Dog Ear Taping Techniques

If you own a breed of dog that traditionally has cropped ears and you wish to have them cropped, it must been done before your dog is 12 weeks old. Puppies and dogs older than 12 weeks have already formed a hardened cartilage that will no longer be trainable. After the cropping surgery, it will be necessary to keep the ears taped and upright for up to two months. This allows the cartilage to form in the desired position. There are two popular methods for taping dog's ears: the Styrofoam or paper cup method, and the tampon method.

  1. Styrofoam/Paper Cup Method

    • Cut a triangle-shaped portion of a Styrofoam cup the height of the ear from head to tip. The roundness of the cup helps keep the ear in the proper shape. Use duct tape to fix the Styrofoam "form" in the inside of the ear and secure around the outside of the ear with several strips of tape.

    Tampon Method

    • Use one tampon (kept in the cardboard applicator) in each ear and wrap the ear around the cylinder. Tape firmly around the ear at the top and bottom to hold in place. If the ears fall sideways, use a piece of duct tape across the top from ear tip to ear tip to hold upright.

    Clean and dry

    • Keep the ears clean and dry. If your dog's hair becomes wet from bathing or being outside in wet weather, immediately remove the braces, dry completely and redo. Avoid allowing your dog's ears to become wet, because dampness causes the cartilage to soften and may prevent a good set.