Yorkie ears are not surprisingly one of the most talked-about features of the Yorkie, and there is an insane variety of information about this darling feature on the beautiful Yorkshire Terrier.
What People Say
I just posted a cute video to my social media, and of course within 2 minutes a keyboard warrior was like: "I've had 3 Yorkies, and I loved the floppy stage… they eventually go up." No Karen… they don't all eventually go up. LOL. The point is — I clearly state in the video that some people love floppy ears and that is OKAY. But depending on your genetic line, they may not go up. I've seen it. But I've dealt with way more than 3 Yorkies, which might surprise Karen — because her experience with 3 is actually what I would classify as a very limited level of experience with the Yorkie gene pool. That's even more true if she got her 3 Yorkies from the same breeder.
This really illustrates what it means to be "kennel blind" — and in Karen's case, "owner blind." Being kennel blind is when you are blind to other instances of cause and effect because of your limited experience with your own dogs. Her inability to recognize that I've dealt with hundreds of Yorkie puppies and many parents over many years — a much broader perspective — led her to make that comment. (Sorry to everyone actually named Karen. It's the sentiment, not the name. I have Karen friends I adore.)
How to Get Your Yorkie's Ears to Stand
Genetics do play a large role in the timing that Yorkie ears stand, and in the likelihood that you'll need to tape them at a young age. You don't have to do anything if you want them left down.
The Type of Tape to Use
I use gorilla tape — it is so much better than the beige/tan masking tape. The beige masking tape has a gum-like film that melds into the hair of the pup and will pull your Yorkie's hair out when you remove the tape. The orange gorilla tape's tacky layer is not thick, and the natural oils in the puppy's hair actually make it come off on its own usually within 24–48 hours. It doesn't hurt the pup. I tried breathable surgical tape once — it was off in 2 seconds flat.
How Long to Leave the Ears Taped
You can leave the tape on for 24 hours or up to a week. The only question is: are the ears standing when you take the tape off? If they immediately fall down, retape them right away. They might fall again 24 hours later — at that point, tape them up again. Repeat until they hold on their own.
What to Watch Out For
If you cover the area of the ear canal where sound travels, you may cause a buildup of ear wax. And if you leave the tape on during a bath, you could trap water and moisture under the tape — which will cause fungus to grow. Be thoughtful about placement and duration.
A Word of Caution
I had a neighbor who followed a YouTube video that advised putting an actual tampon inside the Yorkie's ear and wrapping tape around the outside to create a circular support shape. Her girl's ear actually fell off. Blood circulation is a very good thing. Yorkie ears don't have much to begin with — which is why they get cold in winter and why they get 'leather ear' easily. Please never wrap anything tightly around the base of a Yorkie's ear.
Please have patience with my spelling and grammar — I actually typed this by hand directly from my own mind, and it was not written in 2 seconds by artificial intelligence. Love you guys! — JT
