Ear Taping
On occasions some of our shepherds need assistants in getting their ears to correctly stand in an erect position. We see this most often with larger puppies, which ears are just to heavy for the cartilage in the ears to stiffen correctly in the upright position. Below are simple instructions in taping puppies ears. Note that after taping your puppies ears, if the ears become inflamed or infected you should consult your veterinarian and do not resume the taping process until the ears have healed.
Supplies needed: Cardboard, scissors, 3M Weatherstrip adhesive, Duct tape, and an assistant. First cut two inserts to form inside the ears as seen above. Then cup the inserts as seen below to conform to the concave shape of the ears. Liberally apply the adhesive to the convex side of the inserts. Allow 3 minutes for the adhesive to get tacky.
Then glue the inserts as seen below into the ears while the assistant holds the puppy still. Allow time for the inserts to setup before moving on to the next step. While the inserts are drying you will need to occasionally apply pressure to the insert and reposition to fit properly.
The next step involves taping the to ears together by first affixing a piece of 2.5-inch piece of duct tape to the sticky side of a approximately four-inch long strip of duct tape as shown below.
Next liberally apply adhesive to the exposed sticky side of the duct tape. Allow time for the adhesive to start to setup and become tacky. The assistant should hold the ears in the appropriate position as shown below. Then glue the tape to the back of the ears as shown below.
Congratulations, you should have by this time successfully taped your puppies ears. Allow the inserts and tape to fall off naturally. If the tape or insert is hanging loose then the loose portion should be removed as not to add additional weight to the ears. The insert and taping process should be repeated until the ears stand without assistance. Many time the ears will stand for a couple of days and then fall down again. When they fall this entire process should be repeated as soon as possible so that any progress gained is not lost.
