# Leathering Ears



## Malasarus (Apr 4, 2016)

It's very simple, but safety is important. Take your blade DOWN the ear, never go up it against the grain of the hair. It's easy to get the edge of the ear caught in the blade's teeth that way. You can go kind of sideways, if you start at the top of the ear where it connects to the head, then slowly angle your blade off the edges, to get the sides of the ear. But do not, ever, ever, ever(!!!), run the clippers straight down the thin edge of the ear. That part of the ear you clean up carefully with scissors (again, don't scissor up the ear - scissor down toward the point of the ear).

Some more general tips. If you hold your hand underneath the ear to brace it, that tends to help. Feel your dog's ear, and find the point where the ear "breaks" and starts to fall from the head. The ear fold. Start your trimming below that, not right at it. It might look better this way, or it might need to be taken higher, but once that hair's gone you can't put it back, so I advocate everyone take their time to find the right "spot". And again, my most important tip... never shave UP the ear!

Have fun!


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

Why didn't you just tell the groomer you wanted the ears shaved with a 7? I have to say that in 10 years of grooming I've never had someone ask me to 'leather' the ears. Though I guessed it was something like shaving them but I could see how they didn't understand.


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

As far as shaving the ears, always go from the center of the ear out towards the edges. Never go with the edges, into the edges, or up the edges. Shave the outside with a 7 and the inside with a 30 (gently so you don't cause irritation). Beware of the little 'cut out'/inside flap as it's very easy to cut. Do NOT use a 7 on the inside of the ear or you will cut this part.When scissoring always slide your fingers to the edge of the ear leather till you can feel your fingers touch just past the ear leather, then trim outside the fingers. That way you cannot cut the leather.

Random video, she looks to be using at least a 15 or 30 blade all round, but you can see how she goes from the center of the ear out to the edges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOsJ_EX7kho


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## DancingBay (Sep 6, 2014)

I have a #5 and a #10 blade, so would it be okay to use the #10 on the inside? The reason I called it leathering is that a rescue that I contacted about possibly rescuing a spoo called it that. 

The thing is that this groomer leathered his ears last summer. I cannot remember if I said to leather his ears or if I said to cut them short. It may have been a communication error on my part. That's why I didn't make a big deal about it. She's also cut his top knot shorter in the past, but last summer he was still a puppy and maybe she thought that now that he's over a year old, that he needed a more grown up look.

My concern is that cockaburrs in his ear hair are messy and could lead to mats if I miss one every now and then. With that said, I did find a pretty decent size mat behind one of his ears tonight. I don't remember it being there, but he was pretty long, so it might have been. We were going to grow him out a bit for a UKC conformation show, but missed the show and so he was a lot longer than he usually gets.

Thanks,
Alisa & Max


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

I've never used a 10 on inside of the ear. It would make me nervous around that flap part. If you just had it groomed yesterday just take it back to the groomers (call first) and have them do it. They should not have issue with that.


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## Malasarus (Apr 4, 2016)

I've used a #10 on the inside of ears before. It's fine, I think. Just be aware of where the extra little flaps are and don't go reverse over them and it should be okay. There is always _some_ risk when leathering ears, but the risk is minimal if you're careful.

I use the term leathering all the time. I think it's more common a term among groomers than laypeople, but not so common they all know it. To be sure you're clear you could just tell them you want the ear shaved short. If you know the exact blade number you want, even better. Being specific is always appreciated.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

OMG! No kidding! I scalped poor Maurice's edge of his ear once. Boy, did I learn my lesson. I felt horrible. The poor thing. It was quite a gash. I had to put pressure and elevate his ear for a few minutes and clean up. It took a couple weeks for the scab to go away. I tipped the clipper so it wasn't flat enough and it snagged the edge of his ear. So nowadays, I steer very clear from the edge, even if I do keep the clipper flat. 

I use the #5 (1/8") red comb attachment because I like to leave a little wavy hair on the ear...just short, not shaved. I hold my hand under the ear to make sort of a platform under it and start on top but under the lumpy parts...that cartilage and go straight to the bottom. Then after, I take my scissors and go around the edges, always, always pinching gently the edges so I know where the skin is and never cut where I can't feel the edge of the ear leather. So it's tiny little cuts all around as I re-position my index finger and thumb to feel that edge and pull the hair straight outward, not that it lies sideways against the skin. It doesn't have to be extremely close to the edge...I leave a little tad bit of hair extending. Anyhow, that's if you don't need it too short or shaved. If I wanted it shaved, I think I'd take it to a reputable groomer. I'm too chicken after the big mistake I made. 

It's far from perfect. I haven't been doing this for that long. But I've come to like short ears, no more tangles, cute, perky, boyish. (it's hard to make a Poodle look masculine) If you want more of a German trim, more tight looking ears, this will not be for you. I never heard the term "leathering." But what you might do is find a photo you like and take it to show the groomer. Make sure the groomer is good and doesn't do something stupid like I did on my tiny black Poodle. 

Here is master Matisse. lol.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

What is leathering the ears?


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## Malasarus (Apr 4, 2016)

Shaving to the skin. The skin of the ear is called the "leather". So you can shave to leather, edge ear to leather, etc.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

I've leathered Tonka's ears myself... with a $20 clipper set from the hardware store. And I have to agree with the Notorious PBG... exactly the way she did her Maurice. Only I never cut him.  

The edges are a pain 'cos you can't take any chances. Leaving some is the best option. When I'm shaving the ear, I put on an oven mitt on my underneath hand to get a flatter, softer surface, a little more 'give' than bony fingers. It provides a bit of a cushion for the skin.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Malasarus said:


> Shaving to the skin. The skin of the ear is called the "leather". So you can shave to leather, edge ear to leather, etc.


Yes, I do know that the ear skin is referred to as ear leather. I have never heard of leathering ears, though. Just...shaving ears. I would venture to guess that the groomer did not know what was meant when they said to leather the ears. And for most groomers, asking them to take the ears short is going to get you ears that are scissored short, not shaved.

For clarity's sake, I would say to shave the ears. When I shave ears, I use a 7, 10 or 40-45 blade. I use a 7 or 10 for a German trim and a 45 for tasseled ears.

I always use a 45 on the inside of ears.


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## peccan (Aug 26, 2014)

I'm almost certain that the groomer thought you said "lather the ears"...


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## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

I've never heard the term leathering either, and I've also worked with groomers for nearly a decade. I do know what an ear leather is, so I could probably deduce what was meant. But it would not surprise me if they didn't know what was being asked. I'd just call it shaving to prevent misunderstandings. Or take a photo.

I've used a 7, 5 and 10 blades on ears before. Shorter on the inside of the ears


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## DancingBay (Sep 6, 2014)

This is exactly what I'm looking for. Not shaved shaved, but just really short so as not to pick up a bunch of sticks and leaves and burs from the yard.


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## DancingBay (Sep 6, 2014)

I would certainly agree with you if I had not requested her to leather his ears last summer and she did it. I think she was just having a really busy day and forgot. Not worried. I've been looking for an excuse to try my clippers out. Now I have one. Brand new Andis AGC2 clippers. Never been out of the box...

I just wish there was youtube on doing this to spoodle ears.


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## Mysticrealm (Jan 31, 2016)

This could be where the confusion is coming in, cause on your first post you said that you wanted them shaved with a 7, but now you are saying that you don't want them shaved shaved, but that you want them really short. (Not sure if there was supposed to be a pic or not with your last post). So that's how groomers get really confused about what clients want. Next time try bringing in a picture.


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## DancingBay (Sep 6, 2014)

I did take a stab at shortening his ears tonight. They aren't super even, but they are shorter. I had him on the floor and me in a chair and he kept inching away from me. I think I'll work on them a little at a time as not to stress him out, so he continues to be good for the groomer. I was surprised at how quickly the blades got hot though. I scissored around the edges to get the length off, being careful to pinch the hair, having the leather to the inside of my fingers so there was not chance of cutting him. I have an old dining room table in the basement that my son uses to play card on, so I think I'll put him on that table so I can get a better angle.

I'm an embroiderer and know about not cutting where you cannot see. Ruined garment, or cut ear leather. It's all bad.

I really love the look of his ears leathered pretty short because he has a fringe of white/lt blue hair just around the edge of his ears. It looks like lace. So pretty.


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