're asking how to get your puppy's ear to "tulip", which is the proper ear position for a Collie (and doesn't bring them all the way down, as one of the answers implied).

Seems to me that your best bet would be to ask the dog's breeder. A breeder who knows the breed well will be able to tell you what works best. If your dog is a pet, I'm not sure that it's necessary. I'm assuming that this is supposed to happen naturally, but I know that some Collie/Sheltie people use glue or putty of some kind to "train" stubborn ears.

Here is more information on the subject:

http://www.geocities.com/gtbcc/ears.htm

Not sure how this counts as "cruelty" (as most of the prior answerers seem to believe), as you're adhering hair to hair, not skin to hair, and the "tulip ear" has a functional purpose: as the site above says, it helps protect the ear while the dog is out in the cold and wind with the flock.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Oh for crying out loud, putting tape on a dogs ears is CRUEL???

Your Collies ears should be 3/4 erect and 1/4 tipped. You can tape them, especially if they have a wide set (read the standard to help you determine if yours are to wide). Tape the tips of the ears down and then tape the two together with another strip. You could also gum them, which is usually what I used to do. Putting chewed gum (1/2 - 1 stick depending on the ears) under the tips will help weigh them down enough to where they should tip. put a little flour on the gum after so it won't be sticky. Be prepared to replace regularily as it will fall off, but its easily replaced. I think they do make glues that are also used for this now, check online, it has been many years since I showed Shelties.

Answer 3

My wife and I rescued what I call a Border Lab (I like that name better than Borador). An old man was abusing him so we took him. It took a long time to get him over the abuse, but he is the best and smartest dog I have ever had. He is also the biggest coward ever. This isn't too surprising, considering that when we brought him home 11 years ago he was actually afraid of butterflies or leaves that blew across the lawn. We think this is due to how he was treated. He is still not comfortable around other dogs. If anyone swears, it scares him. If you pick up a cane, he flinches (the old man beat him with one). As a companion he is without peer. As a problem solver, he makes Sherlock look like Inspector Lestrade. I have had some very smart dogs such as a poodle lab mix and some dumb ones (one of my golden retrievers wasn't quite as smart as a petri dish); but this one is far and away the smartest. His understanding of English and Chinese (my wife is from Shanghai) is scary. He is the most loving dog I have ever had. At 12 years old he is still a fast runner and a terrific swimmer. the thought of losing him some day is very hard to contemplate. After this one, it will be hard to ever fall in love with another dog so deeply again.

Answer 4

Unless you have docked the ears, there should be no reason for you to glue or tape the ears. the puppy is only 10 weeks old and it will take time for the ears to stand on their own

Answer 5

it isnt necessary to do anything like that. plus when dogs ears are down, it causes ear problems later like too much wax build up and infections. just leave your dogs ears alone, let genetics and growth do the talking of time. ta ta for now

Answer 6

Hell, if you're going to hurt a puppy, why not just use a staple gun?

Answer 7

LeftyGirl is correct, just give them time.

Answer 8

wtf are you doing???

jesus.... why do you want to do that to a dog's ears, you cruel bastard?

you should be turned into dog food