On this day in 2003, our giant schnauzer, registered with the AKC* as ’Moonage Daydream” but whom we call Luna, was born. As a nine-year old dog, she’s officially a senior. Luckily, she still has spunk and fire and a spring in her step, although she sleeps more than she used to. And she can still roar and lunge like the protective beast she’s always been. To look at her is not to see an older dog. Except for one thing: her left ear:
Why is one ear standing on edge? Let me explain. Like all giant schnauzers, Luna was born with floppy ears.
In the United States, their ears are generally cropped before they are sold, unless you think to ask otherwise (we did not). However, cropped ears still don’t stand up, they’re just smaller. To make them stand, you need to tape them to popsicle sticks or otherwise do various unnatural things to make them stand up. This is not something that is particularly pleasant for the dog, and Luna hated it.
Had we understood about cropping, taping, and so on, we would have asked for her ears to be left uncropped. But even though her ears were cropped, that didn’t mean we had to make her miserable and tape them up. So for eight years, her ears flopped down.
Now she’s older, the cartilage is stiffening, and her left ear stands up as often as not, making her look pretty goofy. But then she’s our goofy “little” schnauzer, so it works. And all things considered, if a stiff ear is all she has to worry about, I think she’s in pretty fine shape.
Happy birthday Luna. There will be some extra treats for you tonight. And hopefully for many years still to come.
* In fact, the beginning of all registered names is the kennel at which the dog was born. So her full listed name is “Lionheart’s Moonage Daydream.”
