When do they get up and how to put on the ears of a Yorkshire Terrier at home

Prick ears are a distinctive feature of the Yorkie, a sign of a pure breed. In the absence of any pathologies, they begin to rise on their own at a certain age. If this does not happen, the Yorkie owner can help them get into an upright position. This is not difficult to do if you know how to position the ears of a Yorkie.

Perky raised ears are a distinctive feature and highlight of Yorkies.

When do Yorkies' ears start to go up?

There is no exact time when the ears of a Yorkshire terrier stand up. In most cases, this happens by six months in both boys and girls.

According to the standard, a Yorkie's ears should look like this:

shape – V-shaped;
size in relation to the head – average;
ear set – high, but not wide;
The hair on the ears is light and fine.

At birth, Yorkies have heavy ears that hang down. They are covered with dense wool. And when the ears stand up depends largely on their anatomical features.

Why don't they get up

Regardless of the baby's gender, by the age of four months their ears should already be raised. Sometimes this happens after changing teeth.

But if four months have already passed, the teeth have changed, and the ears are still not standing, it is necessary to first determine the cause of this problem. It may lie in the following:

Too big . It happens that cartilage in dogs develops ahead of schedule, so they become disproportionately large and cannot rise due to their weight.
Too much wool . A lot of hair on the tips of the ears makes them too heavy and therefore they do not stand up.
Lack of calcium and vitamins . Most often, in all three cases, a Yorkie's ears can be raised using several traditional methods.

But owners should know that if the pet’s ears are too large, they may not rise up—unfortunately, even the seller cannot predict such an outcome.

In such cases, you need to remember that a dog is, first of all, a friend and family member, and not an exhibition exhibit. This means that the animal must be loved, despite its small shortcomings.

Why Yorkies ears may not go up - the main reasons

Knowing when Yorkies' ears stand up, the owner needs to monitor whether this process begins on time. There are a number of factors that prevent the ears from taking a vertical position. Main reasons:

Genetic abnormalities. In this case, self-correction is impossible. The problem can only be solved through surgery. The operation gives quick and high-quality results. The disadvantage of this method is that a dog whose ears have been installed surgically will not be able to take part in exhibitions.
Too long hair on the lobes, which pulls them down and does not allow them to take a vertical position. This problem can be easily solved - just cut off the excess hair and they will be able to stand up on their own.
Changing teeth. When a Yorkie's baby teeth are replaced with molars, the ears will not be able to rise up due to insufficient calcium. To compensate for the lack of minerals, your pet needs to introduce vitamin-mineral complexes into the diet.
Violation of the blood circulation process, deviations in the cartilage structure. In this case, attempts to insert ears are prohibited, as complications may arise. Methods are selected only by a veterinarian.

Attention! Poor circulation in the ear cartilage can be either congenital or caused by the owner of a Yorkie if he is fond of tying bows on the dog’s ears.

The downward lobes of a Yorkie give it a strange appearance, depriving it of attractiveness

At what age do Yorkie puppies' ears stand up and how to help them?

Castration of dogs: at what age and is it necessary?

Many potential buyers wonder when Yorkies' ears stand up. This usually happens before the puppy is 3 months old, so by the time the puppy is sold, it looks like a standard representative of the breed. But it also happens differently. However, there is no need to panic ahead of time. But if your baby is over 16 weeks old and the sinks are still sagging, it’s time to think about how to install them.

Note! In some cases (when changing baby teeth or after vaccination), ears that are already erect may fall off. When the incisors and fangs grow, calcium metabolism in the body will improve and the shells will straighten.

If the baby has reached the age of four months, and the ears still do not stick up, we need to help them. Otherwise, the Yorkie may remain lop-eared. The first sure way is to enrich your diet with essential vitamins and minerals.

Balanced feeding is the key to proper development of cartilage

You should give your puppy more beef broth, cartilage, and gelatin diluted in water. When contacting a veterinarian, he will help you choose a special vitamin complex with the optimal combination of necessary substances. It is not recommended to do this on your own, as it is important to take into account the age, weight and health of the dog.

If the ears droop after being in a standing position, the veterinarian will select a complex with increased levels of calcium and phosphorus, intended for the desired type of dog. In this case, the owner must show special attention to the puppy. Properly selected balanced nutrition, walks in the fresh air, and caring for your pet will help in solving the problem.

If the shells still do not take the correct position, you will have to use special techniques described below.

Recommendations for installing ears on a Yorkie

Before you give your Yorkshire Terrier ears that do not rise on their own, you need to show the dog to a veterinarian to identify the causes of deviations from the norm.

If a dog’s ears cannot take a vertical position due to a lack of calcium due to teeth changing, it is necessary to review the pet’s diet and introduce foods enriched with this element into the diet:

chicken eggs;
cottage cheese;
curdled milk;
kefir.

It is recommended to add eggshells crushed to a powder state to ready-made food.

The sound training method will help correct the situation. Loud clapping of hands, a whistle, and other sharp sounds attract the dog's attention, causing his ears to go up. If you play with it this way often, you can quickly adjust your ears at home.

Attention! Various methods that help correct a dog's appearance are used only if there are no health problems.

Hair cutting

Before you put on your Yorkie's ears yourself, you need to inspect the fur on them. Long hair on the earlobes pulls the earlobes down, preventing them from rising. You need to remove hair not only on the earlobes, but also inside the shell.

Adjusting the length of the hair on the lobes is the first measure to correct their shape

Massage

Common reasons why a Yorkie's ears don't stand up are weak cartilage or poor circulation. Ear massage will help correct the situation. The lobe, squeezed between the thumb and index finger, is kneaded for several minutes.

What to do if your Yorkshire Terrier's ears don't stand up: support nature

Before starting to level the sinks, the owner must understand that this is a lengthy procedure. Depending on the characteristics of the puppy, it takes from 2 weeks to several months. There are several working ways to put on a Yorkie's ears.

Rolling into a tube

Before the procedure, the pet’s ears are cut: short hairs are removed with a clipper, long hairs are shortened with scissors. The inner surface of the sink is cleaned with cosmetics. For dressing you will need an adhesive plaster and a bandage.

The ears are curled into tubes resembling snail horns. They must stand strictly vertically.
Leave a gap so the pet can hear.
Wrap a bandage on top.
If necessary, fasten together with adhesive tape (for symmetry).
The dressing is changed once every 2-3 days. Peeling off the patch causes pain to the pet, so the procedure should be carried out carefully.

How to install Yorkie ears yourself - the most effective methods

You can set your ears in a vertical position on your own, but only if the dog does not have congenital or acquired pathologies.

Ear folding

This method gives quick results if done regularly. Algorithm of actions:

Each ear must be folded in half. The appearance of creases and folds must be avoided.
Secure with adhesive tape on the back of the head.
Wear the design for 3 days.

After 3 days, the adhesive plaster must be removed so that the ears can rest. If the first time it was not possible to achieve a vertical position, the procedure is repeated again after some time. There is nothing wrong with having to carry out this manipulation many times.

Attention! It is necessary to glue 2 ears, even if one of them is positioned correctly. This must be done to ensure that the ears are symmetrical.

tube

Before installing the ears of a terrier using this method, the dog must be bathed and the shells thoroughly cleaned. The method is easy and not difficult to do on your own:

The fur near the ears is trimmed as much as possible, otherwise the patch will not be able to stick properly.
Each ear must be rolled into a tube. The manipulation is carried out in such a way that the ear canal remains open.
An adhesive plaster must be wrapped around each folded ear, securing the tubes made. You need to glue the patch so as not to press too hard on the skin, otherwise the blood circulation process will be disrupted. It is also necessary to ensure that there are no folds or creases.
When the tubes are fixed, they must be lifted and glued together with adhesive tape so that they remain in a standing position. A small space is left between them.

The duration of walking with this design does not exceed 3 days. If this method does not give a positive result the first time, the procedure for forming the tubes is repeated again.

The twisting method is one of the most effective methods

Stick method

This method is preferable because it is easier for dogs to handle because there is not as much pressure applied to the edges of the shells as with other methods. Algorithm of actions:

The ends of the cotton swabs are cut so that they are slightly shorter in length than the length of the animal's ear.
Strips are cut from the plaster longer than the prepared sticks, but not exceeding the length of the ear.
Each cotton swab must be placed on a piece of plaster and covered with a second strip of adhesive tape on top.
The prepared structure is inserted into the dog’s ear, but not deeply.
The structure is fixed with adhesive tape.

Instead of cotton swabs, you can use masking tape to make the structure, which is folded several times. This method is recommended for use if your pet has weak cartilage and cotton swabs may be too heavy for them.

Using cotton swabs is a safe method that gives visible results in a few days

You can wear the design with chopsticks for no more than 7 days. If after this time the ears have not been corrected, the manipulation must be repeated after some time. Carrying sticks doesn’t cause much trouble for your pet. After a couple of hours, the Yorkie gets used to the fact that there is something in his ear and stops paying attention to it.

Attention! When the Yorkie's ears stand up, the patch is removed.
It can be lubricated with vegetable oil. This will make it easier to remove the patch from the skin without causing pain to the animal.

Advice from breeders and dog owners

Marina “Well, Betty and I suffered a lot! We were told to cut first, then glue. It’s easier to get the dog’s hair cut completely, and at the same time the ears will be trimmed. And after that you can glue it.”

Natalya “I know one breeder, she bought a male dog from one of the nurseries for breeding and exhibitions. By six months his ears were no longer erect. This is how we went to exhibitions: two hours before the event we glued our ears with adhesive tape. They stood for a couple of hours, then returned to a hanging position. Maybe they teased me with something else, I don’t know for sure. It's a complete torment for the dog. My opinion is this: before getting a Yorkie, read the literature and ask other breeders. The puppy was definitely cheap, but that’s another topic…”

Recommendations from breeders and veterinarians for installing Yorkie ears

Manipulations with a Yorkie's ears must be done very carefully, observing safety precautions so as not to disrupt blood circulation and not cause damage to the animal.

To adjust the earlobes, you must choose only safe, hypoallergenic materials that will not cause irritation or an allergic reaction.

To avoid complications, you need to listen to the advice and recommendations of experienced breeders:

You cannot start the process of ear formation too early. It is better to wait a little, giving way to the natural process of raising the ears.
To prevent your pet from tearing off the patch or bandage from its ears, it is recommended to wear a high collar.
If there are other pets in the house, your Yorkie's ears should be treated with Anti-Gnat, its smell repels other dogs. It is not recommended to use folk remedies such as pepper or garlic. They may cause severe skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
Fixing bandages are changed every 2-3 days. This measure will help maintain hygiene and monitor the process of giving the ears the desired shape.
If the fixing structure is damaged, it can be glued with additional patches made of plaster or tape.
To prevent irritation or an allergic reaction, only hypoallergenic materials should be used. Do not use electrical tape.

If a dog is prone to an allergic reaction, it is recommended to glue its ears with special animal glue, instead of tape or adhesive tape. It is applied in a thin layer to the inside of the ear, after which it is folded and held with your fingers for several minutes so that the skin sticks better.

If by 7 months the Yorkie’s ears have not been fixed mechanically, you can resort to surgical intervention, which will definitely give the desired result. But as with any type of surgery, there is a possibility of complications occurring in the future. The owner of a Yorkie decides for himself whether he is ready to risk the health of his pet.

99 out of 100 Yorkies manage to get floppy ears. If your pet has congenital or acquired defects that prevent the shape of the ears from being corrected, you should not worry about this and subject the dog to surgery. Although the pet will not be able to take part in exhibitions, this will not make it a less affectionate and devoted friend.

Breeders' advice

In order not to damage the puppy’s sensitive ears or disrupt the process of natural raising of the shells, you must follow the principles recommended by experienced breeders:

Timeliness. After studying the information about what time a Yorkie’s ears should become stronger and stand up, it becomes clear that mechanical methods of installation can be started after 4 months.
Reliability. If the dog tries to tear off the structure that secures the ears, you need to use a high collar that limits access to the top of the head. If there are other pets in the house, the sinks should be treated with a special Anti-Gryzin solution. It has a pungent odor and contains pepper. The product must be applied with caution.
Regularity. Changing garters in a timely manner will allow you to observe the process of lifting cartilage and help you notice the result in time.
Control. If the structure is damaged, it is not necessary to completely redo it. It is enough to glue the winding with an additional piece of plaster.
Hypoallergenic. Pasting is done only with hypoallergenic materials; the use of electrical tape is not allowed.