Over the weekend I was contacted by a young lady named Stacy from Ohio who has a litter of yorkies. Her pups are almost 8 weeks and none of them have their ears up. This is her first litter and she had lots of questions. I don't mind sharing my knowledge at all. Am I an expert? Absolutely not, as I learn something new every day. I am very fortunate to have met a lady who has been raising yorkies for many many years. Gert has helped me tremendously and I know that I would not have gotten through some of the times I have had without her. Gert lives in Muskegon Michigan...just a few miles from Maine...lol. But she is always there for me via email or phone.
Stacy wanted to know when her babies ears would come up. There is no simple answer as all babies are different, particularly when it comes to the size of the ears. If you think about it, if the ears are on the larger end of the spectrum, it is more difficult for the pups to get them to stand. I have found that my dogs with the tiny ears stand by 3-4weeks on their own. Both Tia and Rosies ears came up nicely on their own.
Even though Emma, Toby and Maddie all have what I call a medium ear, the weight of the hair on the ears also makes a difference. I shave the tips down to 1/2 of the ear, top and bottom around week 4. If they still don't stand, I shave the full ear mostly on the top to relieve the weight of the hair on top of the ear around week 5-6. When I play and handle the pups, I massage the bases of their ears to try to strengthen them.
If they have still not come up, I tape them for a couple of days to see if this helps them stand.
I have had really good luck with this practice. Usually within a day or two they are up and standing on their own. Should an ear flop back down, then I tape it again. Always continue to massage them. I have seen a pups ears flop back down around 4 months of age. Teething can cause this. If this happens, shave them down and massage them daily. If they don't come back up you can tape them again.
If a pups ears do not come up on their own, does this mean they are not of good confirmation? Absolutely not!!! Every baby and every adolescent is different. Just show some patience and determination and they will stand and stay up.
One thing that I have learned since starting to raise yorkies is that "most" yorkie breeders enjoy sharing their knowledge and experiences. Of course there are those that wish to keep everything a secret.........but I am not one of those people. I am always here for anyone who might want to talk yorkies, ask questions or just chat. And again, I will always be here for any mom or dad that buys one of my babies........There is never a dumb question!!! Holly
2 comments:
What type of tape do you use for the best results? Is there a special type?
I use regular durapore medical tape and cut little strips. You can get it at any pharmacy or dept. store.
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