Am I done posting?

Sil3ntNinja

New Member
I have a question about my Pup Jäger. We had a little setback with pockets and following the vets posting method at first. After a discussion on here we corrected this issue using backer rods and bumpers. He is about 7 months now and I am not sure if his ears are done yet or not. If I take the posts out they stand good for about a week and a half and then something weird happens. He will be asleep on his left ear for a while and when he wakes up it looks like it is folded over, kinda like his ears need to go back up. However, by the time I finish making posts it stands up with the other one and is strong for the rest of the day. This doesn’t happen every time he sleeps but does happen some mornings. At first I put him back in posts immediately and keep them posted for about 4 days. But the last time I wanted to see if it stayed strong without posts. His ear doesn’t stay droopy for more than 10 minutes or so. But I don’t want his ears to fail in the long run. I do not have a picture of them during this time but I do have a pic after he gets it back up that I will post below. I don’t know if this is a normal thing that can happen with dobie ears or if I need to keep posting. He has gotten pretty good at getting the posts out at this point, I think he is just telling me he is tired of it lol.
 

Attachments

  • 47725127-DAD4-4D02-8DA2-28EA76BBA9DE.jpeg
    47725127-DAD4-4D02-8DA2-28EA76BBA9DE.jpeg
    263 KB · Views: 14
Ah, the wonder of cropped ears. It's like some mystical force keeps them standing! When are we done posting? That's also shrouded in a bit of mystery. What LOR said above is true of course.

Basically, if I saw that the ears flopped or stayed folded down for 10 minutes after being laid upon, I'd keep posting. I know, it's not fun! If it were, me, I'd keep posting if I saw an ear stay down after sleepy time for like 5 seconds; but then I may be more obsessive than some.

I've always just cringed hard inside when someone is petting my Dobe and pushing the ears down at all. Often, I tell the person to not do that. When I see my Dobe laying on an ear with it folded under (which probably 98% of the time I do not see!!) I flip it out straight, most of the time with my foot. My Dobe doesn't even flinch when I do this – ha!

It really is a wonder that their ears stand at all, what with how often they are pushed or folded down. It's about the cartilage being hardened enough with age, technically, but still...
 
If I could see the folded ear “event”, then I would be able to make a confident decision.

From your description, I would continue doing exactly what you are doing and paying more attention to the causative factor folding the ear. It you are able to eliminate him sleeping on a folded ear, thus preventing the issue all together- and the ear does not fold.....then seems to me you are good to go.
 
Sleeping on them is always the big test since that's when they'll lay on them for extended periods and if they're not done they can droop.

I agree that a photo of the ear when it's doing it would be helpful.
 
I will be sure to get a picture the next time this happens and post it here. It doesn’t happen every night and they seem to be solid 95% of the time. This is why I am confused. I make his posts and I turn around and it looks strong again, like it never fell. I will just have to catch it at the right time.

Also, He has also slept on this ear since we got him. Even with posts in or out… I will fix it when I see it folded but it seems like this is just the way he sleeps. Not sure if I can change that. Not sure if this will give me issues for the rest of his life or not, I am hopeful it won’t.
 
I will be sure to get a picture the next time this happens and post it here. It doesn’t happen every night and they seem to be solid 95% of the time. This is why I am confused. I make his posts and I turn around and it looks strong again, like it never fell. I will just have to catch it at the right time.

Also, He has also slept on this ear since we got him. Even with posts in or out… I will fix it when I see it folded but it seems like this is just the way he sleeps. Not sure if I can change that. Not sure if this will give me issues for the rest of his life or not, I am hopeful it won’t.
Once the cartilage is formed, there is nothing to worry about. That's why you have to stay diligent in the early stages. My dobe sleeps on his ear all the time, he's always moving them around including doing the airplane ears and yet the ears continue to stand and he's almost 5 years old.
 
I will be sure to get a picture the next time this happens and post it here. It doesn’t happen every night and they seem to be solid 95% of the time. This is why I am confused. I make his posts and I turn around and it looks strong again, like it never fell. I will just have to catch it at the right time.

Also, He has also slept on this ear since we got him. Even with posts in or out… I will fix it when I see it folded but it seems like this is just the way he sleeps. Not sure if I can change that. Not sure if this will give me issues for the rest of his life or not, I am hopeful it won’t.
No, his proclivity for laying on his ears won't cause you ongoing problems. Oji smashes those ears under all the time!

Yeah, Oji's problem while I was posting was that he laid on those posts so hard that he bent them all the time. It didn't matter how many layers of tape I wrapped around the posts to make them stiff, they got bent. Their being bent caused them to pop out.
 
He does airplane ears and also turns them around backwards if I’m behind him. But the thing I’m worried about is definitely a droop. This happened the last time 3 days ago and they have been like normal since. (I have not reposted in 3 weeks) I just took this picture about 5 minutes ago.
 

Attachments

  • 8137EF50-1524-4F18-881B-26A0C4E14BB1.jpeg
    8137EF50-1524-4F18-881B-26A0C4E14BB1.jpeg
    242.4 KB · Views: 10
He does airplane ears and also turns them around backwards if I’m behind him. But the thing I’m worried about is definitely a droop. This happened the last time 3 days ago and they have been like normal since. (I have not reposted in 3 weeks) I just took this picture about 5 minutes ago.
Airplane ears are a part of life, and I haven't viewed it as a detriment to the ears standing. It's such a neat feature how they can control them – including, yes, turning them to the rear!

Your crop isn't overly long, so that bodes well for you.
 
It did it again this morning. When he woke up it looked fine. He just took about a 10-15 minute nap and it’s droopy again.. I sat here for about 5 minutes taking pictures as it stood up. As I finish typing up this post his ears are back to looking normal.
 

Attachments

  • 1AF33753-A93C-4301-B107-F844127580EB.jpeg
    1AF33753-A93C-4301-B107-F844127580EB.jpeg
    535.3 KB · Views: 10
  • 5AEF1C5E-0F10-4CFD-AC5D-DBFB6A62FAFA.jpeg
    5AEF1C5E-0F10-4CFD-AC5D-DBFB6A62FAFA.jpeg
    209.2 KB · Views: 9
  • 318FF36E-D9E4-420B-A2B9-657A3042037E.jpeg
    318FF36E-D9E4-420B-A2B9-657A3042037E.jpeg
    213.1 KB · Views: 9
  • F082E2AD-65A2-4017-A120-7518CBC2ABB8.jpeg
    F082E2AD-65A2-4017-A120-7518CBC2ABB8.jpeg
    320.4 KB · Views: 10
  • DD7AFFEC-63A9-42CA-B5F4-0988551BF1C6.jpeg
    DD7AFFEC-63A9-42CA-B5F4-0988551BF1C6.jpeg
    189.3 KB · Views: 10
  • 2B459B45-0F91-4991-B0E0-1599F71CD1C7.jpeg
    2B459B45-0F91-4991-B0E0-1599F71CD1C7.jpeg
    321 KB · Views: 10
  • 5960F570-F274-4697-BFD4-1EA636DC850A.jpeg
    5960F570-F274-4697-BFD4-1EA636DC850A.jpeg
    337.8 KB · Views: 10
It did it again this morning. When he woke up it looked fine. He just took about a 10-15 minute nap and it’s droopy again.. I sat here for about 5 minutes taking pictures as it stood up. As I finish typing up this post his ears are back to looking normal.
I definitely don't trust that one ear with how it looks in that crate picture. I imagine if it was me, I'd be looking at his handsome face and then my eyes would stare disappointingly at that wild ear everyday for the rest of our lives. He'd never know why he was so displeasing to me, and I'd never know why I allowed it to happen. But, if it really was me, it wouldn't happen :D He would be posted. Both ears, full time, for at least another month.
 
I agree that he needs more posting and if you only leave them out long enough to clean and dry it might not take too much longer. The way the ear is drooping/creasing it could keep getting worse if you don't stop it from doing that now. That happened to my friend and it started out as a little sag and went to a full floppy ear when she didn't repost.
 
Okay. He is back in posts for at least 2 weeks. Should I just test them again at the 2 week mark or shoot for a month of straight posting again?
 
Should I just test them again at the 2 week mark or shoot for a month of straight posting again?
After 2 weeks I'd test them for a few hours during waking time. If they stay up you can push it overnight but at the first sign of drooping they'll need to be posted again.
 
Yes, those picts show it all. Just not quite ready....

Keep posting. Be patient and keep your eyes on the prize. Almost there!
 

Back
Top