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How Long Before German Shepherd Puppies Ears Stand Up

When Do German Shepherd Ears Go Up

When Will My German Shepherd’s Ears Stand Up

German Shepherd puppies are born with floppy ears, but most will have standing up ears by 15 weeks. However, there will be some whose ears wont stand up until they have finished teething.

But why is teething a critical point?

Its all to do with calcium. When the puppy is growing, he is using lots of calcium for teeth development the teething phase. This means that a lot of calcium is being directed towards the teeth, and not to the ears.

This means that your German Shepherds ears can be floppy one week, stood up the next, and even not at the same time! Until the calcium is evenly shared around the body, you can expect some possibly weird ear behavior.

And this lack of calcium in the ears is why you might hear some German Shepherd owners saying they will give their puppy yoghurt due to the high calcium content.

Poor Hygiene During Puppyhood

Another possible explanation for your German Shepherds floppy ears is an absence of hygiene in the past. Similar to malnutrition, this is common in dogs that come from a background of neglect or homelessness.

A build-up of wax, debris, or dirt can make the ears heavy and cause them to droop. When this occurs throughout a German Shepherds puppyhood, it can prevent the bones and muscles in their ears from developing properly, and they can flop permanently as a result.

Taping German Shepherd Ears

Taping is by far the most common practice when it comes to correcting German Shepherd ears. Recommended by vets and breeders, taping is a painless and non-surgical approach that should get your dogs ears to perk up.

Please note, while taping can help your dogs ears to stand up, it cant beat genetics, and might not always work. So if you dont see any change after some time, you should stop and just accept your dog the way he is, floppy ears and all.

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Calcium For German Shepherd Ears

To meet your pups daily calcium needs, you may want to give them chicken necks once a day.

Chicken necks have an excellent bone to meat ratio they are enough to supply your pups calcium needs without needing any additional calcium supplement.

Contrary to popular opinion, you dont need to supplement your puppy with an additional calcium supplement. Excess calcium can potentially cause a permanent skeletal problem.

Calcium also wont help German Shepherd puppies ears to go up because calcium does not affect the ears cartilage.

Why Does It Take So Long For A German Shepherds Ears To Stand Up On Their Own

Why Do German Shepherds Have Pointy Ears?  World of Dogz

A German Shepherd puppy must develop the cartilage and muscle structure to help its ears stand upright. Having their ears stand up takes properly developed muscles and strong cartilage

Young puppies bodies simply arent mature enough to have the strength that keeps their ears upright.

You might notice that sometimes your GSD puppys ears stand up when they hear an interesting noise.

But, then the ears go down after a bit. This is all part of their ear development stages.

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What Is Sable Gsd

Sable GSD is a recessive gene that does not have a solid coat of color from the tips of the toes to the top of the head. This gene changes the solid coat color to a mixture of white and colored hairs. This gene is completely separate from the White GSD gene. The gene is called sable because it creates a dark appearance, even though the dog is actually only partially black. Also, coat color is a polygenic trait, which is a trait with a large number of loci, so the appearance of the sable GSD is a result of a series of alleles..

When Should Your German Shepherds Ears Stand & What You Can Do If They Dont

German shepherds are very recognizable in part due to their large, erect ears. As puppies, their tee-pee ears give them adorable character. As adults, their pointed ears contribute to their highly alert appearance.

When Do German Shepherd Ears Go Up?

German shepherd puppy ears may go up anywhere between 8 weeks and as late as 6 months. During this time, its not uncommon for their silky soft ears to go up and down. Its also totally normal for one ear to be up at a time. And, some puppies will even alternate which ear is standing on any given day.

Their ears going up and down is an adorable part of puppyhood. However, its very unusual for a healthy puppy, whose ears were once standing up, to not have them go back up on their own if they go down. So, if you see your puppys ears going up and down when they bark, get excited, or get startled, you can be confident they will stand on their own once they are done teething.

If youre concerned that your puppys ears are not yet up, the span of time between 8 weeks and 6 months can feel like an eternity. Especially if the ears have never gone up or have flopped down, with no sign of going back up.

However, it is important to know that the most common time for puppy ears to go up and down is while they are teething, between 4 and 5 months. By the end of 5 months, their ear cartilage should be strong enough to hold the ear up.

  • Puppy nutrition
  • Puppy health
  • Unbalanced diet
  • Parasites
  • Genetics
  • Do not supplement calcium
  • Glucosamine

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Why Are Bullies Ears Cropped

A: This is a question that has been asked before, but the answer is not as simple as it sounds. There are many different reasons why ears may be cropped on characters in games. Some of these reasons include censorship, to make the character more recognizable, and to avoid copyright issues with copyrighted music.

German Shepherds ears stand up when they are about a year old. They typically start to stand up around 6 months of age. Reference: german shepherd ears stand up.

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What Do German Shepherds Ear Positions Mean

Pet Care – At What Age Do German Shepherd Puppy | Dog Breeds Ears Stand Up Straight? BholaShola.

Let`s take a closer look at how your little friend is trying to communicate by using their ears:

  • Ears Up & Down This is how a dog offers their greetings to other people or pets. This might be accompanied by tail-wagging or face-licking.
  • Relaxed & Floppy Ears Floppy ears with no strain are just normal signs that your dog isn`t stressed and they are completely relaxed.
  • Forward-Tilted Ears Now your dog is trying to tell you that they are confident and alert. This is most of the time associated with self-assured attitude.
  • Backward-Tilted Ears At this point, your canine might feel anxiety or fear. For instance, during training this is related to fear and submission.
  • Ears Constantly Tilted in Various Directions If your little pal isn`t sure about the source of the noise, they`ll try and change their ears` direction constantly. There might be people talking or moving cars around them while they try to track another animal, and this could make them switch their focus in various directions.

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German Shepherd Floppy Ears: 8 Essential Inquiries That Must Be Outlined

Would you agree that there is lots of mis-information regarding German Shepherds and their ears out there?

There`s no point in mentioning how many times people would come and ask Why does your German Shepherd have floppy ears? or Why are your German Shepherd`s ears down?

This is certainly something that most likely also happened to you or else you wouldn`t be here, right?

Some things need to be cleared first before going any forward: you don`t have to trim your GSD ears to make them stand up!

Something to Remember!

With that being mentioned, here`s what else is mandatory to keep in mind:

Why Do German Shepherds Move Their Ears

Before we get into specific German Shepherd ear positions that indicate different emotions, we have to address why dogs move their ears. Unlike human ears, dogs ears are controlled by voluntary muscles. In other words, their ear movements arent involuntary reactions but instinctual attempts at communication. So, why do German Shepherds move their ears?

German Shepherds move their ears to different positions mainly to indicate interest, submissiveness, or hostility. Several subtle movements indicate more complex emotions, and sometimes various emotions overlap in terms of their corresponding ear position.

You should look at your dogs ear position alongside other body language and behavior cues in the context of his environment when deciding why he is behaving a certain way. If you go by ear positions alone, you might reach the wrong conclusion as each position has at least two explanations.

In the sections below, we will look at the general possibilities for each position your dog puts his ears. You will also learn a few other metrics to determine which one of the possibilities is the actual reason behind the dogs ear movement.

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Dog Breeds With Floppy Ears

If you realize that your German shepherd has joined the floppy ears group, dont worry theyll be in great company. There are numerous popular breeds that wear their floppy ears with pride.

When running at high speeds, their floppy ears resemble wings, as they dance in the wind. Studies have also shown that long ears help dogs to better track scents of prey and hidden explosives at security checks.

How does this work? The long ears heighten a dogs sense of smell by funneling odors closer to their nose. If youve ever done some research on hunting dogs, youll notice that most of them have floppy ears. Their impressive ears help them track prey over long distances. Makes sense now, right? Below are some examples of dog breeds with floppy ears.

  • English Cocker Spaniel

Although they are very playful and friendly, dont be fooled by their cute face and small features. They can sniff out well-hidden explosives. Long before they earned careers as service dogs, they were used by hunters to hunt, flush, and retrieve birds from bushes.

  • Poodle

Whats more adorable than the Poodle? Their thick, curly fur combined with small frames further highlights their cuteness. Poodles are surprisingly smart and athletic, making the perfect combination of beauty, brawn, and brains. They excel at sports and make superb water retrievers, giving Golden retrievers and Labradors a run for their money.

  • Bloodhound

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Why Does My German Shepherd Put His Ears Back When I Pet Him

When Do German Shepherd Puppies Ears Go Up

A: Dogs will often put their ears back when they are being petted, as this is a sign of submission. This can be due to many different things, such as the dog feeling threatened by your touch or feeling that youre trying to dominate them. Its important to know that dogs have a lot of body language and facial expressions that humans dont always pick up on.

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At What Age Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up Straight

When your puppy is finished teething , his ears should start to stick up or should be all the way up. Why does it take five months for this to occur?

As a puppy, the German Shepherd’s cartilage is not strong enough and cannot hold up the weight of their big ears. But as they grow and get the right nutrition, they will develop stronger cartilage. This process usually takes about 20 weeks.

When they start to wean themselves out of the teething phase, you will likely begin to notice their ears fluctuating between floppy and pointy. You might see them rise when they perk up in response to noise but see them flop down quickly afterward.

If their ears can stick up straight during the first five months , then its likely that they will be straight and pointy for the rest of their life.

How Do I Know If My Puppys Ears Will Stand Up

There are a couple of ways you can do this test. The first thing you wanna do is hold a treat or a small toy at the level of your dogs head. Make sure he is focused on the toy and then gently take a hold of his front leg and bring it up a few inches towards his ears. If he focuses on the treat he will tip his head up and you should notice his ears go up as well. If the ears stay upright after a few seconds you will have a success. It may take a few tries but this is a good way to test if your dogs ears will stay up as well as if he likes the position he is in..

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How To Tape A Floppy

Taping your German Shepherds floppy ears is easy to try and only take a few items.

  • Foam rollers
  • Self-adhering waterproof dog wrap
  • Clean popsicle sticks

Dont use regular tapes that you have around your house or they will tear and rip your dogs tender skin. Its best to use self-adhering dog wrap thats waterproof so you wont injure your puppy.

Next, follow these steps to prop your puppys floppy ears upright.

Proper Diet & Nutrition:

When Will My German Shepherd’s Ears Stand Up?!

Cheap, commercial food could be the culprit if your puppys ears refuse to stand. Make sure youre feeding high-quality dog food.

Its worth noting that some people recommend using supplements for your puppies to help with their ears. However, this isnt necessarily a good idea.

For example, many people think calcium will boost those ears but it can also have a negative effect on your pups joints and bones, causing permanent skeletal problems. Its just not worth the risk!

Stick to a high-quality, natural diet instead. Some ideas for foods that may help boost your pups ears include cottage cheese, yogurt, and chicken feet. Cottage cheese and yogurt both have plenty of calcium , and chicken feet are a natural source of glucosamine, which helps strengthen cartilage.

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Encourage Regular Use Of Ear Muscle

You might have noted that though your puppys ears are floppy, he tries to make them stand whenever he hears a new sound. You should make more different sounds a lot, this will make him try to make his ears more. If you continue encouraging him to do so many times, his ears will stand in the shortest time possible.

Damage Or Accident To The Ears

A damaged ear as a result of an accident can prevent your German shepherds ear from standing up.

Your German shepherd ears can be damaged through fighting, playing and pulling of the ears.

If your German shepherd has recently been involved in a fight with other dogs or your children might have pulled their ears accidentally that should be a concern to you.

The best way to determine if your German shepherd ear is damaged is to consult a vet to do a proper examination.

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Frequent Question: How Do You Tell If My Puppys Ears Will Stand Up

  • What dog breeds have pointy ears?
  • Another way to tell if your pups ears are likely to stand is by observing where they are set on the head. Ears that will stand, even partially, tend to be set higher on the head and closer together than pendant ears. The cartilage at the base of a standing ear will begin to start feeling firm by 4-to-6 weeks old.

    Is There Something Wrong With My Dogs Ears

    When Will My German Shepherd

    At this time your puppy should eat high-quality food that is abundant in all essential nutrients that are necessary for proper development. But if this is already the case, you should schedule an appointment with your vet for a full check-up.

    More often, German Shepherds inherit floppy ears from their parents, and there isnt much you can do about it. Of course, you can try taping your pups ears and hope it will work, but it would be much easier to accept your dog the way he is.

    In the end, floppy ears are an aesthetic problem and wont prevent your pooch from being the most amazing pet you have ever had.

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    Is Taping A German Shepherds Ears Bad For Them

    Taping is not bad if you use the right tape to make your German Shepherds ears stand up. However, taping can be bad and unhealthy if you injure their ears by not properly taping them or inserting the foam rollers too far into the canal.

    If you are not sure, ask your vet to show you how you can tape your puppys ears.

    Your puppy may become annoyed and uncomfortable with the tape on their ears, but they will forget that they have it in no time.

    They need some distraction and close supervision during the process.

    German Shepherd Floppy Ears

    For every pet owner, there must have been a point when they wondered what the truth is behind German shepherd floppy ears. Sure, its cute, but is there a meaning behind it? Will it affect a German shepherds behavior?

    Such questions often pop up in our minds the first time we see German shepherd floppy ears. So today, were going to talk about everything you need to know about German shepherd floppy ears and what to do when you start seeing them.

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