Your One-Stop Source for Sheltie and Collie Ear Solutions!

Moleskin can be used to train Sheltie and Collie ears. The moleskin method is a bit more complicated that the Japanese tape method.

Supplies needed for the moleskin method are:

Cut the moleskin into the following sizes:

Clean inside of  the dog's ears well with rubbing alcohol using cotton balls. Use a fine tooth comb to help clean any 'sticky' residue left from previous tape or moleskin. Let ear dry.

Remove the backing from one of the 3" by 1½" pieces. Spray sticky side of mole skin with Doc Brannen's Grooming Adhesive. [Note:  I put a piece of paper towel in my sink in the dog room, and place the moleskin on the paper to spray with the adhesive]. Wait a minute before proceeding.

Stick together two 3" by 1½" pieces of moleskin by placing 'sticky' side of piece above against moleskin side of piece with backing still on.

Cut doubled piece of 3" by 1½" piece of moleskin in half to form two 1½ x 1½" pieces. Trim each piece as show below (Figure 1): This piece will go inside lower part of dog's ear.

Figure 1:

Remove backing from the two trimmed pieces of moleskin. Place sticky side up on paper towel in sink. Spray with  Doc Brannen's Grooming Adhesive. Let stand 30 seconds. Then place one piece in bottom of dog's ear with the curved part at the bottom next to boney protrusion in lower part of ear. Press well. Repeat with other piece  in other ear.

Make brace from the 3" by ½" piece of moleskin. Punch hole in either end of moleskin with a small nail or awl. Thread a piece of yarn (5 to 6" long) through each of these holes. Then cut moleskin in half to provide two pieces - each 1½" x ½" (Figure 2).

Figure 2:

Remove backing from the two pieces of moleskin with the yarn in place. Place sticky side up on paper towel in sink. Spray with  Doc Brannen's Grooming Adhesive. Let stand 30 seconds. Then place one piece on the top part of the moleskin already in the dogs ears with the yarn on the inside part of the ear. Repeat with second piece on other ear - again making sure the yarn side is on the inside (See Figure 3). Press well.

Figure 3:

Trim two 1" x 1" pieces into circles. Remove backing from these two pieces of moleskin. Place sticky side up on paper towel in sink. Spray with Doc Brannen's Grooming Adhesive. Let stand 30 seconds. Then place one piece on the top part of the ear. Place other piece in top part of other ear (see Figure 4).  Press well.

Figure 4:

Spread Jiffy Sew sparingly on the circles (3rd pieces) inside of ear. Tip ears over and glue top piece to lower piece. Make sure tip of ear is in proper location. Repeat for 2nd ear.

Finally, tie yarn in a knot to pull ears up, trim excess yarn.