How to Take Care of Doberman Pinscher Ears

Many doberman pinscher owners choose to crop the ears of their new puppy beginning at seven or eight weeks of age until the time when the dog's ear cartilage begins to harden; around 11 to 12 weeks. Pointy and erect ears, historically, were used to assist the doberman's hearing as a guard dog, but now it is the decision of the dog owner. If deciding to enter your dobe into show competitions, the dog's ears must be cropped. This takes persistence and patience as some doberman's ears take up to a year to heal and stand properly.

Things You'll Need

  • 3-by-3-inch gauze pads
  • Wide, lightweight drinking straws
  • Porous, wide medical tape
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Unfold a 3-by-3-inch gauze pad half way and lay the rectangle on a clean work surface. Unfold two more gauze pads and stack them on top of each other. Less gauze is necessary when the dog's ear canal is more narrow.

    • 2

      Remove the outer wrapper from a lightweight and wide drinking straw from a fast food establishment and place one end approximately 3/4-inch from the edge of the gauze, in the center. Tape it down with a 5-inch-long piece of porous medical tape.

    • 3

      Roll the gauze around the straw into a tube, leaving that straw-less section of gauze at the end for an inner-ear cushion. Unravel a bit of tape from the roll, and place it over the bottom section of the gauze tube, 1/2-inch from the end. Leave the tape attached to the roll.

    • 4

      Twist the tape roll and "back-tape" around the roll, meaning that the sticky side of the tape is facing out. When the gauze tube is covered with sticky tape, minus the two 1/2-inch end sections of gauze and straw, twist the roll again and re-tape around the tube with the sticky section facing down over the sticky side of the tube tape.

    • 5

      Repeat the process to make a second ear post for the other ear. Cut four 5-inch pieces of thick medical tape and set the aside, sticky side up.

    • 6

      Position the gauze end of each post into the open ear canal of the dog. Wrap one piece of 5-inch-long tape around the dog's ear and the post to secure it in place without hindering circulation. Wrap another piece of tape a bit higher on the dog's ear for added durability. Trim off the excess straw. Repeat with the other ear.

    • 7

      Rip a length of 12-inch tape into long thin strips and wrap around the outside of the right ear once, from back to front, and over the top of the head. Wrap the same piece of tape around the back of the left ear to the front and over the dog's head to the back of the right ear. Make two or three of these figure eight patterns and wrap a 2-to-3-inch piece of tape around the thin strips of tape directly over the dog's head.