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This episode is all about floppy dog ears. We will look at the new science behind them. You will see how dogs got them. We will learn how to care for them. Also we will also share fun facts about our floppy-eared friends.
To read the full articles by Doggozila Magazine jump on this link below: 👇
https://doggozila.com/floppy-dog-ears/
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0:00
Woof woof to all the brigaders and
0:01
welcome to another episode of the Bark
0:03
Brigade podcast by Dogazilla magazine.
0:05
>> It is fantastic to be back and I have to
0:07
say listening to that introduction. You
0:09
have certainly brought the caffeine
0:11
today.
0:11
>> I had to look usually we're tackling
0:14
these heavy sometimes you know somber
0:16
topics. We've done nutrition. We've done
0:18
behavioral issues. We've done the
0:20
history of the leash. But today
0:22
>> today feels different.
0:23
>> Today I feel like we are just allowed to
0:26
be fans. We get to just enjoy this one.
0:28
Fans of what? Makes sense.
0:30
>> Fans of the flop. We are talking about
0:32
floppy dog ears. And I don't care who
0:35
you are. I don't care if you're the
0:37
toughest, most stoic person on the
0:39
planet.
0:39
>> Mhm.
0:40
>> If a golden retriever runs up to you and
0:43
those ears are doing that slap slap slap
0:45
rhythm against their head, you are going
0:47
to smile.
0:48
>> You are.
0:48
>> It is a biological imperative. You can't
0:50
fight it.
0:51
>> It really is. There is something
0:52
universally disarming about it. It's
0:54
tactile. It's visual. It's the velvet
0:57
texture. or the way they, you know,
0:58
frame the face.
0:59
>> Oh, the texture is everything.
1:01
>> It's arguably the defining feature of
1:03
what we as humans classify as cute,
1:05
>> right? But here's the thing, and this is
1:08
why I love this show. I was prepping for
1:10
this, thinking, "Okay, this is going to
1:12
be a fluff piece. We're just going to
1:14
look at pictures of beagles and say,
1:15
"Ah," for an hour,
1:16
>> which we still might do.
1:18
>> We might. But then I open the dossier
1:19
you sent over, specifically this source
1:21
material, the science and charm of
1:23
floppy dog ears, and wow,
1:25
>> it is not a fluff piece. It is
1:27
absolutely not. I mean, we are talking
1:28
about hardcore molecular genetics. We
1:31
are talking about evolutionary biology,
1:32
something called uh domestication
1:34
syndrome.
1:35
>> Yep.
1:36
>> And we are talking about a pretty
1:37
intense medical reality that I think
1:39
most dog owners, myself included, are
1:41
completely oblivious to.
1:43
>> That is the goal of the deep dive,
1:45
right? To take something that seems
1:46
simple on the surface, like a floppy
1:48
ear, and peel back the layers to see the
1:51
machinery underneath.
1:52
>> The machinery is complicated. It is
1:54
because the reality is the floppy ear is
1:56
a biological anomaly. In the grand
1:59
scheme of nature, it arguably shouldn't
2:01
exist.
2:02
>> That is a tease if I've ever heard one.
2:04
It shouldn't exist.
2:06
>> So, our mission today is to unpack why
2:09
it does exist, how we accidentally
2:11
engineered it, and then crucially, how
2:13
to keep these things healthy, right?
2:15
>> Because apparently they are a bit of a
2:17
design flaw when it comes to hygiene.
2:18
>> A significant design flaw. Yes. But we
2:21
will get to that.
2:21
>> Okay. Let's start with the why. Section
2:24
one of our outline, the genetic
2:26
blueprint. I think for most people,
2:29
myself included, we just assume dogs
2:32
have floppy ears because they're dogs.
2:34
It's just the dog thing.
2:35
>> It feels fundamental.
2:36
>> It does. But this source mentions a
2:38
massive study from early 2026 that
2:41
suggests we didn't actually understand
2:42
the mechanics of this until like 5
2:45
minutes ago.
2:46
>> It is surprisingly recent. I mean, we
2:47
have known that domestication changes
2:49
air shape for a long time. Darwin
2:50
noticed it. or noticed everything
2:52
>> I did. But knowing that something
2:54
happens is very different from
2:56
understanding the molecular how you know
2:58
what's the actual switch being flipped.
3:00
>> So what changed in 2026? What was the
3:03
breakthrough?
3:03
>> Technology and scale. This study didn't
3:06
just look at a handful of Labradors.
3:08
They sequenced the genomes of over 3,000
3:11
cannids.
3:12
>> Canades. So not just dogs.
3:14
>> Exactly. And that's important. They
3:16
looked at wolves, coyotes, and domestic
3:18
dogs across the entire spectrum. They
3:21
wanted to compare the wild blueprint,
3:23
>> the original file.
3:24
>> The original file, yes, with the
3:25
domestic blueprint to see exactly where
3:27
the the typo was, where the code got
3:30
changed.
3:30
>> A typo in the code. I love that image.
3:32
And they found it.
3:33
>> They did. After filtering through
3:34
millions of genetic markers, they zeroed
3:37
in on a very specific region of the DNA.
3:40
It's located near a gene called MSRB3.
3:43
>> MSRB3.
3:44
>> Okay, now this is where it gets nuanced,
3:46
so stick with me. MSRB3 is a gene known
3:49
to be involved in hearing. If you knock
3:51
it out completely, you often get
3:53
deafness,
3:54
>> which would be bad.
3:55
>> Very bad. A major evolutionary
3:57
disadvantage. But they found that the
3:58
mutation wasn't inside the gene itself.
4:00
The gene was working fine. The change
4:02
was in the DNA sitting right next to it.
4:04
>> Okay, help me out here. I'm not a
4:06
geneticist.
4:07
>> If the gene is the thing that does the
4:09
work, why does the stuff next to it
4:11
matter?
4:11
>> That's a great question.
4:13
>> The source used this recipe analogy,
4:14
which I thought was helpful, but can we
4:16
break that down? Let's use the recipe
4:17
analogy, but let's make it more
4:19
specific. Imagine the MSRB3 gene is a
4:22
recipe for ear structure.
4:25
In a wolf, the recipe is very strict. It
4:28
says, "Build a stiff cartilage
4:31
structure. Make it stand upright. Stop
4:33
when it is 4 in high."
4:35
>> Right. Prick years, the survival gear,
4:38
the ones that can pivot and listen.
4:39
>> Exactly. That is the default. That is
4:42
what nature selects for. Because in the
4:44
wild, you need to hear a twig snap 300
4:46
yard away. It's life or death.
4:48
>> Okay?
4:49
>> But in domestic dogs, the DNA next to
4:52
the recipe, let's call it the chef's
4:53
notes in the margin, has been scribbled
4:56
all over.
4:56
>> So the recipe is the same, but the
4:58
instructions on how to use it are
5:00
different. Like someone added double the
5:02
sugar or bake for an extra hour.
5:03
>> Precisely. This is what we call
5:05
regulatory DNA. It doesn't change the
5:07
protein being made. It changes how much
5:09
is made or when it gets made or how
5:11
fast. So, it's a control panel for the
5:12
gene.
5:13
>> It's a control panel. The source uses
5:15
the factory dial analogy, which I think
5:17
is even better for visualizing the
5:19
length issue.
5:20
>> I like the dial. Yeah, let's do that.
5:22
>> Picture a factory line producing ear
5:23
cartilage cells. The MSRB3 gene is the
5:27
machine making the cells. In a wolf, the
5:30
dial is set to a moderate five. It makes
5:32
enough cells for the ear to stand up and
5:34
then it shuts off.
5:36
>> Efficient. Very German engineering.
5:38
>> Very efficient. Oh,
5:39
>> in a floppy ear dog, that regulatory
5:42
DNA, that dial has been turned up.
5:44
Someone came along and cranked it
5:46
>> to what?
5:46
>> It depends on the dog, but it boosts the
5:49
gene's activity. The machine is now
5:51
cranking out cells faster and for a
5:53
longer period of time.
5:54
>> So, you're getting an over production of
5:56
material. It's not a different material,
5:58
just more of it.
5:59
>> Yes, you are producing so much ear
6:01
tissue, so much cartilage and skin that
6:04
the structural integrity can't support
6:06
the weight. The cartilage is still
6:07
there, but there's just too much ear for
6:09
it to stand up against gravity.
6:11
>> So, it flops.
6:11
>> It flops.
6:12
>> That makes so much sense. So, it's not
6:13
that the ear is broken, it's that it's
6:15
excessive. It's overengineered.
6:17
>> It is exuberant. And the really
6:19
fascinating finding in this 2026 study
6:21
was that they didn't just find one
6:23
change. It wasn't just a binary switch
6:25
up or down.
6:26
>> They found that different mutations in
6:29
this regulatory region act like
6:30
different settings on the dial.
6:32
>> This explains the variety, right? The
6:34
difference between a beagle and a bassad
6:36
hound.
6:36
>> Exactly. One mutation might turn the
6:39
dial to a seven. That gives you a
6:41
beagle. It's floppy. It's cute, but it's
6:43
manageable. Another mutation might turn
6:45
the dial all the way to an 11.
6:47
>> It's my tap.
6:48
>> It goes to 11. And that gives you the
6:50
blood hound or the basset where the ear
6:52
is literally cascading down the neck.
6:55
>> So, a blood hound is basically a genetic
6:57
factory where the foreman fell asleep on
6:59
the makear button.
7:00
>> Well, essentially, yes. And this is
7:02
crucial for breeders. This is the
7:04
practical application of the science,
7:06
>> right? The so what factor.
7:08
>> Why should a breeder care about the
7:10
MSRB3 gene and its its neighbors?
7:13
>> Because genetics is messy. Genes are
7:16
packed tight on chromosomes. Very often
7:19
if you are breeding for a specific look,
7:21
say you want a smaller dog, you might be
7:23
selecting a gene that is physically
7:25
located right next door to the ear gene.
7:27
>> The package deal. You select for one
7:29
thing, you get another for free whether
7:31
you wanted it or not.
7:32
>> Exactly. This is called linkage. By
7:35
mapping these specific markers for ear
7:37
length, breeders can now separate the
7:40
variables. They can test for it.
7:41
>> So they can be more precise,
7:43
>> infinitely more precise. They can try to
7:45
keep the cute floppy look without
7:47
accidentally dragging along a gene that
7:49
causes, say, joint problems or deafness.
7:53
It moves breeding from guessing to
7:56
architecting.
7:57
>> That is incredible. It's like having a
7:59
map of the wiring instead of just
8:00
flipping switches in the dark and hoping
8:01
the house doesn't burn down.
8:02
>> A very apt metaphor.
8:04
>> Okay. So, that is the mechanism. That is
8:06
the biological machine. But there was a
8:08
bigger, more philosophical question
8:10
here. Why did the dial get turned up in
8:12
the first place? You mentioned wolves
8:14
have upright ears for survival. It's a
8:17
critical tool. Why on earth would we
8:19
want a dog with ears that block its own
8:22
hearing? This leads us to section two,
8:25
domestication syndrome. This is one of
8:27
the most compelling stories in all of
8:29
evolutionary science. It addresses the
8:31
fundamental question. Did humans choose
8:34
floppy ears?
8:35
>> And the answer is no. Is that what I'm
8:38
gathering?
8:39
>> The answer is almost certainly no. At
8:41
least not initially. When our ancestors
8:43
were sitting around campfires 15,000 or
8:46
20,000 years ago trying to tame wolves,
8:48
they were not worried about aesthetics.
8:49
They didn't care about cute. They
8:51
weren't thinking, "Oh, that one will
8:52
look adorable on a calendar."
8:53
>> They cared about not being eaten. Yeah.
8:55
and maybe having a partner to help hunt.
8:57
>> Correct. They were selecting for one
8:59
thing and one thing only, tameness. They
9:02
wanted an animal that had a lower flight
9:04
or fight distance. An animal that
9:06
wouldn't panic when a human approached
9:08
and wouldn't attack when it was
9:09
startled.
9:10
>> So, they just picked the chillest wolves
9:11
and bred them together.
9:13
>> You seem less likely to bite my face
9:14
off. Come over here.
9:16
>> That's basically it. But biology is
9:18
interconnected. It's a web. You can't
9:20
just change one thing without causing
9:22
ripples to spread through the whole
9:23
system. This is where the famous Russian
9:26
fox experiment comes in.
9:28
>> I have heard bits and pieces of this,
9:29
but walk us through it. This was in the
9:31
1950s, right? In Siberia.
9:32
>> Yes. Starting in 1959, a Soviet
9:35
geneticist named Dimmitri Bell. He had
9:38
this brilliant idea. He wanted to
9:41
recreate the domestication of the dog in
9:43
real time, but on an accelerated
9:45
schedule.
9:45
>> Oh.
9:46
>> He used silver foxes, wild aggressive
9:50
animals effectively. He set up a very
9:52
strict breeding program. The only rule
9:54
was be nice,
9:55
>> only behavior. He developed a simple
9:58
test. He would put a gloved hand into
9:59
the cage. If the fox attacked the hand,
10:02
it was out of the breeding program. If
10:03
the fox cowed in fear at the back of the
10:05
cage, it was also out. He only bred the
10:07
ones that showed curiosity or tolerance,
10:09
the ones that came forward, maybe
10:11
sniffed the glove,
10:12
>> the brave but friendly ones,
10:13
>> the nice ones. He did this generation
10:15
after generation. And remarkably
10:17
quickly, within just 10 generations or
10:19
so, the foxes changed completely.
10:21
>> 10 generations isn't very long. in
10:23
evolutionary terms.
10:24
>> It's a blink of an eye. And these foxes
10:26
started wagging their tails when humans
10:28
approached. They started whining for
10:30
attention. They licked the scientist's
10:32
hands.
10:33
>> They became dogs. They turned into
10:34
little fox dogs
10:35
>> behaviorally. Yes. But then the physical
10:38
changes appeared. And Bolivia didn't
10:39
select for these. He wasn't choosing for
10:41
looks at all. They just happened.
10:43
>> What kind of changes?
10:44
>> The foxes started getting white patches
10:47
on their fur, especially on their faces
10:48
and chests. Their tails started curling
10:51
up over their backs. Their snouts got
10:53
shorter, more puppy-like, and most
10:55
importantly for us, their ears started
10:57
to flop.
10:58
>> Wow. So, the floppy ear is a side
11:00
effect. It's not the goal. It's just
11:03
bogage that comes along with being
11:04
friendly.
11:05
>> It is a side effect. It is the
11:06
biological receipt for tameness. And we
11:09
know why now. It all comes down to a
11:11
special class of cells called neural
11:13
crest cells.
11:14
>> This sounds important. This sounds like
11:16
the missing link between being nice and
11:18
having floppy ears. What are neural
11:21
crest cells?
11:22
>> Think of them as a roving construction
11:24
crew in the early embryo. These are
11:26
powerful stem cells that start out near
11:28
the developing spinal cord and then they
11:30
migrate all over the body to build
11:32
different very important structures.
11:34
>> Okay. So, what's on their to-do list?
11:36
What are they building?
11:36
>> A lot. And this is the key. They build
11:39
the adrenal glands which sit on top of
11:41
the kidneys and produce adrenaline, the
11:44
fight orflight hormone.
11:45
>> Okay, that's a direct link to tameness.
11:47
>> A direct link. They also build the
11:49
pigment cells for the skin and fur. They
11:52
build parts of the jaws and facial
11:54
bones. And they build the cartilage of
11:57
the ear.
11:57
>> I think I see the connection now.
11:59
>> It's like one contractor is responsible
12:01
for the foundation, the wiring and the
12:03
roof.
12:04
>> It is. So to get a tame animal, you are
12:07
selecting for low fear. That means you
12:09
want smaller, less active adrenal
12:11
glands. You want less adrenaline pumping
12:13
through the system. So, you dial down
12:15
the construction crew responsible for
12:16
building the adrenal glands.
12:18
>> Exactly. You genetically select for a
12:20
lazy or mild neural crest crew. You're
12:23
selecting for neural crest cells that
12:24
don't migrate as far or multiply as
12:26
much. But if the crew is too tired to
12:28
build big adrenal glands,
12:30
>> they're also too tired to finish their
12:31
other jobs properly.
12:32
>> They cut corners.
12:33
>> They cut corners.
12:34
>> They don't put enough pigment in all the
12:36
right places, so you get white spots.
12:38
They don't build the jaw out fully, so
12:40
you get a shorter, more juvenile snout.
12:42
and they don't lay down enough rigid,
12:45
strong cartilage in the ear to make it
12:47
stand up against gravity.
12:49
>> That is mindblowing. So when I look at a
12:51
cocker spaniel's ears, I'm not just
12:53
seeing cute. I'm physically seeing the
12:56
evidence that its adrenal glands are
12:59
smaller than a wolf's.
13:00
>> You are seeing the mark of friendship.
13:02
You are seeing the physical evidence
13:03
that this animal's entire system has
13:05
been rewired to not fear you, to coexist
13:08
with you.
13:09
>> That completely changes how I look at my
13:10
dog. It's like the flop is a flag of
13:13
surrender, but in a good way, a
13:15
cooperative way.
13:15
>> In a symbiotic way. It's a sign that
13:17
they have entered our world and in doing
13:19
so they've changed physically.
13:21
>> But humans being humans, we didn't just
13:24
leave it at accidental side effect. Once
13:26
we saw these floppy ears, we started
13:28
finding uses for them. We started to to
13:31
shape them.
13:32
>> That's right.
13:33
>> Which brings us to section three. Form
13:35
follows function.
13:36
>> Right. Evolution is opportunistic and
13:38
humans are even more so. We got these
13:40
floppy ears by accident, but then we
13:42
realized, hey, wait a minute. This
13:43
actually helps with certain jobs. We
13:46
started selecting for them
13:47
intentionally.
13:48
>> So, we took the dial that nature turned
13:50
up by accident and we started
13:52
fine-tuning it for our own purposes.
13:53
>> We did. We became the primary selective
13:55
pressure.
13:56
>> Let's talk about the sen hounds first.
13:58
Yeah, the blood hounds, the bassets,
14:00
because this is the most extreme
14:01
example. I always thought the long ears
14:02
were just sad, like they looked
14:05
mournful, but you're saying they are
14:07
actually high-tech equipment. They are
14:08
absolutely tools. They are as much a
14:11
piece of hunting equipment as the dog's
14:13
nose. If you watch a blood hound track,
14:14
they put their nose to the ground. When
14:16
they do that, those massive, heavy ears
14:18
fall forward.
14:19
>> They curtain the face. It's like they're
14:20
wearing blinders.
14:22
>> Yes. And as the dog moves, the tips of
14:25
the ears drag along the ground or sweep
14:27
just above it. The source compares it to
14:30
a broom or a feather duster.
14:31
>> A broom? How so?
14:33
>> Like a broom sweeping dust into a
14:35
dustpan. The ears physically stir up
14:37
microscopic scent particles, skin cells,
14:41
sweat, crushed grass, and waft them
14:44
upward
14:44
>> directly toward the nose.
14:46
>> Exactly. They are creating a turbulent
14:48
cloud of scent right in front of the
14:50
nostrils. They are actively feeding data
14:52
into their own supercomput nose.
14:54
>> That is genius. That is incredible. And
14:57
the source mentioned something about a
14:58
cone, a cone of silence,
15:00
>> a scent cone. Because the ears are so
15:03
large and they hang so close to the
15:04
eyes, they act like blinders on a horse.
15:06
They block peripheral vision
15:08
>> so they can't get distracted by a
15:09
squirrel running by.
15:10
>> Correct. And the heavy leather muffles
15:12
ambient sound. It dampens the noise of
15:13
the world.
15:14
>> So it's sensory deprivation for
15:16
everything except smell.
15:17
>> Focus sensory deprivation. It blocks the
15:19
eyes, blocks the ears, and forces the
15:21
brain to process only one input. Smell.
15:24
It turns the dog into a nose with legs.
15:27
>> That is incredible design. H
15:29
>> what about the water dogs? The labs, the
15:31
Chesapeakes, the poodles. Their ears
15:33
aren't dragging on the ground.
15:35
>> No, theirs are different. They are
15:36
usually shorter, lighter, and sit closer
15:39
to the head. For them, the function is a
15:41
seal. A gasket.
15:43
>> A gasket.
15:44
>> If you are a Labrador retriever, your
15:45
job is to dive into freezing cold water
15:48
to get a duck. You do not want that icy
15:50
water rushing deep into your ear canal.
15:52
>> That would cause an infection, right? Or
15:54
just be really unpleasant. It causes
15:55
disorientation, hypothermia, and
15:57
infection. The drop ear acts like a lid.
16:01
It clamps down when they hit the water,
16:03
protecting the inner ear from the sudden
16:05
influx of water and debris. It keeps the
16:07
delicate machinery safe.
16:08
>> And the spananiels, the ones flushing
16:10
birds in the brush.
16:12
>> Protection from trauma. If you are a
16:14
springer spananiel or a cockpananiel,
16:16
your job is to run head first into a
16:18
brier patch to flush birds, right? You
16:20
don't want an upright open ear acting
16:22
like a funnel for thorns and sharp
16:23
sticks. A long silky feathered ear flap
16:27
protects the delicate canal from getting
16:29
punctured or filled with burrs.
16:31
>> So, we took this accidental tameness
16:33
trait and we specialized it. We bred the
16:36
factory dial to different settings based
16:38
on the job description. Longer for
16:40
hounds, tighter for retrievers.
16:43
>> Exactly. We took over from nature and
16:45
became the sculptors. And in some cases,
16:47
we just bred for looks,
16:48
>> like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
16:50
>> Exactly. We just liked the way it
16:52
looked, so we exaggerated it,
16:54
>> which gives us the insane variety we
16:56
have today.
16:56
>> Yeah.
16:57
>> Section four, the diversity of the drop
17:00
ear. I admit I usually just say floppy
17:03
ears. But the pros, the people in the
17:05
show ring, they have specific terms,
17:07
don't they?
17:07
>> They do. And the terminology tells you a
17:09
lot about the structure. In the show
17:11
ring, you will hear drop ear, which is a
17:13
general term, but you'll also hear
17:15
pendant ear or folded ear.
17:18
>> What's a pendant ear? That sounds like
17:19
jewelry.
17:20
>> It basically is. That's your basset
17:22
hound or blood hound. The ear is long,
17:24
heavy, and hangs straight down like a
17:26
pendant on a necklace. There's very
17:28
little lift at the base.
17:29
>> Okay, so that's the longeared group, the
17:31
hounds and the spananiels. The key
17:32
feature is the weight, the leathery
17:35
feel,
17:35
>> right? And the feathering on spananiels,
17:38
the silky texture. It's a whole
17:39
aesthetic.
17:40
>> Then you have the shorteared group,
17:42
>> right? Think of the terriers like the
17:43
border terrier or the fox terrier or
17:46
some of the hering breeds like the
17:48
Shetland sheep dog. Their ears aren't
17:50
heavy drapes. They often stand up
17:52
halfway and then fold over at the tip.
17:54
That's a folded ear or sometimes a
17:57
button ear,
17:58
>> like a little button on a coat. That's
17:59
cute.
17:59
>> And then you have the rose ear of the
18:01
greyhound or the French bulldog. It's
18:03
small and it folds back and to the side
18:06
almost exposing the canal a little bit.
18:08
It's very aerodynamic,
18:09
>> so it's not in the way when they're
18:10
running full tilt.
18:11
>> Exactly. Form follows function. Again,
18:14
>> it really highlights how malleable that
18:16
genetic clay is. We stretched it, shrunk
18:19
it, folded it, feathered it.
18:20
>> But, and this is the big pivot. While we
18:22
were busy sculpting these ears for look
18:24
and function, we were also creating a
18:26
bit of a problem because changing the
18:28
shape changes how the dog experiences
18:31
the world.
18:32
>> Right?
18:33
>> This brings us to section five,
18:34
mechanics of hearing and expression.
18:37
This is something I've always wondered.
18:39
Does a dog with floppy ears hear worse
18:41
than a dog with prick ears? Is my beagle
18:44
at a disadvantage compared to a German
18:46
Shepherd?
18:46
>> Worse is a tricky word. Let's be clear.
18:48
They are not deaf. The ear flap is skin
18:51
and carage. Sound waves go right through
18:54
it. However, they lose a superpower that
18:57
wolves and German shepherds have.
18:58
>> The satellite dish effect.
19:00
>> Exactly. A German Shepherd has roughly
19:03
18 muscles controlling the ear. PA the
19:06
outer ear. They can swivel that ear 180
19:09
degrees. They can lock onto a sound like
19:11
a radar dish. They can independently
19:13
point one ear forward and one ear back.
19:15
>> They can triangulate the source of a
19:17
sound instantly.
19:18
>> Instantly. A floppy eared dog has lost
19:20
that muscular control, the flap is just
19:22
too heavy to lift and pivot. So, while
19:25
they can hear the sound, they are much
19:27
slower at pinpointing the exact
19:29
location.
19:29
>> So, if a twig snaps in the woods, the
19:31
shepherd knows exactly where it is. The
19:33
beagle knows something snapped, but
19:34
might have to look around or use his
19:36
nose to figure it out.
19:37
>> Correct. It changes their strategy. For
19:40
a scent hound, that's not a big deal.
19:41
They're built to follow their nose
19:43
anyway. In fact, dampening background
19:45
noise can be a benefit. But the bigger
19:47
impact, I think, is on communication.
19:49
>> Talking to other dogs,
19:50
>> pinned
19:51
>> and to us.
19:52
>> And to us, dogs speak with their ears.
19:54
Pricked ears pointing forward mean I'm
19:56
alert and interested. pinned flat back
19:59
against the head means I'm scared or I'm
20:02
being submissive. It's a huge part of
20:04
their body language.
20:05
>> But if your ears are permanently pinned
20:07
down by gravity,
20:08
>> it's like speaking with a mute button on
20:10
or at least speaking very quietly. A
20:13
floppy eared dog can't prick its ears
20:16
forward to show curiosity.
20:18
>> So, how do we read them? What should we
20:20
be looking for?
20:20
>> You have to become a connoisseur of the
20:22
earb.
20:23
>> The base, not the flap.
20:25
>> Yes. Even if the flap is heavy, the
20:27
muscles at the skull are still working.
20:30
If a basset hound is interested in
20:31
something, you'll see the ears lift
20:33
slightly at the root. They'll shift
20:34
forward on the head. The forehead might
20:36
wrinkle.
20:37
>> It's subtle. You have to be paying
20:38
attention.
20:39
>> It is very subtle. And if they are
20:41
scared or appeasing, they will pull them
20:43
back tight against the neck. You'll see
20:45
the base of the ear pull back.
20:48
But the source makes great point here.
20:50
You cannot read the ears in isolation.
20:53
>> You have to read the whole dog.
20:54
>> You have to read the whole dog. the
20:55
tail, the eyes, the set of the mouth,
20:57
the body posture, because the ears are
21:00
essentially telling a partial story.
21:02
>> That is great advice for any owner. Stop
21:04
looking at just the flaps. Look at the
21:06
face. The body.
21:07
>> Exactly.
21:08
>> All right, brigaders, we have arrived at
21:10
the part of the show where we have to
21:11
get serious. We've talked about the cute
21:13
genetics and the fascinating history.
21:16
Now, we have to talk about the reality
21:18
of living with these ears. Section six,
21:21
health and care,
21:22
>> the dark cave problem. That phrase from
21:24
the source material actually gave me
21:26
shivers. The dark cave. It sounds
21:29
ominous.
21:30
>> It is an accurate description of the
21:31
environment inside a floppy ear dog's
21:33
ear. Let's look at the anatomy. In a
21:36
human or a wolf, the ear canal is
21:38
relatively straight and open to the air.
21:40
>> It's a horizontal tube,
21:41
>> right? Air gets in, light gets in,
21:43
moisture evaporates, it breathes,
21:46
>> it selfventilates.
21:47
>> It selfventilates. Now, look at a dog.
21:49
Their ear canal is L-shaped. It goes
21:52
vertically down the side of the head and
21:53
then takes a sharp 90deree turn toward
21:55
the brain.
21:56
>> That already sounds like a plumbing
21:57
nightmare, a built-in trap.
21:59
>> It is. Gravity works against you.
22:02
Debris, wax, water. It all falls down
22:05
that vertical shaft and gets stuck at
22:06
the corner. Now take that bad plumbing
22:09
and slap a heavy furry leather lid on
22:12
top of it.
22:12
>> You've sealed the cave.
22:13
>> You have created an incubator. It is
22:16
dark. It is warm. About 101° F. It is
22:20
moist from natural secretions and
22:22
trapped humidity and there is zero air
22:25
flow
22:25
>> which is basically a five-star resort
22:27
for bacteria and yeast.
22:28
>> It is spring break for yeast and
22:30
bacteria. They thrive in that
22:31
environment. This is why floppy eared
22:33
dogs are exponentially more prone to
22:35
otitis which is the clinical term for
22:37
ear infections than uprighteared dogs.
22:40
>> So cleaning isn't just nice to do if you
22:43
have a spare moment. It's mandatory
22:45
maintenance.
22:45
>> It is a medical necessity. If you own a
22:48
spananiel, a retriever, a hound, a
22:50
poodle, a doodle, you are an ear
22:52
custodian. That is part of the deal.
22:54
>> The source gives a specific routine. And
22:57
I want to walk through this because I
22:58
think people are scared to do it. I know
23:00
I was. They don't want to hurt the dog.
23:02
>> Fear is the biggest barrier, but doing
23:04
it wrong is worse than not doing it at
23:06
all. So, let's get it right. Step one,
23:09
the right supplies. You need a vet
23:12
approved liquid cleaner.
23:14
>> Not just water.
23:15
>> Never water. Water feeds yeast. You need
23:17
a solution with a drying agent. And
23:20
please do not use vinegar or hydrogen
23:22
peroxide.
23:22
>> Why not peroxide? My mom used to put
23:24
that on my scraped knees.
23:25
>> It's cytotoxic. It destroys healthy
23:27
tissue just as well as it destroys
23:29
bacteria. It bubbles, which sounds like
23:31
it's working, but it leaves water
23:32
behind. Water is the enemy. Baby wipes
23:35
are also out. They leave residue.
23:37
>> Got it. Vet approved cleaner only. And
23:40
the big one, the source has this in bold
23:42
red letters. NeoQTPS
23:45
or cotton swabs.
23:46
>> Never throw them away. Put them in
23:48
another room. I cannot stress this
23:49
enough.
23:50
>> Why is it so dangerous?
23:51
>> Remember the Lshape. If you stick a
23:53
Q-tip down that vertical shaft, you
23:55
cannot see where you are going. You are
23:58
taking all the wax and debris and
24:00
pushing it down like a plunger. You are
24:02
packing it into that 90° corner right
24:04
against the eardrum.
24:05
>> You're making a cement plug of gunk.
24:07
>> Exactly. And you can very easily rupture
24:10
the eardrum if the dog jerks its head.
24:12
Just don't do it. It's the number one
24:14
cause of iatrogenic, meaning
24:15
human-caused ear injury.
24:17
>> Okay, so no Q-tips. What do we do
24:20
instead? What's the right technique?
24:21
>> You use the liquid to do the work. Lift
24:24
the ear, flap the lid, gently hold it
24:26
up. Then you take your bottle of vet
24:28
approved cleaner and you fill the canal
24:30
with the solution.
24:31
>> Fill it like all the way to the top.
24:33
>> Don't be shy. Fill it up until it's
24:35
about to overflow.
24:36
>> And then
24:37
>> then you massage the base of the ear.
24:39
You know that cartilage bump right below
24:40
the ear opening on the side of their
24:42
head. You gently rub and squish that
24:44
area between your thumb and forefinger.
24:46
>> The source mentions a sound we should be
24:47
listening for.
24:48
>> The squishy sound you want to hear.
24:50
Squish. Squish. Squish. That is the
24:53
sound of the liquid moving around in the
24:54
horizontal canal, breaking up the wax
24:56
and debris deep inside. Do that for 20
24:59
or 30 seconds.
25:00
>> And then the fun part.
25:02
>> Stand back. Let the dog shake its head.
25:04
>> The spray zone.
25:06
>> My bathroom walls know it well. Yes, do
25:09
this outside or in a bathroom with a
25:11
towel handy. When the dog shakes,
25:13
centrifugal force pulls the liquid and
25:15
all the loosened debris out of the deep
25:17
canal. It brings it up to the surface
25:19
where you can actually reach it.
25:20
>> Nature's spin cycle.
25:22
>> Exactly. Once they're done shaking, you
25:24
just take a cotton ball, a soft cotton
25:26
ball or piece of gauze, and wipe the
25:28
visible part of the ear flap and the
25:30
entrance to the canal. That's it. You
25:32
don't dig. You just clean up what came
25:34
out.
25:34
>> And then a treat. A big one.
25:36
>> A very big treat. Make it a positive
25:38
experience.
25:39
>> That seems manageable. How often should
25:40
we be doing this?
25:41
>> For the average floppyear dog, a check
25:43
and a gentle wipe weekly is good. With a
25:46
full liquid clean, maybe every two to
25:48
four wets. If you have a swimmer or a
25:50
dog with allergies, you might need to do
25:52
it after every swim or more frequently.
25:54
>> And we need to use our noses.
25:56
>> Yes. Smell your dog's ears. A healthy
25:59
ear smells like well like a dog. Maybe a
26:02
little waxy or dusty. An infected ear
26:05
has a very distinct odor. It smells
26:08
yeasty like old bread or a brewery. Or
26:11
it can have a sharp, foul, sour smell if
26:14
it's a bacterial infection.
26:16
>> If we smell the old cheese,
26:17
>> go to the vet. Do not try to clean your
26:19
way out of a raging infection. You need
26:22
medication. And look for the other
26:24
signs. Constant head shaking, scratching
26:26
at the ears, rubbing their head on the
26:27
floor, or the dreaded head tilt.
26:29
>> The head tilt is the big red flag,
26:31
right?
26:31
>> It is a huge red flag. If the dog is
26:33
tilting its head to one side, it means
26:35
the infection has likely gone past the
26:37
eard drum into the middle or inner ear
26:39
and it's affecting their balance. That
26:41
is an emergency. Go to the bed
26:43
immediately.
26:43
>> Okay, that is a serious warning. Treat
26:46
the cave with respect. Now, section
26:48
seven, we need to do some myth busting
26:50
and talk about some ethics.
26:52
>> Let's start with the self-cleaning myth.
26:54
>> Right, we touched on this. People think
26:55
nature will take care of it, that it'll
26:57
all just work itself out. Nature handles
26:59
wolves with upright self-ventilating
27:02
ears. Nature does not handle cocker
27:04
spananiels with heavy sealed ears. If
27:07
you leave a floppy ear alone, it will
27:09
not clean itself. It will collect debris
27:11
and it will fester. You are the
27:13
substitute for nature's airflow.
27:16
>> What about the personality myth? We said
27:18
earlier that floppy ears are a sign of
27:20
painless genetics. So, does that mean
27:22
all floppy ear dogs are nice and all
27:24
pointyear dogs are mean?
27:26
>> Definitely not. That is a gross
27:27
oversimplification. While the trait
27:29
arose in the species due to selection
27:31
for tameness, an individual dog is a
27:34
product of its training, socialization,
27:36
specific breed traits, and its own
27:38
personality.
27:39
>> Right. A Rottweiler has floppy ears. I
27:41
wouldn't just hop offense to pet one
27:42
without asking.
27:43
>> Exactly. And a German Shepherd has prick
27:45
ears and can be the gentlest service dog
27:47
in the world. The floppy equals friend
27:49
rule works on an evolutionary time
27:51
scale, not necessarily on a walking down
27:53
the street time scale. Don't use it to
27:55
judge an individual dog. Now, the
27:56
controversy to fix or not to fix. We're
27:59
talking about ear cropping.
28:00
>> This is a heavy topic, but we have to
28:02
address it. Cropping is the practice of
28:04
surgically cutting off the floppy part
28:06
of the ear, the pa, to make it stand up.
28:09
You see it traditionally in breeds like
28:11
Doberman's, Great Danes, and Pitbulls.
28:13
>> And the source material is pretty firm
28:15
on the modern consensus. Here
28:17
>> it is. The Global Veterinary and
28:19
Scientific Consensus is overwhelmingly
28:21
against it. The American Veterinary
28:23
Medical Association, the AVMA, opposes
28:27
it for cosmetic reasons. It's illegal in
28:30
most of Europe and Australia.
28:31
>> And the main reason is because it's
28:32
cosmetic. There's no medical benefit.
28:35
>> It is purely cosmetic. The old arguments
28:38
that it prevents ear infections have
28:39
been thoroughly debunked. In fact,
28:41
exposing the canal can sometimes
28:43
introduce new problems with debris or
28:45
sunburn. is a painful surgery, usually
28:48
done on young puppies, followed by weeks
28:50
of taping and bandaging solely to
28:52
achieve a certain look.
28:54
>> A look that humans invented, a tough or
28:57
alert look,
28:58
>> right? The source does differentiate
29:00
this from taping though, which is
29:01
important.
29:02
>> Taping is different. How so?
29:03
>> Yes, taping is non-surgical. It's often
29:06
done on breeds like German Shepherds or
29:09
Collies where the ear is supposed to
29:10
stand up, but the cartilage is a little
29:13
lazy during the teething phase. You just
29:15
use medical tape to create a little
29:16
scaffold to give it support. It's like
29:18
braces on teeth. It's not surgery. It's
29:20
not amputation.
29:22
>> That distinction is important, but
29:24
cutting the flap off for looks.
29:26
>> The modern world is moving away from it.
29:28
And rightly so. The trend is to embrace
29:30
the natural ear. If a Doberman has
29:33
floppy velvet ears, let him have his
29:36
beautiful natural floppy velvet ears.
29:38
>> I'm with you. Let's pivot to something
29:41
happier to close out the analysis.
29:42
Section 8. Psychology and fun facts. Why
29:45
are we so obsessed with these things?
29:47
>> Cute aggression.
29:48
>> I love this term. It sounds like a
29:49
wrestling move, but it's actually about
29:50
overwhelming love.
29:51
>> It is. Cute aggression is that feeling
29:53
you get when you see something so
29:54
adorable you just want to squeeze it or
29:56
bite it.
29:56
>> It's so fluffy I'm going to die from
29:59
Despicable Me. That's the perfect
30:01
encapsulation.
30:02
>> That is the perfect example. Floppy ears
30:04
are a primary trigger for what
30:06
scientists call the baby schema in our
30:08
brains. The round face, the soft
30:11
features, the high forehead. It mimics a
30:14
human infant.
30:14
>> So our brain gets hijacked. It sees a
30:16
beagle and thinks human baby
30:18
>> chemically hijacked. We see the floppy
30:21
ear and our brain releases a flood of
30:23
dopamine and oxytocin, the love hormone.
30:25
It compels us to nurture. It compels us
30:27
to protect. It's a very powerful
30:30
primitive response.
30:31
>> So the dog manipulated us into taking
30:33
care of it by accidentally evolving a
30:36
baby face.
30:36
>> And we manipulated them into having the
30:38
ears in the first place. It's a
30:39
co-evolutionary loop of cuteness. We
30:42
have to mention the heavy hitters of
30:43
history. The record holder for the
30:45
longest years.
30:46
>> That would be Tiger, a blood hound from
30:48
Illinois. Guinness World Record holder.
30:50
>> Oh, what are we talking?
30:51
>> His right ear measured 13.75 in and his
30:54
left was 13.5 in.
30:56
>> That is over a foot for one ear. That's
30:59
longer than a ruler.
31:00
>> Imagine the cleaning routine on that. Or
31:03
just trying to keep them out of his food
31:04
bowl.
31:05
>> And then royalty. The source mentions
31:07
King Charles II. He is the reason we
31:10
have the Cavalere King Charles Spaniel.
31:12
He was so obsessed with his little toy
31:14
spananiels that he issued a royal decree
31:16
stating they were allowed into any
31:18
public space in Great Britain, including
31:20
the Houses of Parliament. A rule that
31:23
supposedly still exists.
31:25
>> That is the level of dog obsession I
31:27
aspire to. Taking your dog to
31:29
Parliament.
31:29
>> It shows that even back then, the charm
31:31
of the floppy ear was a status symbol.
31:34
It wasn't just a hunting tool. It was a
31:36
luxury item, a companion. And today we
31:40
have the doodles. The Labradoodles, the
31:42
golden doodles, the cavapoos. The flop
31:44
is everywhere.
31:45
>> The flop is arguably the defining trait
31:47
of the entire doodle phenomenon. The
31:49
hybrid vigor argument is there, but
31:51
let's be honest, people want the
31:53
lowshedding poodle coat, but they want
31:54
the friendly golden retriever face. They
31:56
want the flop.
31:57
>> The flop is the currency of cute.
31:59
>> It really is.
32:00
>> So, bringing it all home. Section 9. The
32:02
future. Where are we going with this?
32:04
Are we going to keep pushing for longer
32:06
and floppier? Are we going to breed
32:08
bassid hounds with ears that trip them
32:10
when they walk?
32:10
>> I hope not. And the source suggests a
32:13
turning of the tide. The new focus in
32:15
responsible breeding circles is
32:17
functional moderation.
32:19
>> Functional moderation. What does that
32:21
mean in practice?
32:22
>> It means we realized we went too far in
32:25
some breeds. Extremely heavy ears cause
32:28
chronic pain and infections. Extremely
32:31
long ears get stepped on and injured.
32:34
Breeders are using those genetic markers
32:35
we talked about in section one to
32:37
consciously dial it back a bit.
32:39
>> So turning the factory dial from an 11
32:41
back down to a more reasonable seven or
32:43
eight.
32:43
>> Exactly. Keeping the characteristic look
32:45
but ensuring the dog can actually live a
32:47
comfortable, healthy life without
32:49
constant medical intervention. It's
32:51
about putting the dog's welfare ahead of
32:53
extreme aesthetics. That is the
32:55
responsible future.
32:56
>> But the slap slap sound of a happy dog
32:58
running down the hall isn't going
32:59
anywhere.
33:00
>> Never. That sound is here to stay. And
33:02
frankly, the world is a better place for
33:03
it.
33:03
>> I couldn't agree more. It is a genetic
33:05
accident, a mark of friendship, a
33:07
cleaning nightmare, and one of the
33:09
cutest things on the planet, all rolled
33:10
into one floppy package.
33:12
>> A perfect summary.
33:13
>> Well, brigaders, I think we have
33:14
successfully dissected the ear. I will
33:16
never look at my dog's head the same way
33:18
again. I'm going to go home and just
33:20
look at his ear base.
33:21
>> Nor will I. Just remember to check for
33:23
that squishy sound when you're cleaning.
33:26
>> The squishy sound. Words to live by.
33:29
>> Indeed. Thanks all for listening and do
33:31
not forget that if you need any help
33:32
with your dogs, visit Dogazilla magazine
33:35
at doggazilla.com
33:36
for all of your dog related questions.
33:39
Until next episode, woof and woof to
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