# Rough collie ears



## Floppy Ears (Apr 16, 2011)

Does anyone know anything about rough collie ears?

My pups are not tipping over, she's six months and one has a slight tip but the others pricked.

I read somewhere they can be glued.

I don't know how long for or anything else about it so any help would be gratefully received.


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

years ago i remember my mom was told to use somthing called kaolin (i think that is what it was called). it was like a paste that you put on the tip of the ear and it dried hard. it would weigh the tip of the ears down. i have no idea where you get it from though or even if it is used today for this reason.


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## northnsouth (Nov 17, 2009)

cats galore said:


> years ago i remember my mom was told to use somthing called kaolin (i think that is what it was called). it was like a paste that you put on the tip of the ear and it dried hard. it would weigh the tip of the ears down. i have no idea where you get it from though or even if it is used today for this reason.


A family friend bred Roughs, that is what they did as well. But again this was 20 odd years ago.


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## Floppy Ears (Apr 16, 2011)

I tried blue tack but it fell off!

Maybe I need something a little more permanent like eye lash glue?


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

Floppy Ears said:


> I tried blue tack but it fell off!
> 
> Maybe I need something a little more permanent like eye lash glue?


i personally would search for the kaolin as it is safe for the dogs. you must be able to buy it somewhere - just not sure where i'm afraid.


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## ozrex (Aug 30, 2011)

Try a pharmacy, kaolin is still used for humans occasionally.


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

Hiya, I did alfies through teething until about 8 months and they are perfect now.

Apparently his parents were naturally tipped anyway but he had a flying ear!

I didn't use blu tac but something similar, i used the florist clay that comes on a roll and is green, it used to hold really well and wouldn't fall off, to change it i had to take it off myself!

Good luck.


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

hiya,kaolin , bought from the chemist, and fine sand used to be the norm for keeping ears down. Grease the last third of the ear with it and then dip ear the part of the ear with it on in the sand, remember to shake off any excess.


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

Floppy Ears said:


> Does anyone know anything about rough collie ears?
> 
> My pups are not tipping over, she's six months and one has a slight tip but the others pricked.
> 
> ...


are you in the uk?


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## Floppy Ears (Apr 16, 2011)

Hi, Yes I'm in the Uk.

Is Kaolin the same mixture for upset tums and used to be kaolin and morphine, a pink liquid bought in bottles?


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

no its in a tub, or was, i have some in the cupboard somehere  its a putty like mixture. Ok just found tub its called " kaolin Poultice B.P. 200g.


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## Floppy Ears (Apr 16, 2011)

Thanks ....will pop to the shops.


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## Floppy Ears (Apr 16, 2011)

Would you believe it....no local chemists stock Kaolin Poultice and no local florists sell florists clay and didn't know what I meant. 
When I asked what they used instead she said nothing we don't use it!:mad2:

Will try the local horse supplies shop for the Kaolin. Hopefully they'll have a small enough tub.

Unless anyone's got any other ideas?


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

I got mine online i think.

Maybe the other stuff is online too.


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## Echuca Working Collies (Sep 17, 2012)

Floppy Ears said:


> Does anyone know anything about rough collie ears?
> 
> My pups are not tipping over, she's six months and one has a slight tip but the others pricked.
> 
> ...


Hi

You can use kaolin mixed with glycerol to a cream. Glycerol can be bought on a pharmacy, and kaolin you can try to buy at a pottery-shop, the sell it very cheap.

You can also try to tape the ears - here are a link that explain how to do it : Bracing Puppy Ears

Sincerely
Elisabeth


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## sketch (Sep 19, 2009)

Could I be permitted to ask why you want to alter the ears ???
Cheers x


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

sketch said:


> Could I be permitted to ask why you want to alter the ears ???
> Cheers x


It's not a huge alteration, in the standard and long ago they should have the top part of the ear tipped and not a prick ear.


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## sketch (Sep 19, 2009)

Thanks Emma xx


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## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

I had to 'glue' popp ears when she was teething as they got a bit waivery- it was a collie exhibitor that told me what to use... It's called copydex, althought not 100% sure of the spelling 
It didn't bother pop in the slightest- although je did how the impression that she knew she looked ridiculous! 

Ad it can be go in the likes of easons, and sometimes the post office!?


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

sketch said:


> Thanks Emma xx


Thats ok.

It also gives the rough collie the lovely expression too. Ive had prick eared ones before i knew it could be so simple and it adds to the eye expression as well. X


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

my first collie many years ago i left it too late and his were pricked, but glen my next boy also along time ago i tried chewing gum which i started to use when he was teething. it weighs down the tip and i know i kept it on a long while. apparently the ear starts to straighten up when they are teething and this is the time to start training the ear to go over.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

....by the way you do chew the gum first.


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## sketch (Sep 19, 2009)

emmaviolet said:


> Thats ok.
> 
> It also gives the rough collie the lovely expression too. Ive had prick eared ones before i knew it could be so simple and it adds to the eye expression as well. X


I was being nosy, I like to know about different breeds etc and what is correct and not correct within different breeds, such as eat sets xxx


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

sketch said:


> I was being nosy, I like to know about different breeds etc and what is correct and not correct within different breeds, such as eat sets xxx


Haha me too!

I'm very nosey.

The origanal use of the tipped ear though i think is when they were a herding a breed for them to filter through the noise of the sheep/cows etc.

I could be wrong but m pretty sure. Evolution obviously means they don't need them and they started to prick but alfies were very easy to do with a tiny blob of blu tac type stuff.

If you are interested you could google it and see the great effort some american collie breeders/owners go to for the perfectly placed ears!


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## sketch (Sep 19, 2009)

Whoops that should say Ear sets ha ha xxx


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

my sheltie friend uses plumbers mate, similar to blu tack but softer in texture.
Why anyone would want to tape or brace rough collies ears is beyond me , In america its the norm!


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

another sheltie friend uses this, but you do need to massage it in to make the muscle supple
Ko-Cho-Line Leather Dressing - 225g


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

dexter said:


> my sheltie friend uses plumbers mate, similar to blu tack but softer in texture.
> Why anyone would want to tape or brace rough collies ears is beyond me , In america its the norm!


I know, somewhere i saw that they change it every week to every few days, seems too extreme to me. Especially when a little blu tac stuff will do the trick!


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

emmaviolet said:


> I know, somewhere i saw that they change it every eek to every few days, seems too extreme to me. Especially when a little blu tac stuff will do the trick!


i asked on a us forum if they did it to all the pups? seems they do .


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## shetlandlover (Dec 6, 2011)

weighing ear down.wmv - YouTube

It's a sheltie in the video but it will show you how to use it.


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

dexter said:


> i asked on a us forum if they did it to all the pups? seems they do .


Good grief, seems far too extreme.

I know melissa on here has a us rough but she didn't know what to do re ears so i just told her what I did.

I know they have much larger ears then the uk collies, i couldn't imagine doing all of that to a pup ears though. I used to take off the small bit on alfies er when he went to the vets in case he said anything!


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

emmaviolet said:


> Good grief, seems far too extreme.
> 
> I know melissa on here has a us rough but she didn't know what to do re ears so i just told her what I did.
> 
> I know they have much larger ears then the uk collies, i couldn't imagine doing all of that to a pup ears though. I used to take off the small bit on alfies er when he went to the vets in case he said anything!


i remember going to the vets many moons ago with a bitch who had a weighed down ear. Vet said " omg whats the matter with her ear " lol.


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## Bobbie (May 3, 2008)

Oh just I do agree that it does add to the "collie " look Bracken has always had the correct ears from the day we picked him up ( 8 weeks ) he is now 5 years so I don't think his ears will change.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

reading about people using kaolin poultice reminds me when i was young, you used it for eradicating boils lol


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

jenny armour said:


> reading about people using kaolin poultice reminds me when i was young, you used it for eradicating boils lol


lol yeah and carbunkles, had one on my bum lol


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## Firedog (Oct 19, 2011)

Someone told me to use Copydex on my pups ears.


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

Bjt said:


> Someone told me to use Copydex on my pups ears.


Oooohi'd hate that, i can't stand the smell!

Also how would you get it off?


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## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

emmaviolet said:


> Oooohi'd hate that, i can't stand the smell!
> 
> Also how would you get it off?


With popp it just fell off after about 4 days, so I was reapplied a day later and so on for 2 weeks. I didn't notice a smell


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## Floppy Ears (Apr 16, 2011)

Finally found some florists clay from the large hobby shop.

Put a "blob" on her ear and its working!

Just the very tip to start with but now it's about a third tipped.

Fingers crossed its going to work in the long term.

Thanks everyone for your ideas.....


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## emmaviolet (Oct 24, 2011)

Glad you found it and its working.

I only put a blob on alfies and it worked a treat so you might not need it weighted so much.


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