# I am terrible at grooming ears!!!



## Mr. Bojangles (Sep 15, 2011)

I have Deb Osters DVD and Erik Strickland's DVD, but I cannot get the ears right. Here is a recent trim on Cassidy. 2 pics of the same ear from different angles. I can never get the bushy, long top half to blend nicely with the short bottom half. 

Any tips, advice, suggestions, etc? I am ready to give up.

photo uploading websites

free image hosting


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Beautiful dog, I have the same problem and groomers in my area don't have a clue. Trimming the feet is also a challenge for me. There was a great reference in the grooming section on this forum but I just don't have the touch. My poor girls look like they have been attacked by hair eating moths... but they are clean :grin2:
There are lots of people that do training seminars, sure would be nice if some good groomers would do the same!


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

I like using the Morningsage grooming guide. I haven't dared to touch Kaizer's ears (I don't have the right tools) but I use their paw guide and Kaizer's paws usually turn out pretty decently.

Morningsage Goldens Grooming


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## Mr. Bojangles (Sep 15, 2011)

That Morningsage guide is what I keep coming back to and trying to emulate, but those photos show the results I'm getting.


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

I'm with you Mr. Bojangles...... I've gone thru Morningsage guide numerous times but have yet to get the ears looking like they should. I've used their guide for the paws and I do okay, somedays better then others, but with the ears I've not had good luck.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

If it helps... 

The two pictures inserted here are my dog's ears as groomed for show. I'll tell you the difference between the two in a moment, but before I do - if it helps... these are common sense tips here. 

What you need for ears:

7-8" straight edge shears - very sharp ones.
Mars Stripper
40-46 tooth - Thinning shears - nice pair. Bare min would be Geibs. Make sure they are sharp (you don't want them chewing on the hair)
Fine Haubtner stripping knife (the plastic handle kind). 
Optional - clippers

Using Morningsage for reference. 

Bathe and completely dry your dog before grooming. Dirty coat dulls blades faster. 

No trimming until the ears grow back. Might be 2-6 weeks. It will be easier to do this right without trying to "fix" what's been done already.

______________________________________________________

0. Before you start trimming the ears, you can use clippers to clean out around the ear canal. Don't do this unless you have been shown how to by somebody who is used to doing this for grooming. There is too much clipping that could happen. For showing, this is pretty much done as a matter of course with shears or clippers. Again, don't use clippers unless shown how. If you are using shear - clean around the ear canal.

1. Start by trimming the rear edge of the ears with the straight edge shears. Try to use as few cuts as possible so you avoid chop lines. Only trimming to the edge with a tiny smidge between where you cut and the ear leather. More unsure you are with the shears - leave more room. You mainly want a smooth line. You do not use straight edge shears on the fronts of the ears or tips. Only the back edge.

2. If you dog has a lot of shag on the ears, behind the ears, in front of the ears, and beneath the ears... you can use the Mars Strippers to thin/remove the bulk of that. Stop and brush with a slicker frequently to see what you are doing. Always stop while you are ahead. 

3. Thinning shears come out next and this is very light work. Your dog may still have some shag on the flats of the ears. Make sure you check the morningsage website for the direction and length of cuts. Ideally, this is just thinning - you are not short-cutting to a finished ear with thinning shears. I normally point my shears towards the tip of the ear and do 1-3 cuts - stop and brush. And repeat a couple times until the ears look basically right. 

- And use the thinning shears to clean up the tips of the ears.
- Thinning shears are also used under the ears, behind the ears, and in front of the ears - meaning on your dog's head, not the ear flaps themselves. Again, be conservative. But the idea is smoothing and thinning out the areas that weren't completely cleaned up with the mars stripper.

4. Use a stripping knife to smooth out the ears. I would also use the stripping knife to especially smooth out the front end of the ears. Light handed work.
That's it.

Ideally you want a nice looking and natural looking ear.

The difference between the two pics, btw...

The one with the blue background - his ears were trimmed closer than I like. There are OK for show and actually a lot of people trim that close, but they were a little closer than I like.

The other picture was after swimming at the lake this past weekend (about an hour after getting back from the lake with him drying on his own) - but you see how much fur is left on the ears to blow/brush smooth when showing. <= I'll be showing this coming weekend and expect to mainly clean up the edge of the ear and use the mars stripper under the ears and a stripping knife on the ears and that's it. 

One of the things I dislike about the grooming videos is you have a lot of stuff that is suggested - and it's not always practical for everyone's dog. If you know somebody who shows their dogs and is willing (pay them something though!) to show grooming your dog to show you how to do stuff - that is the best way to go. Because you learn how to groom your specific dog. 

Very basic grooming session with a dog who is not being shown... would be the above. Some people DO, but you don't have to "sculpt" or overgroom dogs who are being shown. And not all golden retrievers need their ears to be groomed too much. The above is what I do with my show boy. But my Jacks - I just use clippers around his ear canal and use thinning shears and the mars stripper under and front and back of the ears. The edge of his ears and the "flats" don't get shaggy. He gets a little wave, but other than that - his ears look just fine on their own.

I do think a lot of dogs who do grow the shaggy ears look better having the excess shag on their ears thinned out and smoothed out. It shows the gorgeous shape of the heads and ears. But don't overdo the cutting or try to get too much done in one session.


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## Otter (Feb 23, 2011)

Megora, is the red line in the attached picture what you are referring to when you say the "rear edge" of the ear?

This is what you do before thinning the rest of the ear? I am never sure if I should do that first or last.

Thanks for the write up.
(sorry to edit your picture)



Megora said:


> 1. Start by trimming the rear edge of the ears with the straight edge shears.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

@Otter - yes. No worries.


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## lashanda1080 (Aug 24, 2016)

really helped me out thank you Megora


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Just trim more with the thinning shears. Don't be prissy about it. It's only hair if you get it too short it will grow back.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

K9-Design said:


> Just trim more with the thinning shears. Don't be prissy about it. It's only hair if you get it too short it will grow back.


This is pretty much what I do. I still do a lousy job... and I leave too much fur... but I always tell myself if I do too much, it will grow back. I use only thinning shears, and do a bit on one side, then a bit on the other, doing my best to make them even. But basically I suck at ears. 

I make some quite pretty paws, though!!


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## Mr. Bojangles (Sep 15, 2011)

Following Megora's advice, I got a Mars stripping tool. I have to say I think this was the missing link for me. I have a couple other tools that are similar, but they do not do what the Mars tool does. I am still letting my dogs ears grow out, so I haven't touched the actual ears, but I have used the Mars tool on the area behind the ear and the neck and the difference is night and day. My dogs already look 10 times better. I'm going to trim their ears before I take them to Grandma's for Thanksgiving, so I'll post pictures of the new look in a week or so.


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## YogiBear's mom (Jan 22, 2016)

Thank you for your great explanation. Your list of tools was great. Do you have a grooming table you would recommend? I do not show my dog, but find it may be easier to do with my 8 mo old.


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