# Taping ears



## xXKatXx (Dec 28, 2004)

When did you all start to tape your chi's ears?  and what kind of tape?


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## BeamerFritzyKosmo (Mar 17, 2004)

Most ears will naturally stand up with time and after teething. We taped Kosmo's ear because they were overally large and needed some help. We used low-tack blue painters tape for a few days at a time and repeated this for a week or two. His ears are now up on their own.


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

BeamerFritzyKosmo said:


> We used low-tack blue painters tape for a few days at a time and repeated this for a week or two.


Not sure why but this just cracked me up! You don't happen to have any pics of that, do you? :lol: :lol:


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## jlcase (Feb 8, 2005)

There's a pic around here somewhere of that I remember seeing it he was cute (as always). Charlie's ears didn't stand up completely until about 5mos. now they're up all the time. I'd say give your pup some time then if they don't stand up you could try the taping.


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## xx-nathalie-xx (Jan 10, 2005)

i'm waiting too......

i'm giving a bit of calcium every day..... and when i see at 6 months they still need some help, i 'm planning to tape cosmo's ears

kisses nat


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## princess'momma (Feb 2, 2005)

I've tried both calcium and tape with Princess and her ears are up some days and some days they flop back down. I assume that they will just stay up on of these days.

I used several different types of tapes, but I found the best was medical tape like you use to tape bandages. My husband was in a motorcyle accident (not too serious) and was using the tape to bandages and it seemed Princess didnt even notice it was there...

Good luck!


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## Frasier's Mommy (Jan 30, 2005)

Okay, I'm finally gonna ask.

Obviously it's important to people that their chi's ears stand up. There are currently 3 threads running on this topic. But I don't get it. Why does it matter? Unless of course maybe you're showing - then I can see it.

If you just like ears-up type dogs. That's cool too. I'm not criticizing. I just don't understand.

Frasier has one ear up and one that just flops over at the top and I love it. I think it's cute and don't want it to stand all the way. Am I just weird or something?  

Is there maybe some medical reason like easier to clean?


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## Richie (Nov 7, 2004)

Richie is 10 months old and his ears are still not standing all the time. I assume that they never will. I am giving him some calcium, but I will definitely not tape them- he would hate it, i know! To Frasier's Mommy: I agree, they are adorable either way and I am in no way obsessed with standing ears, I love Richie how he is. i just find that he looks soooo cute when they are up! He looks kind of sad when they are hanging down

Richie's mom


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## xx-nathalie-xx (Jan 10, 2005)

exactly!! i hope cosmo's ears will stand up, but if they don't it's no problem for me.......i just think he is cute with his ears straight.


+ and i think this is important , paris's ears are always clean and cosmo's ears are now always filthy.....i think he has an infection too (tomorrow i'm going to the vet. ) the filth is captured in the ear.

i like floppy ears too, it gives caracter to a dog  , but as normally chi's ears stand up......i'm expecting and hoping for them to be straight.....
but again :wink: if they don't no problem......


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## foxywench (Feb 7, 2005)

sometimes a chis ears never stand (but this is rarer than them actually standing) but rember sometimes a chis ears will still flop untill past thier first brithday. so long as your sure to make sure there clean its no danger to the chi...I too dont understand why almost everyone is so intent on taping, sad part is my ganrparents bred and i never even heard of taping a chis ears till i moved ot the usa...teething will also have something to do with the ears being floppy too...personally if your not showing why bother taping your chis ears?! i personaly dont think id like wandering round with stiff tape holding my ears into shape...it doesnt seem comfortable but to each his own i supose... it just confuses me.
mabe im nuts...or dense...it just seems strange practice.


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## ilovesadie (Jun 1, 2004)

The taping issue can be debated over and over...

Personally, if someone wants to tape their chi's ears and the chi isn't uncomfortable, I don't see any harm. We all take pride in the way our chi's look, and for some people this means making sure the ears stand up, for others, it means daily grooming, or making sure they wear cute clothes, or have great accessories! 

There really isn't a "point" to any of these things we owners do, but we do them for the enjoyment of the relationship we have with our chi, the joy they bring us, and the pride we have in how much we care about them. We're not subjecting them to pain or doing cosmetic surgery, it's an addition to their flair and shaping their external personality!

I personally would much rather see owner's taping dog ears than cropping them or docking their tails. 

I still want to see a pic of a a chi with blue painters tape on their ears...that would give me a sideache!

-Nate

P.S. Sadie and Ritz's ears were never taped, floppy to straight and back by the hour!


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## momtonina (Feb 6, 2005)

I have no interest in taping Nina's ears. I personally think she is cuter with her little floppy ears. I saw one of her *sisters* who had gotten her ears taped, and like her better natural. If they start to stand up on their own, that's fine too, but I won't tape.


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## Gadget's Mom (Jan 14, 2005)

Gadget has floppy ears sometimes and straight ears sometimes... 

sometimes he has one floppy and one straight... 

we call his floppy hers broken.. it is so cute... I will look at him and he will have one broken ear and I will say Gadget your ear is broken can you fix it.. the ear will go straight... it is funny I think it is a mood thing too.... 

He's poppa next door has a floppy ear too sometimes.. he is cute... 

When Gadget hears soemthing and wants to really listen his ears go straight up.... 

I will never tape his ears.. heis going to be totally natural if they start standing and never flop again I wouldn't care.. and if they always flop I wouldn't care... 

He is loved no matter what his ears does... 

Just like I wanted him because he was black/tan like his dad when he was born but he's not now... I don't love him any less now.. I think I love him more...


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## ilovesadie (Jun 1, 2004)

I wonder if ear movements in dogs are voluntary or involuntary, or "semi-voluntary". Like tail movements, they can represent states of emotion or awareness (up and alert, forward to listen, back and down to submit), but I wonder if "floppy ears" has a particular meaning. Anyone know?


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## Richie (Nov 7, 2004)

Yeah, that is what I've been wondering too! Richie's ears stand up when he is alert or playing or listening to something. When he is sleepy they really fall down the whole way, it's funny. Maybe muscles relax or something...

Richie's mom


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## xx-nathalie-xx (Jan 10, 2005)

if cosmo hears a noise he doesn't recognizes his ears stand straight......but then go floppy again.
sometimes it takes me 15 min to see how his ears are standing because when he is in a loving mood , he pulls his ears flat to his head  i think he 's so cute then he reminds me of a seal...... :wink: 

kisses nat


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## oliversmom (Apr 12, 2005)

I was just glad to hear so many others share this question / or whatever you call it. Oliver is my first chihuahua and his ears have gone up and down (like the weather). I thought it was cute when both half flopped but it was my mom who started asking me when he was young if it meant "something was wrong with him health-wise" - did it mean he was sick. I didn't think so and remember finding an article about how some go up, some don't and it was not health related, so after that I didn't really care. Now Oliver is almost one year old and one ear is up ALL the time, and the other one will flop and then go up half way but never fully erect. I tease him all the time and say, Oliver put your ear up - either both down or both up, but not one of each haha. I'm kidding of course cause he's my boy and I could care less. I have heard it relates to teething and what I don't know and maybe one of you can tell me, how long do they teethe - how old are they when that should be over.

Oh I loved my vet's answer when I asked him about the ears at a visit ... his simple answer was: We are what we are. I guess that means Oliver is what he is. And he's adorable, like all your babies.

Oh the other funny vet story ... Oliver has been to two different vet places, a clinic-type place when I first got him and now this one-vet office that I really like. Anyway, both offices made their little statements or remarks about how "they get bitten by Chihuahua's more than any other breed." Even this 2nd vet that I go to now made some statement to that effect as he was holding Oliver for the first time to listen to his heart. On cue, when the vet said that, Oliver looks up at him and just licks his face all over. The vet said ... "and I can see this is a really mean little guy." And I think he's liked Oliver ever since. He calls him Moose Dog when he sees him.


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## oliversmom (Apr 12, 2005)

BeamerFritzyKosmo said:


> Most ears will naturally stand up with time and after teething. We taped Kosmo's ear because they were overally large and needed some help. We used low-tack blue painters tape for a few days at a time and repeated this for a week or two. His ears are now up on their own.


Oh if these are your dogs in the picture attached to this post - they are just adorable! Your little cream-colored Chi in the middle looks like my Oliver - only yours is long-haired - but Oliver's ears do exactly what yours does. Even the same one stands up and the same one flops. So cute!


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## chimom (Apr 1, 2005)

Personally, I agree with the vet who said "they are what they are". There is something very appealing about the little ones that have a half or even entire floppy ear. It makes them unique. I just look at them and say - Awwwww - how cute. To me, it's sort of like the varying sizes of chis. I had hoped for a really tiny chi - Jasmine is almost 5 lbs. at 7 mos. Do I love her any less - absolutely not. However, if you want their ears to be up, I see nothing wrong with taping them as long as it is not painful or uncomfortable for them.


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## stefanie_farrell (Jan 11, 2005)

When I get my pup, if his ears do not stand up, hes not for show so I personally wouldnt tape them, I see it as character! Though I have nothing against people who do, Im just used to dogs with floppy hears, if they go up, Ill love him all the same! xxxxxxxx


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

Frasier's Mommy said:


> Okay, I'm finally gonna ask.
> 
> Obviously it's important to people that their chi's ears stand up. There are currently 3 threads running on this topic. But I don't get it. Why does it matter? Unless of course maybe you're showing - then I can see it.
> 
> ...


I'm with you, I don't get it either. Lily's ears stand straight up but I'd be fine if they were both floppy or if they were frasierized.


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## BeamerFritzyKosmo (Mar 17, 2004)

Here's pictures of Kosmo with his ears taped. He really didn't mind having them taped and never fused over them. Our dogs come from show homes and although we decided to have them all neutured we felt it appropriate to have them represent the breed standard as close as possible since they are a representation of the quality of breeders who bred them. :lol:


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