Dog Anatomy Question

[BOBS DAD]

My friend was meeting my new dog Bob (you've seen him on here before) for the first time and like everyone, he asked, "what kind of Dog is he?" I explained that he was a rescue dog and we weren't really sure what he was. I also said that we got a lot of helpful insight from others and a lot of guesses from Pet Talk members, but we were just as unsure in the end, cause BOB - like a lot of mixes - looks similar to many breeds.

He was petting Bob and was looking at his ear - and wanted to show me something. He showed me this flap (a sort of butterfly fold) at the base of his ear. He told me that hounds (Beagles, Bassets, etc) had this. I checked Ginger (my Beagle) and sure enough she had one of these. BUT I wonder, maybe ALLL DOGS have these and you never really notice. Not something you go up to your friends dogs and start pulling on their ears looking for.

Let me know if you know what I am referring to (see my rough drawing - not very good as I did it with a mouse on the computer screen), and what you know about it - hounds versus any ol' dog, etc.

[JenBKR]

Roscoe has something like that, but, like Bob, he is a mix and I don't know what all he is mixed with. I believe that he has german shepherd ears though, and he has a flap like what you are describing (funny you should mention this, I just noticed it the other day). I don't know how common it is though.

[gemini9961]

I am pretty sure my Maggie has one of those so-called flaps. She is Rat Terrier/Maltese mix. I will double check when I get home but I think she is the only one. Hopefully some other PT'ers with a little more knowledge will chime in on this one because I find this question interesting.

[lizbud]

I think I know what you're talking about & Maggie (Lab/Shep mix)
has ears like that, but Smokey (Shep/Dobie mix) does not. It feels
funny when you first discover them.

[My Peanuts]

LOL, I call it the ear's ear .

I thought all dogs had them but I recall seeing one that didn't. It might even be one of mine! I'll check when I go home.

[k9krazee]

I just went and checked, I thought all dogs had them? Weird...My Rottie, Lab/beagle mix and Jack Russells all have it...

[Jessika]

I think its just a random thing and not breed-specific.

My parents' german shepherd golden/lab mix had them! Not sure about my pups now but I'll run and check...

The BOTH have them. Not as prominant as the picture shows (and hard to find under all that fur around their ears!) but they both definitely have them

[BOBS DAD]

That's very funny. Everyone is running to check their dog's ears. I got another input from another source: A lady who heads up a Beagle Rescue Club told me that, Yes - all beagles have them. She wasn't sure if and how many other breeds may as well. She also says that she even suses this trait to identify a supposed purebred. If she receives a new rescue and it doesn't have this flap, she generally classifys it as a mix. FOR WHATEVER'S IT's WORTH!

[.sarah]

All of my girls have them I've noticed it before, and wondered what the point is.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Every dog I've ever owned has had those as far as I know (not sure if Winston does, as he's cropped) but the others all do.

[BOBS DAD]

...sounds like the jury is in. Seems like most, if not all dogs have these and my info is bad. Oh well, down goes another urban myth!!!!

[slleipnir]

Zeke has something like this I think...



It's a bad photo...his ears stand up right. I don't know what he is mixed with, but I don't think he has any hound?

My other dog, Josie (lab) doesn't have this.

[lv4dogs]

ALL 3 of mine have them, I know for sure Kaige & Raustyk have no hound in them, I am not 100% sure with Nanook as he is a rescued mix too but I would bet money on it that he has no hound in him.

[IRescue452]

Autumn's are very big. She's a toller. It runs almost the entire lenght of her ear and a good inch in. I always wondered about them. Pepper, our cocker, didn't have them.

[lv4dogs]

Oh I forgot to add, don't know if this matters or not but my cats and ferrets have them too.
I *think* I recall seeing them on my rats, hamsters, etc.... too.