Custom ears?

[Shetlander]

Originally posted by Kat's Dogs:

My favorite ears have always been OUOD - the ironic thing is, my first ever BC (or any dog with ears besides floppy) ended up with those ears! I didn't even touch them. Now THAT was lucky! She really is my dream dog in every way......

I can't make up my mind what I'd prefer for Quinn's ears. I see all three outcomes as neat. If his ears are both up, he'll look a bit more intimidating, which is fine with me. If they're both down, he'll look sweet. And if one is up and the other down (a look he sported for about a month back in the Fall), he'll be adorable. Is there a "final cut-off" age where you know the ears are what they'll always be? He's 8 months.

[juliepoudrier]

Originally posted by Kat's Dogs:

I knew someone with a Collie (just a collie not a BC!) and the pup had taped ears (for the tipped look). The pup didn't mind at all. I didn't either as you couldn't even SEE the tape! I am not bothered by people to tape/glue the dogs ears - I would just rather not do it on my own. After all, the dog is not in ANY pain.

I don't dislike taping, etc., because of inhumanity or pain issues, but rather because I think it's plain silly and completely about human vanity without any regard for the natural state of the dog. And, on top of all that it seems like buying into the whole idea that ear set or eye shape or color has some real bearing on the utility or beauty of the dog. (Kat, not picking on you, just using your quote as a jumping off point.)

 

In fact, I always wondered about purebred breeding goals and breed standards as espoused by kennel clubs and why such entities would reward people for artificially creating what they couldn't create through breeding practices. Granted, judges have no way of knowing what was done to a dog's ears when it was a pup, but if the folks *breeding* to the standard can't get the look (e.g., tipped ears) through their breeding practices, what does it say about the breeding AND about the standard (that is, why have something in a standard that isn't possible to achieve in a good breeding program--because if it won't breed true then all you're doing is encouraging folks to physically alter it after the fact)?

 

J.

[Kerrigan]

I'll comment as another person who has shown in conformation. I have never set my dogs ears. I have dogs with airplane (rose) ears, Flying Nun ears, tipped ears, sort of Australian Shepherd like ears, and prick ears and I love them all. A lot of conformation folks do tape and glue ears, but there are a good portion that don't. I think its a total waste of time, especially since the AKC standard allows any ear set. Like Tonya, I like my puppies to just be puppies, get dirty, get wet, roughhouse, explore, etc. Personally, I think dogs look best with whatever ears they were born with. Those are the ears they were meant to have so why mess with them.

[yancey fancy pants]

Yancey (14mo. blue merle BC)has the flop ears but they flop exactly alike. Their so cute I would not want to change them in anyway.