Ear Taping Tips
It is perfectly normal for the ears to droop during teething on a Yorkie. Usually you will have
until the age of six months for the ears to “set”. At this time, what you see is what you will end up with, although it is highly recommended to begin taping the ears to stand as early as 6 weeks.
Step One:
Trim the hair off of the ears as close to the skin as you can, but without cutting the puppy’s ears. Puppies can move very fast so you must be very careful with this trimming. Make sure that the ears are trimmed on the front, an upside down V on the back and edges of the ears. Small mustache trimmers will work best and fastest.
Step Two:
Make sure that the ears are cleaned completely. You may use one of many options that are available for ear cleaning from the pet store.
Step Three:
You can use any type of tape, although I highly recommend using masking tape. It is both easy to get off and yet sturdy enough to hold its shape on the ear. Firmly hold the ear upright in the position you would like the ear to stand. Take your tape and fold around the ear.
Step Four:
If both ears are down you should tape both ears and then make a bridge between the two. To do this, take each of the ears that you have taped and use your tape to make a bridge. This will ensure that the ears hold their shape even better than without the bridge.
Now your puppy’s ears have been taped! Please do not leave tape on longer than one week’s time IF your puppy will keep it on that long. If your puppy gets the tape out, just follow the directions above and re-tape the ears. When taking the tape off, please be careful not to cut your puppy if you use scissors or pull too hard as you may pull the hair out. Whether the ears are up or not at the end of the week, remove the tape and leave them alone for a day or two. Before each re-taping of the ear, please inspect and smell the ear. If there is an odor or the ear looks red or swollen, don’t re-tape until you have sought the attention of a veterinarian. This could mean that the puppy may have an ear infection. If the ears are standing at that time, please continue trimming the hair off of the ears to help keep the ears standing naturally. Good Luck!
until the age of six months for the ears to “set”. At this time, what you see is what you will end up with, although it is highly recommended to begin taping the ears to stand as early as 6 weeks.
Step One:
Trim the hair off of the ears as close to the skin as you can, but without cutting the puppy’s ears. Puppies can move very fast so you must be very careful with this trimming. Make sure that the ears are trimmed on the front, an upside down V on the back and edges of the ears. Small mustache trimmers will work best and fastest.
Step Two:
Make sure that the ears are cleaned completely. You may use one of many options that are available for ear cleaning from the pet store.
Step Three:
You can use any type of tape, although I highly recommend using masking tape. It is both easy to get off and yet sturdy enough to hold its shape on the ear. Firmly hold the ear upright in the position you would like the ear to stand. Take your tape and fold around the ear.
Step Four:
If both ears are down you should tape both ears and then make a bridge between the two. To do this, take each of the ears that you have taped and use your tape to make a bridge. This will ensure that the ears hold their shape even better than without the bridge.
Now your puppy’s ears have been taped! Please do not leave tape on longer than one week’s time IF your puppy will keep it on that long. If your puppy gets the tape out, just follow the directions above and re-tape the ears. When taking the tape off, please be careful not to cut your puppy if you use scissors or pull too hard as you may pull the hair out. Whether the ears are up or not at the end of the week, remove the tape and leave them alone for a day or two. Before each re-taping of the ear, please inspect and smell the ear. If there is an odor or the ear looks red or swollen, don’t re-tape until you have sought the attention of a veterinarian. This could mean that the puppy may have an ear infection. If the ears are standing at that time, please continue trimming the hair off of the ears to help keep the ears standing naturally. Good Luck!
