Since Dharma has started joining us for family errands, we have started hearing the same bit of advice everywhere we go. “Don’t touch the floppy ear or it will never come up.” I have always had multiple dogs in my life. There have been deliberate and accidental litters of puppies. There were multiple orphaned puppies who needed special care around the clock. I even helped bottle raise a half wolf pup. I know that puppies (and other animals) need help with input AND output. Somehow, I missed the certainty that touching an ear can keep it from standing. I have three problems with this bit of wisdom that has escaped me all my life. Number one is that it sounds like an urban legend. I mean, I could understand affecting the shape if this was something as delicate as a flower petal, but an ear? Unless I tape her ear down, I can’t see how touching it could affect it. Number two is that I don’t care if the ear stays floppy. It’s adorable and expressive. Number three is that I have some sort of compulsive desire to rub her head and touch those sweet little ears. They’re like magnets. I can’t walk past Dharma without stopping to pet the ears and use baby talk. Only, now I have half a dozen different voices in my head telling me to stop touching her ears. Get out of my head! It was already too crowded in there. I am going to pet that floppy ear. Wouldn’t you?