How to tape your German Shepherd's ears

This article will teach you how to tape your German Shepherd's ears so that they stand-up on their own.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• large, pink, foam hair rollers
• thin, white, surgical tape
• Skin Bond skin glue
• one unsharpened pencil

1. 

   Buy the large pink foam roller. Remove the plastic clip; we will not be using this part. Also purchase the thin, white, surgical tape, Skin Bond skin glue, and one unsharpened pencil.

2. 

   Place the pencil inside the foam roller. Deposit some of the skin glue about 3/4 of the way around the foam roller. Make sure you get a good amount on it; do NOT allow any of it to drip into the ear canal. Make sure to, also, keep your hands free of the glue as well!

3. 

   Distract the puppy with some food or by playing fetch while the glue sets. It will take about five minutes. The roller should fall out in about two weeks.

4. 

   Puppies should be at least four months old before having their ears taped. Some puppies ears do not go up until as late as six months of age! If a puppies ears are not up by seven to eight months of age, they will probably not go up.

Tips & Warnings

• You may be able to help you puppy's ears go up by massaging the base of the ears frequently.
• Make sure your puppy is up to date on all wormings and vaccinations; make sure he is eating a premium brand of puppy chow.
• When puppies teeth come in, it takes calcium away from the growing puppies ears. This may explain why the ears may be up one day and down the next.
• Never breed a German Shepherd that has soft (down) ears.

[Beckya]

on 10/4/2007 You would tape their ears if their ears weren't up by six months of age to help the stand up on their own. No, it does not hurt them to tape their ears.

[SpeedRacer]

on 6/25/2007 What is the advantage of taping a German Shepherd's ears? Does it hurt them?