Toy Terrier ears: setting and care

Small and lovable Toy Terriers are cheerful and unassuming dogs with obvious intelligence and loyal temperament. Their peculiarity lies in the ears hanging from birth, which should grow stronger over time and stand up, which fully complies with the breed standard. Owners of these cute animals will need to study the issues that come with this issue.

According to the standards, the ears of a toy terrier should be thin, rather large, and a high set is assumed. When the animal is born, the cartilage of the auditory organ is too weak, but as the dog grows, they become stronger and soon take a standing position. This is a natural process that can be accelerated, and if it is unsatisfactory, it can be stimulated. For this reason, the owner of a pet, whose life involves participation in exhibitions, will need to familiarize himself with all the necessary procedures.

Some indulgences concern the breed of the Russian Toy Terrier, which is distinguished by long hair - its ears can be halfway up. This assumption is due to the fact that a heavy coat makes the auditory organ heavier. But in the case of smooth-haired individuals, the judges are extremely strict, and incorrectly set ears can cause disqualification even with the other advantageous characteristics of the animal.

The peculiarity of the strengthening and formation of ears in Toy is the uncertainty of age, at what moment this happens. But the formation can be influenced by the factors described below.

• Often, the slow development of cartilage tissue depends on the health status of the parent of the puppy, who was malnourished during pregnancy.Perhaps the mother had other pathologies, so the formation of the baby's ears is slow. This means that the owner must take care of the puppy, and, first of all, while he is feeding on breast milk from the mother, the diet must be correctly drawn up.

• The reason why the ears do not rise for a long time is also the wrong selection of the father and mother. If you need offspring with high-quality ears, then you should not cross short-haired representatives with terriers with long, shaggy hair. If this has already happened, you can expect a notorious problem.

• The human factor also plays an important role in the formation of the proper ear stance of the animal - the process must be corrected at the age of 2 months. Timely intervention makes it possible not to worry about a positive result. A small puppy tolerates the necessary procedure more easily than an older animal. But if the safety net is not carried out on time or is completely missed, then it is difficult to predict how the organ will develop in the future.

Other causes of weak cartilage, besides unwanted genetics, which does not happen with a pure pedigree, determined by the presence of both short-haired parents, are a lack of nutrients, vitamins, especially calcium, and a stressful state of the baby, depleting his immune system and energy reserves of the body.

According to canine experts, cartilage development occurs in dogs during the first 6 months of life., and by this time the puppies should have ears. In practice, this happens at 4-5 months, and even earlier for some toys. But it also happens that hanging ears remain up to 1 year for one of the above reasons.

Unlike other breeds, the ears of Toy Terriers are not cropped, since these are the requirements for the external appearance of the dog. Let this not surprise inexperienced dog breeders - it is believed that this way the exterior of the animal with its long legs is balanced and looks more proportional due to the large ears sticking up.

If in such a situation, docking is considered an advantage, then its unconditional disadvantages can be indicated by the following positions:

• distortion of the noble image and facial expressions of the animal, as a result of which it looks aggressive, which makes it impossible to communicate with other dogs;
• post-traumatic stress disorder, that is, a significant mental disorder of the pet, the rehabilitation of which can take a long period;
• physical recovery (healing) that can bring suffering;
• disqualification and closed entrance to exhibitions.

Many breeders are against ear cropping. In Europe and many other countries, such action is prohibited by law, and the owner must be prepared to face punishment for cruelty to his animal. Most dog handlers who really love dogs completely agree with this statement of the question.

You can put your pet's ears on not only with the help of a special corrective procedure - you can start by finding out if the puppy is experiencing stress. To do this, you can watch the animal. Owners with breed experience list the following reasons:

• great physical activity associated with training;
• renovation or moving to new housing;
• visiting a veterinary clinic;
• the appearance in the family of another animal or newborn.

If such moments cannot be excluded from life, one should resort to sedatives that can calm the dog down (Stop Stress, Adaptil, Fospasim, Fitx).

It will be correct to pay attention to dietary food.It is one thing if you use ready-made feeds with a balanced composition at the recommended dosage, for example, Purina Pro Plan, Nutra Nuggets, Nutra Gold, Belcando or Advance... But when an animal eats natural food, it may lack some minerals and vitamins, which means that they should be included in the diet.

And finally, at home, you can carry out the necessary correction of the ears, allowing them to stand up confidently after a while. Ear gluing can be done by yourself. It is a safe procedure when the ears do not rise or rise up and then fall back.

To do this work, you will need the following tools:

• antiseptic;
• scissors;
• small pieces of plastic as a frame;
• for fixation - a hypoallergenic plaster to prevent Toya skin problems.

Gluing is done using two strips of plaster, the optimal width of the pieces is 7-10 cm. It is important to start "pasting" from the inside of the ear shell, from its corner, and then continue gluing along its circumference. You should act fairly quickly so that the animal does not experience discomfort. Do not allow the plaster to rub the skin of the ear - this can provoke irritation. It is also necessary to leave the ear canal open.

Keeping the frame on the ears is allowed no more than 2 weeksbut your veterinarian may recommend extending the course to 30 days.

To avoid unpleasant complications, it is necessary:

• not to allow the experience of the animal;
• to improve the condition of cartilage and the growth of their tissues, introduce dishes using gelatin into the menu - this can be food based on broth or milk.

To activate the processes of strengthening cartilage, it is allowed to use agents containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates, which enhance growth and improve the quality of cartilage. Special drugs with a chondroprotective effect include Hekalan, as well as Fitokhondrovit, Artrophyt and Kinosil.

Sometimes radical intervention is needed. An extreme measure is ear surgery, in which the doctor performs a skin lift and the ear stands unaided.

It is clear when such an operation is ordered by breeders trying to hide pedigree errors from the puppy buyer. In the event that it comes to the prestige of the dog, the owner will have to fully accept the consequences, including lethal ones, on his own conscience. The operation takes place under general anesthesia, and if the animal has a weak heart, liver or kidneys, it may die.

If the terrier is constantly scratching his ears, and this is due to their correction, but at the same time the puppy is full of energy and positive, then the reason for this phenomenon must be sought in the long absence of the owner. It is worth worrying if the baby has painful symptoms. It is wiser to immediately consult a doctor in order to avoid annoying signs, as well as slow down the process of strengthening the young cartilage of the auditory organ. Any pathology can be prevented with periodic care of the animal's ears.

How to carry out the procedure:

• using olive oil, boiled oil or a special product, a clean, soft cloth or napkin, cotton disks;
• when cleaning, the head of the animal is fixed with a hand;
• first, the area inside the ear is cleaned with cooled boiling water and a cotton pad;
• after that, to soften and dissolve, oil is instilled and left for 20-30 seconds;
• then you need to insert a clean tampon into the ear and wait until the product is absorbed together with impurities;
• at the end, you need to wipe the pet's ears dry.

You should not let the development of such a part of the toy terrier's body as ears be left to chance, and an attentive owner perfectly understands the relevance of constantly monitoring the state of the animal. This is necessary for the proper appearance of the dog, but not only, because the health of an animal and a devoted friend for a person is of no less value.

For more information on how to care for a toy terrier, see the next video.