# Grow-out ear challenge?



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Does anyone want to grow out their poodles ears?

I like this banding tutorial and it seems practical for the everyday person for end goals.





Brushing and combing technique for ears has to be just like taking care of poms. It's good to talk about ear care too, and probably touch on your options as furparents with plucking vs not. We can talk about cleaning technique, banding, and best other practices. 

It's an excuse to window shop for snoods too.

I have 3 different ear cleaners.

Is anyone interested?

This is Basil's Saluki x SPOO trim from today 7/18












Spoiler: Picture of a saluki


----------



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Good timing! I’m currently growing out Peggy’s.

Last clip, 06/30/21:











And how she looks today, 07/18/21:


----------



## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

I've decided to let Simon's topknot and ears grow out. I've already ordered some bands because he's almost got enough on top of his head to start with tying some of it up. His ears are still kind of short, though.

2021-7-8 Dogs in Yard DSC_0688 by Rosemary Elwell, on Flickr

I'm sure he's going to be in a lot of different styles over the years. I still want to try my hand with a Dutch clip, but for now, this look suits his personality.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

We’re on the opposite side of this challenge. After years of long glorious ear fluff I had to clip Babykins ear hair short.

Puppy Theo and Babykins play daily and he was getting her ear hair matted. It wasn’t fair to her to have to suffer when trimming them short solves the problem. I had to get used to her new look. I think short clipped ear hair looks “puppy-like”. 

I can see it takes quite awhile for ear hair to grow out


----------



## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Normie's ears have been growing out for a few months, but I'm undecided about his next cut - which is tomorrow. Fluffy is so poodley, but those short velvety ears are so appealing too.

I think he's probably going short all over.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

@PeggyTheParti Nice. You're starting from almost the ear leather. I imagine there will be pieces of PNW confier trees like redwood, evergreen, and douglas fir in our girls' ears at some point...

@TeamHellhound Nice. There's been a handful of top knot challenges in the past. I'll be using rubber bands used for braces. It's going to be my second attempt at banding.

@Skylar Nice lol. I figure people are moving from one side of the hair spectrum to the other. I know we'll all eventually reach our breaking point and "cut it off!!!" 

@Dianaleez Nice. Short all over is always a good choice... zero brushing required is always a good choice lol.


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> . I know we'll all eventually reach our breaking point and "cut it off!!!"


I never had any intention and it broke my heart to trim her ears down. Fluffy ears and a crisp retro top knot were her signature look. Thanks to puppy she has a new look. Maybe we can grow them out at some point. Who knows.


----------



## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

I will think on this. 😉 I grew Bobby’s ears out last year and I did love them so much but then it got hot so back to the short ears. We had 8 months of growth cut off and I have to say, I’m not sure if I would want to grow them much longer as the upkeep was starting to increase significantly at that point. BUT I may consider growing them out again after the summer. We’ll see. It will be fun to follow the 
grow-out-ear challenge no matter
we decide. 😁


----------



## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I have found that Asta's ear hair is prone to matts - so I keep his short. Maybe I could grow out his ear hair if I were more diligent.


----------



## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

I also went the opposite. Phoebe’s ears were getting in her water (ick!) and they seemed so hot. I know, kind of silly to keep all her puppy fluff but to keep her ears trimmed. I just love a fluffy puppy ear! 
before: my thumb is on the bottom of her ear leather








Trimmed with the blue comb down the ears:








now they look like this (thumb on the end of the leather again:








Fluffy puppy ears again!


----------



## Ren. (May 20, 2021)

We’ll join in as well! I’ve always kept Ren’s ears about the same length, however with both a clean face and a banded topknot, they look a bit puny now to me. 😅


@Basil_the_Spoo Thanks for sharing the video on banding, this is very helpful!! In the past, I’ve tried another banding method on Ren’s ears. The method was to only band all the hair past the ear tips together every inch or so (checking with a comb to make sure the ear leather didn’t get banded). However, Ren kept scratching at them, so we stopped for his comfort. I think the bands were pulling and weighting down his ears too much. We're trying double monkey braids with one band in the center right now, and Ren seems to enjoy them so far.😀

Here’s a current picture of sleepy Ren sporting banded ears:


----------



## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

I had Renns topknot and ears very long. Recently I shaved them both off. I now find it so much easier to just keep then short and thinner. His hair on his ears gets so thick. When his ears were long they were always wet and straggly on the ends as he got them feet whenever he drank.


----------



## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Does anyone want to grow out their poodles ears?
> 
> I like this banding tutorial and it seems practical for the everyday person for end goals.
> 
> ...


'plucking vs not.' ? New one to me !
Given to understand plucking was the done thing?


----------



## Pavie (May 4, 2021)

novice question....

Is the ear hair supposed to be different from the rest of the body hair? I've seen some pictures online, but it's really hard to tell from pictures sometimes. Pavie's ear hair is very silky. The thing is, I've never shaved it down, ever. I usually just ask the groomer to keep the ears. It's been scissored shorter once, and the groomers have taken out some mats a couple of times, but it's mostly left untouched. Though the part where the mats were taken out last time seem to grow more like body hair now. So, I'm wondering whether ear hair is different or is this leftover puppy hair?


----------



## EVpoodle (Sep 25, 2018)

Pavie said:


> Is the ear hair supposed to be different from the rest of the body hair? I've seen some pictures online, but it's really hard to tell from pictures sometimes. Pavie's ear hair is very silky. The thing is, I've never shaved it down, ever. I usually just ask the groomer to keep the ears. It's been scissored shorter once, and the groomers have taken out some mats a couple of times, but it's mostly left untouched. Though the part where the mats were taken out last time seem to grow more like body hair now. So, I'm wondering whether ear hair is different or is this leftover puppy hair?


Evie is three, and her ear hair is much softer and less tightly curled than the rest of her body. I read somewhere that it is not unheard of for some poodles to have softer ear hair. How old is Pavie? If you look down at the roots of the ear hair is it a different texture more like the body than the visible hair? 



Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Does anyone want to grow out their poodles ears?


I have been growing out Evie's ears for about 3ish months now and they are about .5" long, and I am planning on continuing to let them grow. I will say that we would be happy to join the challenge but, because I show Evie I will have to keep the ends tidy.


----------



## Pavie (May 4, 2021)

EVpoodle said:


> Evie is three, and her ear hair is much softer and less tightly curled than the rest of her body. I read somewhere that it is not unheard of for some poodles to have softer ear hair. How old is Pavie? If you look down at the roots of the ear hair is it a different texture more like the body than the visible hair?


Pavie will turn 2 years old next month. I just checked the roots of his ear hair and it's still a soft, more straight texture.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

The Popster said:


> 'plucking vs not.' ? New one to me !
> Given to understand plucking was the done thing?


There's a lot of threads on the topic if you search. We'll touch on it over time. It's an opinionated topic. Some 100% for it for health. Some are 100% against it. Then there's the middle "if it's not broken then why fix it". 

I had to because basicall was getting mini pine-cone sized wax-hair balls in her ears that looked like baby corn at a salad bar.

If it's helpful, here's our past ear care threads:








What you don't want in a poodle ear


Well. I found a gross ear wax hair ball in Basil's other ear, and cut it out. Each ear had a gross ear wax ball. It was a little nerve recking when her foot would curl from me tugging and maneuvering the hair ball to cut it out. Basil's my first furbaby and our journey about...




www.poodleforum.com












A picture of dirty ears


I've done 2 pluckings ever and I need to wipe them out for a 3rd time.. this happened over the course of a month. It's not that bad of a process and I didn't feel like I was hurting her. It's inexpensive and clean. I'm glad I did. The gross stuff that your trying to wipe out is the brown...




www.poodleforum.com







EVpoodle said:


> Evie is three, and her ear hair is much softer and less tightly curled than the rest of her body. I read somewhere that it is not unheard of for some poodles to have softer ear hair. How old is Pavie? If you look down at the roots of the ear hair is it a different texture more like the body than the visible hair?
> 
> 
> I have been growing out Evie's ears for about 3ish months now and they are about .5" long, and I am planning on continuing to let them grow. I will say that we would be happy to join the challenge but, because I show Evie I will have to keep the ends tidy.


How do you keep the ends of her ears tidy?

Teach us your secrets to show dog quality ears. A raising tide raises all ships


----------



## EVpoodle (Sep 25, 2018)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> How do you keep the ends of her ears tidy?
> 
> Teach us your secrets to show dog quality ears. A raising tide raises all ships


To start with, I make sure that her water bowl is small enough that she cannot dip her ears in it. 
In regards to food I feed Evie on a plate, because Evie likes to eat in from around the edges and if I feed her in a bowl she dips her ears in it. Beyond that, I just am ready to wipe her ears if she gets something nasty on them. 

I know some people use happy hoodies (I think that is what they are called) when they feed them. But, I don't use one because I want my poodle to be able to be a dog even though she is being showed. Even, if that means extra work for me to keep her ears clean.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Anyone want to talk about ear cleaning?

I found the trick using cotton balls is to wet the cotton ball, then squeeze it in their ear, them start to wipe out the brown stuff.

Would *not* recommend this product. It has a strong medicated smell like Vicks rub. 

After cleaning both ears we then activated the rolling zoomies. (Vid above). I'm not sure if the smell throws her into gear or if the process is the cause of zoomies.

She rolls around before she tires herself out.


----------



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

I wonder if squeezing it out (the medicated cotton ball) in the ear causes liquid to get down into the ear canal, and that's what she's trying to clear out?


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

94Magna_Tom said:


> I wonder if squeezing it out (the medicated cotton ball) in the ear causes liquid to get down into the ear canal, and that's what she's trying to clear out?


It could be. It could also be a "good" thing. I asked our vet about ear cleaning technique, the part where you're "massaging it around the base of the ear and hear a slushy sound" sounded necessary. The vet said they _shake out the gunk_ and the solution will have some sort of evaporating quality to it. 

It's hand-in-hand with most youtube videos.. but, i'm always up for learning or questioning why.

I can get my finger maybe as far down as the red line. I don't know for sure. I think that "slushy" sound means its down in the area by the horizontal canal. 

If someone has a better way to do it then i'm all ears. (ha.. ha.. ha..)


----------



## Asterix (Apr 13, 2021)

What do you think of using ear powder to help clean and pluck the ears? I saw a video with "one of Europe's top groomers" recommending it.


----------



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Asterix said:


> What do you think of using ear powder to help clean and pluck the ears? I saw a video with "one of Europe's top groomers" recommending it.


My groomer says it's very helpful for plucking. I just bought some and tried it out. Compared to nothing, the powder grips the hairs significantly better. I'm a fan of it now.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Asterix said:


> What do you think of using ear powder to help clean and pluck the ears? I saw a video with "one of Europe's top groomers" recommending it.


Yeah, tom hit it. 

The powder reminds me of lifting chalk. It the powder helps you grip the ear hair like lifting chalk helps you grip the bar. 

The pro-tip i learned here on the forums is not to pour the powder into their ears. Instead, use a jar as a temporary container, then just coat the tips of your fingers to save yourself a mess.


----------



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> ...use a jar as a temporary container, then just coat the tips of your fingers to save yourself a mess.


Yes. That's what I do too.


----------



## Asterix (Apr 13, 2021)

Thanks to all for the explanations and tips! 💖


----------



## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Yeah, tom hit it.
> 
> The powder reminds me of lifting chalk. It the powder helps you grip the ear hair like lifting chalk helps you grip the bar.
> 
> The pro-tip i learned here on the forums is not to pour the powder into their ears. Instead, use a jar as a temporary container, then just coat the tips of your fingers to save yourself a mess.


Thanks for the tip. I've ordered some for Simon, since he has very fuzzy ears.


----------



## MishaMini (Jun 21, 2021)

I'm a big fan of the long ears + long topknot + long bracelets look* but I'm a bit of a poodle beginner and don't really know how to achieve it. The ears would be the easiest part, I think.
Most of the advice I've seen so far for growing out fur is this:

Bathe regularly
Condition
Line-brush carefully
Throw out the slicker and invest in a good pin brush and comb
"Band" ASAP
Avoid things that can tangle/mat the fur
Low heat on the blowdryer
Use a satin slip lead or rolled leather collar (not as relevant for ears, unless they get caught)
Did I miss anything?
I was a little intimidated but then I heard that unless you're showing a dog, a lot of these things are unnecessary. I'd definitely like to see how far I can get his ears to go!
*like this


----------



## Ren. (May 20, 2021)

MishaMini said:


> I'm a big fan of the long ears + long topknot + long bracelets look* but I'm a bit of a poodle beginner and don't really know how to achieve it. The ears would be the easiest part, I think.
> Most of the advice I've seen so far for growing out fur is this:
> 
> Bathe regularly
> ...


Hi MishaMini, I’m also newer poodles and have been growing out my boy’s topknot for over a year now. Its look like you’re off to a good start already! Almost all of these steps are necessary whether or not your pup will be showing. Let me clarify.

Bathing your dog often, allows for his coat to stay clean. A clean coat is what makes your dog’s hair grow and keeps it from breaking. Conditioner puts nutrients back into your dog’s coat, since shampoos can strip them out while cleaning.

Definitely line-brush carefully no matter what! Being too harsh while brushing can hurt your dog, as well as rip his fur out. Also, you don’t have to throw out your slicker for a non-showing poodle. Slickers can cause more damage to the coat than a pin, but if you’re not showing, losing a bit of fur isn’t as big of a deal. I would highly recommend getting a poodle or a greyhound comb if you haven’t already. This is used to check for hidden knots and mats on all poodles.

Banding ASAP is important as well. This allows for your poodle to get use to wearing bands while the fur is still short. If you start when there’s already significant growth and your dog tries to take the band out, you risk losing more of the growth.

As for avoiding things that can tangle the fur, that’s up to you. It’s not too big of a deal if he gets tangled, just brush out the knots and/or mats afterwards, or limit the things that do tangle his coat when you can't brush out his coat later (aka don’t let your poodle go swimming, if you don’t want to spend the time blow drying and brushing them afterwards).

If you are using a human dryer, no matter what, always use low or no heat. Human dryers are not meant for dogs and can get too hot for them. If you are using a dog specific dryer, like a high-velocity or stand, the heat should be fine.

Rolled or satin collar protectors are recommended for most poodles. Nylon collars tend to damage the fur and cause mats around a poodle's neck. You can also limit the amount of time your pup wears a collar, but it is up to you.


I'm not sure if you heard all of this before, but here are some tips as well: 

Make sure you have a rat-tooth comb or a knitting needle for banding. You will need to part the hair down to the skin; it helps prevent mats from forming and keeps the hair from being pulled too much.

If you use any non-cloth bands, make sure to remove them with a seam ripper or cut them out with small scissors. Pulling bands out will damage the fur.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

If you want to learn bracelet and pom patterns then check out this thread.









Anyone intersted in a pom poms/bracelet grow out challenge?


I want to have a season to grow out Basil pom poms 110%. It's loud, I love it, but we need to add some serious fullness and length. Basil looks like she's walking around in high heels with tassels. If I was a furMom, then I would head right down to Nordstroms and get a pair (free returns...




www.poodleforum.com





Yeah, we try to break down each part of the poodle 1-by-1 so it's more manageable. If you can manage 1 little part or level up as a furparent one level by improving your routines and habits, then it's a step towards being able to handle more hair. 

Start with a little, get good, ask for help, learn from others, practice, then take on more.


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

It's been two months. This is us. We're 1 thumb from the ear leather in growth. Still just a road of do nothing for length.


----------



## Michelle Willian (Nov 17, 2021)

I have 2 toy poodles during a hot summer I trimmed my little boys ears right down short big mistake, his ear leather is very small and he looked more like a Mexican poodle lol ime now in the long process of growing it back again


----------



## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Michelle Willian said:


> I have 2 toy poodles during a hot summer I trimmed my little boys ears right down short big mistake, his ear leather is very small and he looked more like a Mexican poodle lol ime now in the long process of growing it back again
> View attachment 484212


Welcome! Your two boys are very cute. Be sure to introduce yourself in the member introduction area @Michelle Willian. We have a good number of EU people.

Short ears is still very cute, but we're glad you decided to participate with us. Just part of the fun of having a poodle.

I just leveled Basils ears off the bottom of her ears Saturday, but the rest is still growing in for us.


----------



## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Michelle Willian said:


> I have 2 toy poodles during a hot summer I trimmed my little boys ears right down short big mistake, his ear leather is very small and he looked more like a Mexican poodle lol ime now in the long process of growing it back again
> View attachment 484212


Welcome to the group! Your guys look great! Don't worry about it...with poodles, it's allowed! Hope you stick around to join in the fun!


----------



## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Michelle Willian said:


> I have 2 toy poodles during a hot summer I trimmed my little boys ears right down short big mistake, his ear leather is very small and he looked more like a Mexican poodle lol ime now in the long process of growing it back again
> View attachment 484212


What is a “Mexican poodle”?


----------



## Michelle Willian (Nov 17, 2021)

My Toy poodle Cash looked like a chihuahua when I clipped him short all over including his ears my neighbour called him a Mexican poodle.


----------

