John has a cute-looking schnauzer breed puppy named Billy. Billy is a very playful and energetic boy. Around 3 months of age, his ears started standing up. Now, John is confused about what he should do. Sounds familiar?
You may face a similar kind of situation. What should you do when Schnauzer ears stand up? Should you leave the ears as they are? Or, should you do something to keep them laid down? In this guide, we are going to discuss thoroughly what to do if the ears of a schnauzer stand up. Stay in touch to handle the situation better.
Are The Stood-Up Ears Normal In A Schnauzer Breed?
Before heading on to the main discussion, let’s talk about a relevant question first. This question will most probably pop up in your mind if you see your schnauzer’s ears start standing up. What is normal? Stood-up ears or laid-down ears?
You may not think stood-up ears are normal in a schnauzer breed. Well, there is an obvious reason for that. You have seen most of the schnauzer puppies having laid-down ears. Are stood-up ears really normal for schnauzer breeds? We say they are not a problem but we won’t say they are normal either. We prefer to say stood-up ears are less normal in a schnauzer breed.
What Are The Reasons For A Schnauzer To Have Stood Up Ears?
Leave the ‘whether stood up ears are normal’ question behind. Let’s have a look at the reasons for what a schnauzer may have stood up ears.
1.Natural
Yeah. We know that you are not having a good feeling seeing the ‘normal’ heading. Trust us, a schnauzer can have stood-up ears naturally. At around 2 months to 6 months of age, schnauzers grow their teeth. During their teething process, the inflammation in the ears increases. As a result, schnauzer breed puppies erect their ears.
Seems pretty much natural, right? A schnauzer puppy won’t always erect his ears during his teething process. Some of them will do it. Then why are we calling this normal? Because there won’t be any harm done to the puppy if he erects his ears during his teething time.
In some cases, stood-up ears will go down with time without any kind of interference. But if you see no sign of flexibility, most probably, the ears are going to stay stood up.
2.Cropped
Let’s talk about a myth. We are talking about it because this myth is very much related to the cropping of schnauzer ears. Puppies will have healthier life if their schnauzer ears are cropped. Long schnauzer ears are bad for puppies and more prone to bacteria. Well, this is not totally true.
It is not a proven fact that long or natural schnauzer ears are bad for puppies’ health. If you see your puppy has stood-up ears from the start, the obvious reason for that is the breeder cropped the ears in the first place. In this case, there isn’t anything you can do to your puppy to make the ears stay down again. All you can do is to take extra care of your puppy if you find out the cropping has been done recently.
How To Make A Mini Schnauzer Dog Ears Stand Up
A Schnauzer is a type of dog with a square-shaped body and short legs. Their body is the same width as their height. They have a long, narrow muzzle and small, triangular-shaped ears that come to an end and are pointed backward. To make your Schnauzer ears stand up, you need to have at least one inch of hair in thickness or two inches of hair in length.
- Put on safety glasses and grab your dog’s ear in the palm of your dominant hand.
- You will twist your dog’s ear while simultaneously pulling it in an upward direction.
Pull it up until you hear a creaking sound and you feel a pop, at which point your Schnauzer ears should be standing up. Be careful not to pull the dog’s ear too far or too hard because it may hurt your pet dog. Use this technique only if the dog’s fur has sufficient length and thickness.
Precious Dogs with Pointy Ears You Need to See
Like humans, some dogs have long ears, and some have shorter ears. Pointy ears are adorable on a small pup, but on large breeds, they can prevent the animal from being able to hear well or feel comfortable in cold weather. However, for some dogs with long ears, like the ones on this list, it’s an inherited trait that has become trendy in the dog world.
Swedish Vallhund
The dogs were named ‘Vällinghunden,’ which means “milk dog” or “herd dog,” and were known for protecting dairy farms in Sweden. According to an excerpt from The Dog Encyclopedia, the owners would bring their pets indoors at night because they acted as watchdogs.
Corgi
If you love the look of a Corgi but think Corgis are too active for your personality, may I suggest the Scottish Deerhound? The Scottish Deerhound is a beautiful dog but much calmer.
Chow Chow
This dog is native to China, and it’s a rare breed. The Chow Chow has an underbite with teeth that are displayed even when it closes its mouth.
Yorkshire Terrier
The big ears of the Yorkshire Terrier are a look that so many people love and want. They can be fun-loving, but make sure your pet has good teeth.
Does Your Dog Have A Floppy Ear?
Many pet owners notice their dogs’ ears are floppy. They do not want to stand up and shake them out. Sometimes it helps to bend the ear forward and then shake it so the excess skin will fall off, or use a rubber band to gently remove any excess skin from the ear with your fingers.
Some people have tried using ointment, makeup remover, soap bubbles, water, or hydrogen peroxide. None of these work and can cause problems. If your dog’s ear is working correctly, it is a sign that they are healthy. Droopy ears are usually a genetic condition; however, they are often caused by injury to the ear or an ear infection. The infected ear will not stand up straight due to pain and discomfort.
Schnauzer Ears Stand Up – What To Do?
We have already mentioned this earlier- your puppy may have stood up ears either naturally or for cropping. Now, what should you do? More specifically, what to do to keep the ears laid down again? There are plenty of ways to do that.
But since you want to keep the ears natural (as we think laid down ears are more natural than the stood-up ears), we are going to show you the more humane and effective ones.
1.Leave The Ears To Set Up Naturally
Yes, we think this should be your first step. You want the natural look on your puppy, right? Stood-up ears are natural, too, believe it or not. At the time of their teething, some of the schnauzer puppies may start erecting their ears. You should already know about this as we have already mentioned this earlier.
In some of the cases, you will see that the ears are coming down naturally. But if you see the ears are not going down for quite a while, chances are- they won’t come down again. They will stay as they are. You can leave the ears stood up as they are not harmful to your puppy. Plus, you will have cropped ears without giving your puppy the pain of cropping.
Schnauzer breeds look beautiful with all types of their ears. Stood up, laid down or even one stood up and one laid down. All of them look very cute. Then why dare to interfere?
2.Use Puppy Ear Glue
It is one of the most used methods to keep schnauzers’ ears laid down. It is not that hard and pretty much effective at the same time. The obvious reasons for people’s liking. At first, you have to clean the ears of your puppy correctly. Give the ears some time to dry on their own.
After cleaning the ears, pick a trusted brand’s puppy ear glue. Put some glue inside the ear where you intend to glue the ear’s tip. Apply some glue at the ear’s tip too. At this stage, gently bend the erected ear close to its middle point. Attach the tip of the ear with the inside point where you have already applied glue.
Now, do the same for the other ear. You are done. You should leave the ears and glue to naturally wear off. But don’t forget to keep checking the ears and adjust them if necessary.
3.Tape The Ears
Another effective measure you can take for your puppy to keep his ears laid down is to follow the taping method. This method is also a pretty simple one. Firstly, observe the ears of your puppy and determine what size of tape you are going to need. Get your desired size tape. It can be 3 to 4 inches long. If you prefer a longer size than this, it’s okay too.
At this stage, you are going to need help from another person. Well, you can do this on your own too, but it will be better with the help of another person. Tell him to hold your dog still and the ears at a position where they look great. Lastly, tape both ears with a single tape. You can use two tapes too but we prefer only one.
You may need to tape your puppy 2 or 3 times to keep the ears laid down. Around 4 months of age, puppies start losing their teeth. In this time, the ears may become unstable too. You may need to tape your puppy this time also to keep the ears stable.
However, you should tape your puppy only for 2-3 days and then observe the changes. If you think he needs more, tape your puppy again.
4.Rub The Ears
If the ears of your puppy stood up due to cropping, you need to take extra care of him for the first few weeks. You can rub the ears of your puppy to give him comfort. It will help him to relax.
5.Consult With Your Vet Or A Local Dog Breeder
If you think you won’t be able to take care of your puppy correctly, you may seek help from your vet or even consult with your nearest dog breeder. They may send your puppy to puppy care until his ears are again laid down.
FAQ
1.How Much Does It Cost To Crop A Schnauzer’s Ears?
Ans: 250$-1000$ depending on the quality of the job. The more money spent, the better outcome you’ll have, and you’ll get what you pay for.
2.Why Do My Schnauzers Ears Stand Up?
Ans: Most likely, because you are not clipping them correctly, you need to clip the inner edge, giving it a more natural appearance instead of clipping the outer edges of the ears.
3.How Long Do Dogs’ Ears Need To Be Taped?
Ans: 10-14 days, you depend on the animal. Since longer ears take longer to grow back, it’s advised that you start taping them as soon as you can. 10-14 days, you depend on the animal.
4.How Do You Encourage Your Dog’s Ears to Stand Up?
Ans: Provide chew toys and lots of exercises. This will relax the dog and encourage its ear to stand up.
5.Why Has My Puppy’s Ears Suddenly Started Drooping?
Ans: If there are more than two weeks between the initial ear crop and the re-crop, it’s probably because of a lack of growth hormone or hypothyroidism.
6.How To Get Schnauzer Ears To Flop?
Ans: Schnauzers are known for their floppy ears, and there are several methods that you can use to get them to flop. The first step is ensuring your schnauzer isn’t overweight or underweight. Overweight dogs tend to have more fat around the neck and chest, influencing how their ears hang down. On the other hand, underfed pets may not have enough muscle mass in the neck region, making it difficult for them to stand up straight with their ears pulled back.
Final Thoughts
We always prefer keeping things natural. This doesn’t change for a schnauzer breed puppy’s ears too. We love to let the puppies grow on their own. We love both the stood-up and laid-down ears. Does that mean you have to like it too? No. Moreover, we will take the side of a puppy with laid-down ears if we have to, as they look prettier. Whatever you do, make sure you don’t hurt your puppy. I hope now you know what should you do when Schnauzer ears stand up.
