Trimming the ears

[SheltieStar]

How far down on the back of the ear do you trim? On the back of the ear toward the base (but attached to the ear) there are some long hairs that often stick out, especially on Jackson who has hound ears. This hair doesn't seem to flow with the ruff. I cut it once, but the breeder said it was part of the ruff and should be left alone.

 

[corbinam]

I'm definitely far from an expert (still learning!) but I think when it comes to the hair farther down from the ear tip, the key is to blend, not cut.

I use thinning shears and first brush the hair out so I can see the line of the hair (where the majority of the hair goes, usually in a curve) and I use the thinning shears to blend any long pieces that stick out.

The only place on the ear that I use scissors (and not thinning shears) is the tip...but I'm still learning so I like being safe rather than sorry!

 

[BarbV]

Well, it actually depends on the "set" of the ears.

Bacca has "hound ears" so I tend not to trim the back of his ears too much. This gives him the "illusion" of higher pricked ears. I do trim around the edges though regularly.

Indy's ears are just slightly pricked, but small in size and very thick, so I tend to trim his ears more than Bacca's.

My technique though is to continually use the slicker and thinning shears - alternating between each cut.

As for trimming around the ear itself, there was a thread posted by one our European members. She posted a video. I found it helpful as a starting point for learning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEKuAlcPbzY