The Challenges of Backer Rod Ear Posting for Dobermans & A Solution
Ear posting is a common practice among Doberman owners to ensure their dogs' ears stand erect after being cropped. Various techniques exist, but backer rods have gained disproportional popularity. While popular, this method, which some believe originated from a perceived need to make posting 'safer' for Dobermans, has presented significant challenges, often for owners who post ears for the first time. In this article, we will explore the potential issues associated with backer rod posting and compare it to a more traditional method that alleviates many of the problems found in backer rod applications. We report on these issues not to indicate that backer rods cannot work well for some Dobermans but to offer an alternative in case you are experiencing the problems highlighted in this article and, to some degree, help to significantly shorten the time your Doberman needs to be posted (an important topic you can read about here in our article called, “Debunking Myths About Doberman Ear Taping Time: A Deep Dive with Science-Based Insights”).
Backer Rod Posting Popularity - A Timeline
A Slow Start
Backer rod posting for cropped ears has been around for a while. A filtered advanced Google search showed the earliest entries for Dobermans and backer rod posting around 2010 and Great Danes slightly earlier, around 2009. A Doberman book published in 2007 outlines posting methods as popsicle sticks, solid three-inch caulking, and “even tampon applicators” (Humphries & Walker, 2007). Assuming that the reference to caulking means to describe the use of backer rods in construction, the ear posting technique may be older, but per the internet hits and conversations by sheer number, it was not popular. One indication of where this technique may have gotten its more accepted start in the USA may be in 2010. In 2010, Backues (2010) published an explanation of the technique on the Doberman Pinscher Club of America’s (DPCA) website. This was the same year the caulking rod made an appearance on the DPCA’s website as an entry “Taping: Caulking Rod” (Brooks, 2010), as well. The pictures within the article indicate that caulking and backer rods refer to the same item.
2016
However, a significant increase in popularity seems to have occurred much later. A significant increase in popularity seemingly occurred around 2017, indicated by a noticeable surge in Google entries about the backer rod posting method found in Doberman forums and the internet overall. This increased interest in backer rods correlates with another finding: the biggest Facebook group concerning Doberman ear postings, “Doberman Ear Taping Methods “The Original”,” was created on February 2nd, 2016. This group predominantly promotes the use of backer rods. Their group description, retrieved on July 29th, 2024, states, “We promote the use of the Backer-Rod method as the primary after-care” (Doberman Ear Taping Methods “The Original,” n.d). This backer-rod promotion seems to date back to the group’s 2016 year of inception, as many posts during that year indicate. As such, given the fewer backer rod-related entries in 2016 compared to 2017, it seems feasible to assume that this Facebook group potentially had some influence on the rising interest and popularity of the backer rod method a year past the group’s creation.
The popularity of backer rods may also be attributed to newbie Doberman owners. Given that experienced Doberman owners and breeders are much less likely to seek input from others on how to successfully post their Doberman’s ears, ear-posting groups are usually frequented by people less experienced, often indicating they have never posted a Doberman’s ears before. As such, the increase in popularity of backer rod posting can also be attributed to first-time owners being told that using backer rods is the method of choice while discouraging old-school methods for their supposed danger to a Doberman’s well-being by potentially hurting the dog’s ears.
The Old School Technique
In comparison, the popsicle/tongue depressor method appears to have reached back to 2001, with most entries for Doberman ear posting concerning this method and no identifiable mention of backer or caulking rods, indicating the popsicle stick’s past popularity. The Doberman Pinscher Club of America (2001) outlined the method in the “Breeder Education Home” section on their website in 2001. The internet gained major traction starting in 2000 (Elon University, n.d), so it is possible that this method has been around for much longer than 2001. Many breeders do call it their preferred ‘old school’ method. How many years ‘old school’ dates back to, however, we cannot say universally. However, given our own investigation into this topic conversing with breeders that have 35+ of experience breeding and posting Dobermans, they indicate that tongue depressors were the choice already 35 years ago. The longer we reached back in memory, backer rods (or any other name that existed for them) were either not at all or only sparingly discussed, depending on where in the timeline we probed.
Understanding Backer Rod Posting
Backer rods are flexible foam rods intended for construction purposes and repurposed for ear posting. The process usually involves inserting these rods into the ear’s bell, reaching all the way up the ear about a quarter inch past the tip, and securing them with breathable, non-stretch tape, such as Hampton Adams athletic tape. The perceived benefits of backer rods include their softness and flexibility, which theoretically can reduce the risk of injury and supposedly increase the dog’s well-being.
Complications and Challenges
Flexibility Issues: Backer rods are flexible, but this characteristic often works against their intended purpose of producing a straight-ear posture. The rods tend to bend easily, especially towards the tips. This upward trend to bend is a component that often works against creating and maintaining a straight-ear posture. Even when reinforced with duct tape wrapped around or cable ties stuck through the center of the rods, they often lack the rigidity needed to prevent bending. This situation frequently leads to complaints about the tips not standing properly, especially from inexperienced Doberman owners.
Discomfort and Irritation: Many young and maturing Dobermans do not tolerate the full post backer rods well. Even though several thicknesses are available and used, the rods' general thickness compared to other methods combined with trapped moisture, which develops due to greatly decreased air circulation, can cause raw spots or ear infections in the ears. Such infections or raw spots can and often will interrupt the posting process, but consistency in posting, especially in the first couple of months, is crucial for ear posting success. As such, the rods' placement in the bells of the ears reduces air circulation, necessitating frequent changes to reduce the increased risk of infections and irritation. The diagonal cutting of the ends inserted into the bells only marginally improves ear circulation and does little to avoid rubbing on parts of the ears, a problem that often worsens with adding cotton balls to the bottoms as it creates even more volume in a tight space.
Often, people will use powders like ‘Gold Bond’ to remedy the moisture issue, but this practice comes with its own set of issues:Drying Out Ear Canals: Gold Bond powder is designed to absorb moisture, which can be counterproductive in a dog's ears. The ear canals need a certain level of moisture to remain healthy. Excessive drying can lead to cracked, dry skin, increasing the risk of infections and other ear problems. By inserting the backer rods into the bell, there’s a high likelihood that the powder gets pushed into the ear canal. If moisture does mix with the powder, it certainly will enter the ear canal. Thus, if Gold Bond powder mixes with moisture from the ear or external sources, it can form a paste-like substance. This mixture can travel deeper into the ear canal and potentially reach the eardrum. The ear canal is a delicate and sensitive area, and any foreign substance that reaches the eardrum can cause significant issues.
Risk of Infection: Introducing foreign substances like Gold Bond powder into the ear canal can disrupt the natural balance of the ear's environment. This can create an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and yeast, leading to infections that are often more difficult to treat. Hence, by using Gold Bond powder, you may create what you were trying to avoid: ear infections.
Frequent Reposting: Due to the discomfort and the rods' tendency to dislodge, owners often have to repost the ears every few days. This frequent handling disrupts the consistency needed for effective ear training, especially during the critical cartilage maturation stage in the first weeks and months of posting. As such, this situation usually prolongs the time the ears need to stand properly.
Prolonged Posting Times: In the past, it was rare to see dogs posted for more than a few months. However, while the longer posting times may be correlational, the rise of backer rod techniques appears to coincide with the extended posting periods of up to two years that have become more common. Given the multiple and often substantial issues many Doberman parents face with backer rods, it is plausible that remedying the issues causes longer posting times we often see today. This prolonged process can be frustrating for both the dog and the owner, delaying the dog's return to a post-free life.
Personal Experiences: Persephone’s sibling, owned by someone else, has been posted with backer rods. The owner started to switch from the breeder’s recommended technique (involving an old-school technique) to backer rods about a week after she adopted the puppy. Now, at the dog's age of 9 months, she reports that her ear tips are not standing and still ‘flop’. In comparison, Persephone was posted with the breeder-recommended technique (amended with one difference to replace full posts and a tape bridge with half posts and a light sponge bridge, which was the breeder’s main approach 12 years ago), and her ears stood successfully at six months. Thus, while factors other than the posting method may have played a role, the least likely factor may be genetics.
Another Method - A Short Overview
Another method people who experience the above issues are pointed towards is the cable tie method, but this method comes with its own set of issues to create a straight ear.
The cable tie method tends to suffer from stability and air circulation issues. It usually consists of a heavy-duty cable tie cut to the appropriate length of the ear. The cable tie is glued between one piece of duct tape and one strip of porous athletic tape stuck onto each other, and then this cable tie construction is glued with Torbot glue onto the ear (Sheline, 2018a), the athletic tape facing the ear at either full length starting from the inside of the bell or halfway, starting at just above a nub, called antihelix (Budras et al., 2007). Additionally, when the full-length version is used, a half cotton ball is attached to the bottom of the zip tie construction to give the construction better hold in the bell (Sheline, 2018a; Sheline, 2018b). Given the bendability of a heavy-duty zip tie, especially young Dobermans with largely immature cartilage will usually experience curving along their ears in this method. Moreover, by running into things like table tops, chair tops, or other objects they can catch on, the lack of rigidity can bend the ears higher up in ways that may actually break the weak bonds cartilage builds at the beginning of the cartilage maturation process (read here about the process). Such breaks caused by force and the bendability of the zip ties snapping back from the middle up where the cartilage is weaker by sheer lack of volume, to begin with, are not easy to heal for the body, delaying or even preventing the ears from standing straight properly. Moreover, the cotton ball that gets pushed and logged down into the bell causes the same issues with air circulation and discomfort as backer rods. To avoid such issues, many people opt to use half zip ties, but while most Dobermans might find this less uncomfortable, these half ties often cause issues with pockets by not keeping the ears stretched up enough, even if a tape bridge between the two ears is established. In sum, this method is not without issues that can significantly prolong posting.
Traditional Posting Technique
Contrary to the belief that more rigid methods are inherently dangerous, traditional techniques, when done correctly, offer a safer and often more effective alternative. Proponents of the backer rod method will frequently heavily discourage using “rigid objects” for ear posting purposes. One such method involves using tongue depressors wrapped in tape, often called the popsicle stick method. Here’s how this method works and why it can be more beneficial:
How it Works
First off, there are different versions of the tongue depressor method. Some involve using full posts where the tongue depressor gets stuck into the bell. We do not recommend this technique as it brings about the same issues concerning severely decreased air circulation, discomfort, and injury.
The Adjusted ‘Grant Ear Taping Method’
Dr. Samuel K. Grant, DVM, was a respected Doberman breeder and specialist in Doberman ear cropping (American Veterinary Medical Association, 2015). Many show breeders fancied his ear crops (Doberman Talk, 2014). Dr. Grant copyrighted his ear-taping method, which he found to be the most successful. He had 40 years of experience as a veterinarian and bred Dobermans, at least since the early 90s. Please note that his original version does not use the same tape application we describe. The one we offer to you is an adjusted version our breeder’s handler utilized when our first Doberman came to us in 2012. However, every other aspect is exactly the same as Dr. Grant used to recommend to his ear-cropping patients’ owners.
The Adjusted Method
Note: For the purpose of this article, we have opted to offer a less detailed explanation without pictures. We will evaluate if, when, and where we will publish a more detailed explanation for your convenience. If you have questions about the posting technique, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can help your Doberman.
To use the Tongue Depressor method for Doberman ear posting, you will need good-quality adhesive tape, scissors, tongue depressors, cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, Torbot glue, and a grout sponge. Measure the tongue depressor against the ear, from the nub called the antihelix inside to the tip, and trim it to the appropriate length, which is a tad longer than the ear. Cut two strips of, for example, Hampton Adams tape slightly longer than each stick. Affix the strips of tape to the sticks by placing the stick in the center of one piece, then place the other piece on top with the sticky side facing the tongue depressor. Cut the ends’ edges of the tape into the same shape as the tongue depressor, namely rounded on one side.
Roll two cotton balls to fit the rounded side of each tongue depressor’s end. Affix the cotton ball with one piece of tape wrapped around it. Avoid the two ends of that piece of tape meeting at the flat side of the tongue depressor, as the flat side gets glued into the ear, and any ridge can cause irritation.
Cut the grout sponge into the width of your puppy’s head and the height to approximately 3/4 of the ears when stretched up. Ensure the sponge is wide enough to make the ears stand straight and do not tip inwards OR outwards. They need to go up straight. Wrap the entire sponge with athletic tape.
Cut two additional pieces of tape for each ear: one approximately 7-8 inches long to wrap around the base and a 1-inch piece for the top.
Put the Torbot glue on the tongue depressor’s side without the cotton ball. Make sure you cover the entire tongue depressor. Put one layer of Torbot glue on the puppy’s ear. The glue will not bond properly if you only put it on the tongue depressor or just the ear. Let the glue get a bit tacky for about a minute. Moreover, you will have to clean the puppy’s ear, preferably with a 1:1 mix of rubbing alcohol and vinegar, before applying the glue.
To attach the stick, begin by placing the rounded end just above the bump in the ear. Hold the stick at an angle away from the pup's head and stretch the ear upward (the side with the cotton ball is facing away from the ear). Secure the tongue depressor by wrapping the tape around the base of the ear, starting at the front and going around between the ears. Be careful to maintain the upward stretch on the ear. Pleat the tape to fit the ear, and do the same at the top with the full-width piece of tape. To prevent the tips from curling, secure the ear tips to the tape-covered sticks. Be cautious not to wrap the tape too tightly to avoid cutting off circulation.
Now, take the sponge and stretch one ear upwards while pushing the sponge down on the head, repeating this step with the other ear, holding both ears to the sponge. Doing this will ensure that the tape you now wrap around the bottom of the ears and the sponge keeps the ears straight up, and there is virtually no way for a pocket to form. Take another piece of athletic tape cut into half width, and wrap it around the top of the sponge and around the ears. Don’t forget to pull up one more time when putting this second tape around the ears and sponge.
Benefits:
Stability and Rigidity: Tongue depressors provide the necessary rigidity to keep the ears upright without bending from the middle all the way up to the tips, as you often see with backer rods or zip ties. When wrapped in tape, even if they crack, which they do not unless your dog runs head-first into a wall, the tape holds them together, preventing any risk of injury from sharp edges. Since they do not get pushed into the bell, there is also no danger that they pierce them (even though that scenario would be hard to achieve even if the tongue depressors were stuck down into the bells).
Comfort and Tolerance: This method does not involve inserting anything into the bell, making it more comfortable for the dog. This reduces the likelihood of the dog pawing at the posts or shaking them out, leading to more consistent and effective ear training. Moreover, because this method is more rigid, dogs tend not to get bothered as much because there is less movement overall.
Ear Infection: With normal air circulation, there is also much less chance of ear infections or rubbing ears raw. With this method, you can easily go seven days without changing the posts since you do not need to worry about raw-rubbed ears or ear infections like you need to with the other methods. Hence, this method keeps the ears in training for longer stretches of time (especially important at the beginning as ear cartilage still has weak bonds, even at the bottoms where cartilage has more volume) and avoids longer breaks related to healing ears, either from ear infections or raw spots.
Added Stability: The sponge gives the ears added stability and keeps them from sagging and tipping inwards. Hence, there is virtually no danger for the dog to develop pockets. Please note: when Dobermans are young and have log show crops, sometimes, their ears will tip inwards when they’re very alert WITHOUT them having pockets. This situation does not stem from pockets but from the proportions of head size to ear length. So, please do not be alarmed if your pup shows straight-lined ears from the bottom to the top that meet at the tips when very alert. They will outgrow this situation.
When they run into things, the ears bend at the bottom with more cartilage volume and, hence, less chance for damage with the normal day-to-day impacts playing puppies experience.
Moreover, while it is light enough not to bother the puppy, it also adds a bit of workout to the auricular muscles that give the bottoms of the ear some stability. Please note, however, that these muscles do not contribute significantly to making non-standing ears stand. They simply aid standing ears, meaning while the ear cartilage matures, your puppy’s auricular muscles get a bit of a boost that, over time, may give some extra stability to the ears.Reduced Posting Times: With more stable and comfortable posting, the ears typically stand properly within a shorter timeframe. Our experience with this method has resulted in our Dobermans achieving standing ears within 3.5 months, significantly less than the extended periods seen with backer rods.
Avoidance of Complications: The tongue depressor method avoids common issues like pockets, where the ears tip inward and cross over the head. By providing better support, the ears are trained to stand correctly from the start, reducing the need for additional interventions like posting with bumpers that often do not lead to success easily.
Sponge Bridge: Unlike some people’s ideas with (high-set) tape bridges, Dobermans do not get stuck on things with the sponge. The sponge gets bent backward enough to run under any table, chair top, or bush as it creates a more rigid, larger surface than a strip of tape that can get stuck and rip the ears into different directions as the dog backs up to untangle himself. That is not to say that running into a thorn bush is a good idea, but, in general, day to day, there is likely much less danger of hurting themselves or breaking the ear cartilage than with the other methods.
Freedom of Choice Without Fear
While backer rods might have been introduced as a safer alternative, the practical challenges and complications they introduce often outweigh the benefits. Despite being viewed by some as outdated, traditional posting techniques like the tongue depressor method often offer a more reliable and comfortable solution for Dobermans. Ensuring the dog's comfort and achieving effective ear training in a shorter period allows for a better quality of life for both the dog and the owner. As always, consistency and proper technique are key to successful ear posting. Therefore, while backer rods or zip ties may work for some people, if they do not work for you, choose the technique appropriate for your situation without fear of supposed dangers to your Doberman’s wellbeing when deviating from a nowadays popularized method.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other healthcare professional. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease or prescribe any medication or other treatment. Always consult with your veterinarian or other qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your pet's healthcare regimen, especially if they have or suspect they may have a health problem. The author and publisher of this article are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any suggestions, products, or procedures mentioned in this article. The use of this information is at the reader's discretion and risk.
References
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Brooks, M. (2010, Jan. 4th). Taping: Caulking rod. https://dpca.org/breeded/taping-caulking-rod/
Budras, K.D., Fricke, W., McCarthy, P.H., & Richter, R. (2007). Anatomy of the dog: An illustrated text (5th ed.). Hannover: Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft.
Doberman Ear Taping Methods “The Original”. (n.d) About. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1523214807972444/
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Humphries, R. & Walker, J. (2007). The Doberman Pinscher. Brains and beauty. New York, NY: Wiley Publishing Inc.
Sheline, T. (2018a). Doberman ears part 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPsbJ5FQ7bk&t=630s
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