# How long until his ears stand up on their own?



## CaffeineChick05 (Apr 29, 2006)

Otis is seven weeks old, and both of his ears are still flopping down, and he cannot hold them up on his own. Does anyone know the average age a chi is before its ears should be standing up? Also, I read on another post that you can tape their ears up until they're strong enough to stand on their own. Does anyone think this would be nessesary, or beneficial to help my pups ears stand up?


----------



## ~Jessie~ (Oct 30, 2005)

Rylie's ears stood up from the time she was about 2 weeks old. Madison's ears went from floppy to up, to floppy again. They stayed up when he was about 6 months old.

I wouldn't recommend taping his ears. I couldn't see that being too comfortable. I bet that they will come up sometime soon.

I love chis with floppy ears


----------



## JoJos_Mom (Dec 24, 2005)

At 6.5 months, my JoJo's ears remain floppy. On some days they'll be *extra perky*, and others, they'll flop more than ever! And sometimes, one ear will stand completely upright while the other is floppy-- AND it's not always the same ear!! In other words, not only is JoJo the president of the Floppy Ear Club-- he's also a client!! LOL!


----------



## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Taping ears doesn't hurt them, it might be a little annoying to them for a while, but no worse than getting use to having a collar on.

How to Tape Floppy Ears

This is a breeder's trick to train Chi and Yorkie ears to stay up. (This is for puppy ears only. Adult ears that flop will not benefit from this.)

Tear off a strip of masking tape about 6" long. Fold the edge of the tape over on itself at an angle. Continue folding the tape over on itself so that you create a triangle of tape. 

Tear another piece of tape about 3-4" long, depending on the size of your dog's ear. You can also use vet wrap for this.

Place the triangle on the inside of the dog's ear with the one point of the triangle pointing up, matching the point of the ear. Make sure it doesn't go into the ear canal. Place it low enough, however, so the top of the ear will not be top heavy. Take the other tape strip and wrap it around the ear, attaching the first end of the strip to the tape triangle. Once again, wrap low enough that the ear is not top heavy. The tape should almost be sitting on the top of the head.

Leave the tape in place for one week. Then unwrap the ear (mineral oil or vaseline will help the tape come loose easier). Check the ear. If it's standing up, the tape has done it's job. If not, tape the ear once again using all new tape and wait another week. Usually ears will be standing by this time, although a few stubborn ears can take 3 weeks.

The dog may bat at the ear for a day, but will soon not notice the tape at all. If the tape seems to be bothersome after a day or more, check to make sure that you haven't taped too far down that tape is in the ear canal.

Borrowed from this web site http://groups.msn.com/chinutchihuahuas/tipsandhints.msnw


----------



## CaffeineChick05 (Apr 29, 2006)

Thanks! Thats a great tip, and I think I might try it.


----------



## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

I don't like ear taping myself ... I wouldn't put Yoshi through such discomfort merely to have her ears stand up ... it's like, 'sorry Yoshi, your ears aren't good enough, so you have to put up with this until they are'.

Sorry, that's just my opinion ... I'd never do that to Yoshi, I would love her even with cutey floppy ears =/


----------



## ~Jessie~ (Oct 30, 2005)

Plus, he is still very young, so there is a huge chance of his ears going up. I wouldn't personally tape a dog's ears- I don't think it is harmful, but just unnecessary.


----------



## Lory07 (Apr 12, 2006)

I was told that they stand up after they are done teething....Lola's stand up on there own and she is 4mos....


----------



## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Some chis ears go up and stay up.
Some go up and come down with teething then go back up after teething.
Some go up and come down with teething and never go back up.
Some go up and down all their lives.
Some never go up at all.

Some people don't like taping, some don't mind. It doesn't mean she loves her dog any less because she wants to try it. And it certainly doesn't mean she's being cruel to her chi if she does try it.

Why not just wish her good luck?


----------



## LuvMyChi (Aug 8, 2005)

Hershey's ears went from floppy to VERY straight, then they flopped again and remain that way now. He looks adorable and I don't mind, but that is just how it goes with some chihuahuas. I didn't tape his ears because it looked uncomfy and it was not important to me. Now Jackson, his ears have always stood perfectly and NEVER flop.


----------



## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

Ms_P said:


> Why not just wish her good luck?


*shrugs* because I don't agree with it.


----------



## Jessie (Dec 4, 2005)

I think Jet was 3.5 months to 4 before both of his stood up straight. He had one up and one floppy forever... it was way too cute!


----------



## peenutts mom (Mar 9, 2006)

Peenutts ears took forever to stand up.....our vet said they will start standing up when she starts teething.... well the left ear was higher then the right ear, the the left ear was totally up, and the right still had a flop to it...she looked cute but dopey...but by time she was 6-7 months both ears were up...

Therese


----------



## CaffeineChick05 (Apr 29, 2006)

The weird thing is, Otis has almost all of his teeth already in....which I find very strange because as I said before, he's only seven weeks old.... so the whole thing about his ears starting to stand up when hes teething...well, he's almost finished teething already. Anyone else find it strange that its happened so early?


----------



## ~Jessie~ (Oct 30, 2005)

They get their first set of puppy teeth when they are, I think, 5 weeks old. He will start teething again when he is a little older. My chis started loosing their baby teeth and get adult ones when they were between 5-6 months old.


----------



## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

Yes Yoshi is 6 months now and hasn't yet lost all of her baby teeth. She only started to lose them not quite a month ago. So your puppy will go through another teething.


----------



## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

My baby is 9 months old now and her ears still flop from time to time. This is only when she's been sleeping under blankets and stuff and so her ears get pressed down. Other than that, they're usually nice and perky.


----------



## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

ok on the taping thing i personally dont like it and hers something i suggest ANYONE do before taping ears, take the same tape your gonna tape your dogs ears up with then tape your own ears. if you wnt to be truly well educated in what taping the ears would feel like try taping your ears into an unnatural position (whihc is what taping them to stand up would be as the ears would natually kind of flop in the tape causing that annoying crinkle...)
if after taping your own ears you truly feel you were comfortable, by all means assume your dog will apreciate the fact you stuck tape to his ears to make them stand up.

now that being said (dont worry i say the above to those who crop and tlel me its painless and not uncomfrotable too!)
at 7 weeks old hes still getting his last baby teeth in, this is a very common time for puppy ears to still be floppy, his body has also been using the nutrients needed to make his ears stand up in more important places of the body (ears are made of cartilage whihc needs glucosamine to stand up the body has been a little busy building a nice layer of good catilage in the knees hips ect that sometimes the ears are the last to recive that extra boost.
vixies ears didnt stand up the first time untill she was 10 weeks the breeder tells me. Dodgers were up at 4 weeks.
now at about 8 weeks (once his body has goten truly used to his new diet you can add a little glucosamine (yeah the same thing you give arthritic dogs and even people!) to his food, its usually powder, pill or liquid form, the liquid is the easiest to give directly or on food, but if you moisten the food slightly first then add a ground up pill or the powder itll stick to the kibble, or just mix it with wet food.
the glucosamine supliment will give his little body the extra boost of glucosamine that it can put to good use in the ear cartiledge.
then around 4-6 months puppy is gonna teeth again this time getting his adult teeth through, MANY chis ears that have stood from day one go floppy at this point...again the body is focusing on somehting much more important than standy up ears...supporting growing joints and making nice new strong adult teeth. after teething (usually around 6-8 months) the ears usually stand again.
again if they remain floppy a little more glucosamine in the diet will realy help!

also try not to flatten the ears (pressing them down when your petting) or folding them as this breaks down the cartildge, just let them be and they should stand happily soon!


----------



## CaffeineChick05 (Apr 29, 2006)

Thanks Foxy, that info was really helpful


----------



## Sam85 (Jan 5, 2006)

mylos right ear was floppy from a puppy but at about 3.5 months it was up fine i didnt have 2 do anything to it one day it was just up and has stayed up ever since and as 4 teething he is 6months and is still waiting for some of his big teeth to come thru .....


----------

