What's up with my dashie's ears?

[Rotten Deadite]

I mean, they're adorable but they don't flop down like everyone else's... It's more sort of a back and away action.

Here's a picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12076539@N03/2405627600/in/set-72157604485638189/

Any ideas? Does this mean he'll be prone to ear infections?

[skunkstripe]

That does look odd, kind of like the 'rose' ears on a terrier. But I suppose the good news is that terriers aren't necessarily prone to ear infections - more like retrievers with drop ears who swim and then the moisture can't escape.
I'll be curious what the Doxie people have to say! :)

[Dauxside]

They do resemble rose ears however there is an health risk in the breed known as Branchiootorenal (BOR) syndrome which also may cause the ear to be deformed. If he's exhibiting any problems hearing (shaking head, loud noises don't disturb him) then do please have him checked.

[Rotten Deadite]

They do resemble rose ears however there is an health risk in the breed known as Branchiootorenal (BOR) syndrome which also may cause the ear to be deformed. If he's exhibiting any problems hearing (shaking head, loud noises don't disturb him) then do please have him checked.Nope, nothing like that, thank goodness. I'm keeping an eye on his ears just in case.

It looks like there's some kind of birth defect keeping his ears folded up like that. You can actually flip them over and they look fairly normal until he gets irritated at you and flips them back.

I suppose if I were the kind of person to do it, I could get some fairly mild surgery done to correct it, but I'll ask my vet first and if there isn't likely to be any eventual health issues I'll just leave 'em as they are.

[AnmalKraker]

They look deformed to me, I have seen something that looked like that once before with a doxie, and My old Doxie came from a BYB (I didnt know any better at the time), and he had one ear that would not lay right, and it would flip over a little, we use to call him the gay hairdresser because he would groom my golden all the time, and his ear was his trademark. My vet at the time said it was a tendent that would not relax, or it was short, and it could have been repaired by a simple snip.

[AnmalKraker]

oh forgot to add my old vet also talked to me about trainning the ears to stay in place by trapping them, but I never really got into to much detail about it with him.

[vinya12]

how old is he? it does look strange but if he's under one year old it mite change as he gets older. I know a lot of breeds have funny ears due to teething.
he is cute though :)

[Rotten Deadite]

how old is he? it does look strange but if he's under one year old it mite change as he gets older. I know a lot of breeds have funny ears due to teething.
Teething? How would that effect them?

he is cute though :)Yeah, he's mah liddle boy:)

[vinya12]

not shore how it affects them, I just know that it has an effect on the way they carry the ear. when I bred GSDs I found that there ears would drop when teething, or one ear would stay up and the other drop, sometimes the ears would not be normal till they were one year

[AnmalKraker]

Did u get him from a breeder? If so maybe you should call her and ask what they think. I have heard of what Vinya is talking about, but never with a dog that has ears that lay flat.

[Rotten Deadite]

Nope, he's a rescue. He's got a great coat and perfect teeth which leads me to believe that it's a birth defect and that he got thrown out of a breeder's pen because he wouldn't sell. Oh well, their loss is my gain.

[skunkstripe]

I don't think the teething is the cause so much as what happens is the puppy's skull chages size and shape as it grows -at about the same time as the teething. And depending on where the ear is on the skull can make it flop or stand up - or something inbetween.

[AnmalKraker]

Well I guess if it bugs you that bad talk to your vet, and see what the vet came do about correcting the problem.