All Yorkies are born with folded ears that should eventually stand upright. During the first three months of life the ears gradually unfold,but sometimes they need a little taping to get to the prick eared position that is standard for a Yorkie's appearance. They also need to be shaved in order to remove the weight of the hair, which can easily keep them down.

The taping instructions given here are quoted directly from a Yorkie guru, the late great Terri Shumsky of Vassar Square Yorkshire Terriers. Terri raised Yorkies for 31 years, during which she finished 37 homebred champions.

Once the ears are up, all you need to do to keep your Yorkie looking sharp (and like a Yorkie) is to keep the hair shaved off the upper third of the ear. This is best done with an inexpensive Wahl Tidbit clipper, available online from most vet and pet suppliers, or in a pinch, you can use a simple electric mustache trimmer which can be found at any chain drugstore.

Last Vassar Square Yorkie litter

 

TERRI SHUMKSY'S EAR TAPING INSTRUCTIONS

The hair on the ears should be trimmed on the edge about halfway down each side, then use a clipper (the Wahl clipper is available in your local Payless or other drug store, the kind that is used to trim the hair on the back of the neck) with a surgical blade, about halfway down front and back of each ear. This is usually started at about four weeks but if your puppy's ears are still not up, you must take off the hair, massage them regularly, say once a day, to keep the circulation going and tape them as shown.

A dental absorber is a good post...wrap some aerated Johnson & Johnson tape backwards so the sticky side is out and insert on the base of the ear as support and wrap more aerated tape as shown.

Then tape a bridge between the ears with 3/4" 3M filament tape to hold them up, being careful they are in a natural position.

You can keep the ears taped for a week, but then even if they haven't come loose, you must remove them and make sure the pup's ears are dry and clean. Whether they are up or not, leave them alone for a day or two. Retape them if they fall again.

Smell the ear and if there is an odor, you may want to ask your veterinarian for some Tresaderm. An odor could mean an ear infection and if the ear is odorous or looks swollen, don't re-tape until you've corrected the situation or seen a Vet.

Terri Shumsky

Terri passed away on May 26, 2005, but her spirit lives on. For more excellent information from this Yorkie expert, visit Alex's FAQ at www.shooterdog.com

Terri also wrote the book on How to Buy and Raise a Good Healthy Dog. Click on the book for purchase information.