All but the two that are staying are gone - from a flood of nine puppies down to a trickle - from a thundering herd, to a pitter patter. It's been twelve weeks since their birth, and six weeks since they were cropped. Their ears have been posted for the last five weeks - no crimps - no crinkles and when you talk silly to them they wrinkle their brows - ears straight up, without a speck of tape, bridge or a rack.

They've been together - all nine at the beginning - without a stay coming down due to the other pups. When they bump into something (usually another brother, there were eight males and one bitch - whew!), their ears bend, then spring right back.

We used this method five days after the litter was cropped. The ears were cared for while they were up, resulting in no crimps or curled edges from scar tissue on cut edges. Of course, you must be extremely careful while putting them up, but the cropped edges are easily accessible. (NOTE: Several breeders are having the molefoam placed in the ears while the ear cropping is being done, the results are fantastic, and the molefoam seems to stay in very well for about 2 weeks.) If the litter is newly cropped, it's easier to do this with two people, but it can be done by one. Two people can do a litter of nine puppies in less than an hour and a half - including preparation time.

Sound incredible? It is. THIS is the miracle method, the "recipe" follows:

INGREDIENTS:

• One puppy (more if you're so lucky)

• One square Dr. Scholl's MOLEFOAM (NOT Moleskin) per two pups. Available at any drugstore or discount store.

• Surgical glue (SKIN BOND is excellent)

• Scissors

• A ruler and pen

Here's the HOW-TO'S

1. Clean all the ears well, with peroxide for the newly cut ears, alcohol for the healed ears.

2. Take as many squares of MOLEFOAM as needed (two pups per square) and prepare as follows:

Do all of one step before proceeding to the next (i.e., cut six squares in half, then continue to the next step on each stay). It goes faster.

LEAVE PLASTIC BACKING ON MOLEFOAM UNTIL ALL CUTTING IS DONE AND YOU ARE READY TO INSERT.

Using the ruler, measure halfway - vertically from backing edge to backing edge (see illustration). Now, take the ruler and draw a line DIAGONALLY from corner to corner, leaving a half-inch at top. CUT following lines.

Cut off bottom in a slight arc, this removes the "points" rounding the portion that goes in the bell.

Now place an ample amount of glue, being sure to completely cover the inside of the ear - evenly - starting from the little knob just above the canal (see illustration). Wait a minute or so holding the ear up, NOT the four or five minutes as instructed on the glue container, being careful not to let the pup shake his head or you'll glue the ear to the side of the head or together.

Now, roll the base of the stay. Tape with regular first-aid tape if desired.

Be careful not to let the stay stick to the ear before you have positioned it well into the canal (as far down as you would place any other method of posting). Holding the ear in the position you want it to stand, attach the stay - from the bottom up - straightening edges on healing ears. Rub stay to ear to make sure it's well-adhered.

VOILA! YOU'RE FINISHED!

Don't worry about taking the stays out, they fall out by themselves in about ten days, from the oil on the pup's ear. They seem to be virtually "puppy proof" as the others chew on them, etc., but they don't come out prematurely. There's no problem at all with infection or glop inside the ear canal, because air can get in freely. There's no danger of taping too tight, or cuts and gouges from tape at the base.

It is an incredibly safe, easy and PAINLESS method.