How to Get an Adult Yorkie to Get its Ears to Stand Up

Yorkies are small dogs with silky, shaggy hair. Many pet owners find that erect ears on Yorkies are a desirable attribute. However, not every Yorkie's ears can stand on their own. Sometimes the ears build enough strength to hold themselves up when the dogs are puppies. Other Yorkies' ears never rise, but can be trained to stand upright by binding them. This procedure can prove successful with Yorkie puppies. If you have an adult Yorkie with floppy ears, you can try to bind them to encourage muscle growth to make them stand, but be prepared for a challenge.

Things You'll Need

  • Trimming scissors
  • 2 craft sticks
  • Gauze
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut the fur off your Yorkie's ears with trimming scissors. Trim off all the long hair and any shorter hair on the top half of each ear.

    • 2

      Position the craft sticks at the upright angle you want the ears to stand. Trim the sticks down to size if necessary. They should not jab into your Yorkie's head.

    • 3

      Wrap the gauze around each ear and craft stick. You want the gauze to be tight enough to keep the stick upright and the ear in place, but not so tight that it cuts off your dog's circulation.

    • 4

      Keep the gauze and sticks on for several days. Remove them each day and massage the ears to encourage circulation, then wrap them up again. Continue doing this until the ears can stand up on their own.