Droopy Ears

[NarniaMals]

As you can see in my pic I have 2 beautiful Alaskan Malamutes - but.... they both have droopy ears.  In all honesty I keep telling myself it shouldn't bother me - no plans to show and I am not a very "cosmetic" type of person.  I have tried searching the net for ideas and have even talked with the vet.  Also spoke with the breeder.  There are droopy ears in the line - ( one dog about 3 generations back) which I knew prior to purchase.  They are brother and sister and play hard together - when they were much younger lots of ear-pulling.  Still a bit now, but not nearly what it once was.  I was just wondering if anyone else has ideas or opinions on what could help or if we are beyond it.  I wouldn't trade them for a million $.  They have the most wonderful temperments and adore one another.  I wouldn't go as far as taping (yikes - they would eat the tape off eachother!)and would not consider surgery of any type.  It doesn't bother me that much - but at one time my duaghter spoke about possibly being interested in dog shows ( we live in AK so the politics are not as bad as in the lower 48) but I believe their ears would ruin their chances.  We have talked weight pull and agility in place of the more formal show world.

Suggestions or insights would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[horsepoor21]

How old are your mals ? I had a husky ( I actually got him in AK , lived in between Wasilla and Palmer for three years ! Miss it so !) , got him when he was almost 4 months old , took two more months before his ears would stand up , maybe your pups aren't old enough yet ? Just a thought . They are adorable by the way ! 

[NarniaMals]

My pups are 10 months old - and I live off the Palmer -Wasilla    We have been here for 5 years and 7 in Noatak before that.  I also have a AK Huskey (Maulgrim) whose ears have always been straight up and seem toooooo big for his head   The Mals came from up in Meadow Lakes and the Huskey is from the Reddingtons in Wasilla.  May need to start running a small team to burn off all their energy.  Jadis had both ears up when we first brough her home, but after a few play sessions with her brother - well... you can see what happened.

(On the side - you probably wouldn't have missed to 20 below last week and then the RAIN today - all our valley snow has melted away again - ohhh and the WIND - Yikes - Vander and I are getting ready for our nightly walk and its probably a good thing he weighs so much - otherwise he might blow away tonight )

Marianne

[NarniaMals]

"You should just tell people you have very unique and rare mals that were bred with floppy ears so the snow does not get inside while sledding" (DANEINSANE)

I LOVE it!  That is exactly what I am going to tell people (if they even ask - right now everyone is so taken with Vander's size I don't think they notice his ears)

And they are truly unique MALS.  Just a hoot to have.  In April they will be one so I think it may be a done deal to have the "rare" mals I have and adore!

Thanks for all the feedback (and for recognizing uniqueness in all the Big Paws of the world!)

Marianne

[GoldenPyrs]

Hi Marianne, I don't have any Mal experience but I just wanted to say that your pups are adorable!

[lookingfornewf]

Your pups are very cute. I have the opposite problem, too bad we can't trade ears I have a Jack Russel whose ears were down when I got her which is the breed standard. Then for a few months she had one up, one down, thought they were going to stay that way. Eventually both went up and stayed up. I wasn't going to show her anyway, she was a rescue from a Humane Society so doesn't have any papers. Just thought I would share another "ear story"

[horsepoor21]

Unfortunetly , I don't get to escape any of the cold weather , here in SD our weather can be quite comparable during the winter months ! We had 50 below wind chills last week with 110 mph wind gusts ! Now this week it's in the 30's , heat wave ! hehe I miss the beautiful scenery though ! I wish I could get my hubby on in the oil rigs or something ,I'd move back !

I'm not sure which kennel my husky was from , he was a Christmas present , but I do know his daddy ran in the Iditerod 

[Jet]

  ;DDroopy ears are special gifts from God! Look at mine!

[GreatPyr]

They are  adorable like they are BUT have you spoken to the vet about maybe tapeing them on the stick like they do dobies when their ears are cropped? sounds like weak cartlidge(SP?),maybe standing them will help the cartlidge to harden and have a chance at standing,IMO it should have been done earlier at 10 months the cartlidge has formed and hardened to a point.

[NarniaMals]

Thanks for all the feedback!  JET - You are so adorable!
Great Pyr - I don't think the taping would help - I have a feelig they would either chew it off eachother or try to get it off themselves.  I talked with the vet - but we are pretty laid back up here and he knows me well enough to know that we are not looking for any major show titles - I have a feeling that we will work toward working events and rally type activites that my 9 year old can do with them.  Thanks for your suggestions! 

[maxsmom]

No help here on the ears.  If any of my dogs ears stood up, I would be worried.  I think your guys are beautiful.  I love their coats.  Wish we had enough winter for mine to keep their winter coats for a while.  Cody is almost through completely blowing his and Jake is about half done losing his.  Life sucks in FL sometimes.
Kathy

[NarniaMals]

Whoosh - I have yet to live through their first coat blows.  It should be quite intersting!  They have beautiful thick coats so I am sure it will be a hairy spring for us!  I can't even imagine my mals in a warmer climate - My husband (who is actually a true Inupiaq Eskimo) has told me I have turned my house into a refrigerator this winter! The mals get "hot" if the temp in the house is over 68.  They would melt in Florida!  Our recent warm spell (47 degree days) has them all messed up!  It was preceeded by a 4 week period of below zero temps in which they seemd very content.