“Very pretty head and expression, good ear placement and lovely curl to ear.”

The sentence comes from a Basset Fauve de Bretagne owner forum, but we’ve come across the phrase in reference to other hound breeds, particularly coonhounds, as well. What on earth does it mean?

 

 

It’s not this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You won’t find the phrase, “curl to ear” in any breed standard; it’s an informal, descriptive expression that fanciers might use to describe certain large, pendant, luxurious ears on certain hound breeds.  Rather than hanging like a strip of leather the length of the ear has a natural inward roll or curl, especially along the front edge, so that the ear has a gentle tubular roll.

To our knowledge, “curl to ear” in coonhounds is created almost entirely by the structure and quality of the ear leather, not an active muscle. The long, hanging part of the ear contains thin, supple cartilage that acts like a flexible framework; when this cartilage is fine but resilient (rather than thick and board-like), it allows the ear to bend and roll instead of hanging like a flat strip. Over that is soft, pliable skin (not tight, dry, or coarse) that lets the ear edge form a gentle inward roll or “tubing” along its length. The length and weight of the ear leather, especially a slightly heavier tip, makes the natural roll more evident because gravity works on that flexible cartilage and soft skin to accentuate the curl. The small ear muscles at the base of the ear only move the whole ear (lifting, rotating, flattening) and don’t create the curl itself. Put another wayk the shape of the curl is passive because of how the ear cartilage developed and how the leather matured. A combination of fine, elastic cartilage, soft supple skin, and ear length and weight of the leather produce the characteristic “curl to ear” admired in many coonhound lines.

Image: Black and Tan Coonhound by WilleeCole/iStock