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Watch the video guide to floppy dog ears and find out the latest scientific research and studies that will teach you the facts about this shape of dog ears. š š¶
If you want to learn more, visit the source article by Doggozila Magazine on the link below: š
š https://doggozila.com/floppy-dog-ears/
š
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0:00
Hey there and welcome to the explainer.
0:02
You know that feeling when you're
0:03
petting a dog and you get to those super
0:05
soft, floppy ears? I mean, what is it
0:08
about them? We just can't get enough,
0:10
right? Well, today we're going to unpack
0:12
the science, the history, and just the
0:14
pure charm behind one of the most
0:16
adorable traits in the entire animal
0:18
kingdom. So, have you ever actually
0:20
stopped and thought about it? Like, why
0:22
are your dog's ears so soft and floppy
0:25
when their ancestor, the wolf, has those
0:27
super sharp, pointy ears? It's a great
0:29
question, and that's exactly what we're
0:31
diving into. We're going to follow the
0:32
genetic breadcrumbs, meet some of the
0:34
most famous floppy eared breeds out
0:36
there, and hey, we'll even get into the
0:38
nitty-gritty of how to keep those ears
0:39
healthy. All right, let's kick things
0:41
off with the science of the flop. You
0:44
might think those adorable ears are just
0:46
a random cute little feature, but nope.
0:48
It's actually this incredible story
0:51
written right into their DNA. A story
0:53
that goes all the way back to the very
0:54
first moments humans and dogs became
0:56
friends.
0:58
So, it all boils down to this really
1:00
cool idea called domestication syndrome.
1:03
Now, here's the kicker. Our ancestors
1:05
weren't trying to breed dogs with floppy
1:07
ears. Not at all. They were just picking
1:09
the friendliest, calmst animals to hang
1:11
around with. But it turns out when you
1:13
select for friendliness, other traits
1:15
kind of come along for the ride. It's
1:17
like a genetic package deal. Things like
1:19
floppy ears and spotted fur just
1:21
appeared. And we know this for sure
1:23
because of this famous Russian fox
1:25
experiment where they bred foxes only
1:27
for tameness. And guess what? In just a
1:30
handful of generations, they started
1:31
getting floppy ears. Okay, so you're
1:34
probably wondering, what's the
1:35
connection between a friendly
1:36
personality and floppy ears? Well, the
1:39
answer is these tiny little biological
1:41
superheroes called neural crust cells.
1:44
Seriously, think of them as the master
1:45
builders inside a developing puppy.
1:47
They're stem cells that are responsible
1:49
for creating all sorts of things from
1:51
the adrenal glands, you know, the things
1:52
that control the whole fight orflight
1:54
response, all the way to the cartilage
1:55
that makes up their ears. So, let's
1:57
connect the dots here. It's actually a
1:59
pretty amazing journey from wolf to
2:01
woof. Your typical wild wolf, right? It
2:04
needs those sharp, pointy, alert ears
2:06
for hunting and survival. But as early
2:08
humans started picking the calmer,
2:10
friendlier wolves, we were without even
2:12
knowing it selecting for animals with
2:15
less intense neural crust cell activity.
2:17
This had two big effects. First, smaller
2:21
adrenal glands, which made them less
2:22
fearful. And second, you guessed it,
2:24
softer ear cartilage that just didn't
2:26
have the stiffness to stand up. And just
2:28
like that, voila, the floppy ear was
2:30
born. And get this, scientists have
2:33
actually found the genetic recipe for
2:35
it. They've pinpointed a specific spot
2:37
in the DNA right near a gene called
2:40
MSRB3.
2:41
The best way to think about it is like a
2:43
volume dial for ear growth. So, one
2:45
setting on the dial gives you those
2:47
classic simple drop ears. But you crank
2:49
that dial way up, that's when you get
2:51
the incredible extra-l long velvety ears
2:53
of a bassad hound or a cocker spananiel.
2:55
It's literally all written in their
2:57
code. All right, so we've totally geeked
2:59
out on the how. Now, let's get to the
3:01
who. It is time for a floppy eared
3:04
gallery celebrating all the amazing
3:06
breeds that are famous for their droopy
3:07
ears. First up, let's hear it for the
3:10
longeared league. I mean, these guys are
3:12
the icons, the rock stars of floppy
3:14
ears. You've got the super elegant,
3:17
feathery ears of the setters and
3:18
spananiels. And then you have the
3:20
powerful, ground sweeping ears of bassad
3:22
hounds and blood hounds. For these
3:24
breeds, that dramatic droop is their
3:26
signature look. But hey, floppy doesn't
3:29
always mean super long. Let's talk about
3:32
the short and sweet squad. These breeds
3:34
have more subtle but honestly just as
3:36
charming drop ears. We're talking about
3:38
some terriers, pugs, even Australian
3:41
shepherds. And of course, the fan
3:44
favorite Labrador Retriever. It just
3:46
goes to show you this adorable trait
3:48
really does come in all shapes and
3:50
sizes. And you know what's really cool?
3:52
For a lot of these breeds, those ears
3:54
aren't just for looking cute. They're
3:56
for work. Seriously, take a scent hound
3:59
like a beagle. Those long ears are
4:01
basically high-tech scent scooping
4:03
tools. As the beagle runs, its ears
4:05
literally sweep smells up from the
4:07
ground and funnel them right to its
4:09
nose. How brilliant is that? Okay, you
4:12
knew this was coming. With great
4:14
cuteness comes great responsibility,
4:17
right? The thing about those wonderful
4:19
floppy ears is that they create this
4:22
warm, dark, moist environment, which
4:25
unfortunately is the perfect place for
4:27
trouble to brew. So, they definitely
4:30
need a little extra TLC from us to stay
4:32
healthy and happy. So, if you have a
4:34
floppy ear dog, this is absolutely
4:36
crucial stuff to know. Let's do a quick
4:38
check. A healthy ear, it's going to be
4:40
clean, pink, and have no real odor. But
4:42
an infected one, you're going to see
4:44
redness and swelling. You might notice a
4:46
nasty, yeasty smell, and you'll
4:48
definitely see your dog shaking its head
4:50
a lot or scratching in its ears. And if
4:52
you see any brown or yellowish
4:53
discharge, that's a huge red flag that
4:55
an infection is probably starting. So,
4:58
how do you clean those ears safely? It's
5:00
actually pretty easy. First, you gently
5:03
lift up the ear flap. Then, you put in
5:06
some vet approved cleaning solution.
5:08
Next comes the fun part. Massage the
5:10
base of the ear. You should hear a
5:12
little squish squish sound. After that,
5:14
stand back cuz they're going to shake it
5:16
all out. Then, just take a cotton ball
5:18
and wipe the inner flap. And the most
5:21
important step of all, finish with a ton
5:24
of treats and praise. You got to make it
5:26
a good experience for them. All right,
5:28
we're heading into the home stretch.
5:29
It's time for some ears to the future
5:31
talk, which means debunking some myths
5:34
and looking ahead. Okay, let's do some
5:37
rapidfire myth busting. Pow! Myth number
5:39
one, floppy ears mean bad hearing. Fact:
5:42
Nope. They just locate sound a little
5:44
differently. Myth number two, a dog's
5:46
ears clean themselves. Fact: Oh,
5:49
absolutely not. That's a dangerous one.
5:50
They trap moisture and 100% need our
5:52
help. And myth number three, floppy ears
5:54
mean you're getting a calm dog. Fact? No
5:56
way. A dog's personality is all about
5:58
their training and socialization. It has
6:00
nothing to do with their ear shape. And
6:02
just when you thought bassad hound ears
6:04
were the longest things you'd ever seen,
6:06
get this. The world record for the
6:08
longest dog ears ever belongs to a blood
6:10
hound named Tiger. Are you ready for
6:13
this? His right ear measured a
6:15
staggering 13 and 3/4 in long. That is
6:18
literally longer than a ruler. So what's
6:20
the big takeaway here? Science can
6:23
totally explain the how, the genetics,
6:25
the history, all of it. But really, the
6:28
simple, pure joy these dogs bring into
6:31
our lives, well, that explains the why.
6:34
It's why we love them, why we take care
6:36
of them, and why we'll keep cherishing
6:38
our amazing floppy eared friends for,
6:40
well, hopefully forever. So, what do you
6:43
think the future holds for? And we've
6:45
got to give a big shout out to Dogazilla
6:47
magazine. They were the source for all
6:48
the great info in this explainer. And
6:51
that's a wrap for this edition of the
6:52
explainer. Thanks so much for hanging
6:54
out with us and we'll catch you next
6:56
time for another deep dive.
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