Have I Myself Already Messed With The Dogs Ears Myself
Have you tried a technique youve read about on the internet to modify your dogs ears such as taping, ear forms or ear padding, and not consulted an expert such as a vet first?
This is particularly common in first time or inexperienced owners who are impatient or panic.
A dogs ears will generally develop naturally, but there are some things that can be done which may influence how they sit.
See a vet for your options.
My German Shepherds Ears Never Went Up
As mentioned, there will always be some German Shepherds with floppy ears that stay down and never come up. This should not be viewed as a problem, and gives your German Shepherd a lot more character than the standard German Shepherd.
It doesnt mean your dog is abnormal or unhealthy, its just the way they are, so love them for their ears that decided to never go up!
However, if you do want to know more about your German Shepherds down ears and how old the ears should eventually go up, read on.
German Shepherd Ear Care
At least once a week, check your German shepherds ears. Look for dirt and any signs of redness or a bad smell, which indicates an ear infection is brewing. A light accumulation of dirt can be gently cleaned out with a soft cotton cloth. The good news for shepherd owners is that ear infections are most common in dogs with floppy ears. Because a German shepherds ears are erect, air can circulate within the ear, and your dogs;ear canals will stay dryer than some other breeds. However, ;German shepherds still get ear infections for other reasons, including exposure to environmental elements, ear mites, and yeast imbalances.
If your dogs ears are healthy and pink, you dont need to do anything. However, if there is any smell coming from around your dogs ears, or your dog is shaking his head or scratching at his ears, get a small flashlight and look as far down into the ear as you can for signs of dirt or gunk. A healthy ear should be pink and reasonably free of wax build up and dirt. ;If you dont see anything but still smell something, reach as far into the ear canal as possible with a cotton ball and see if you come up with any colored waxy substance.
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So When Do Puppy Ears Stand Up
There’s no single answer to this question, and many variables have to be looked at.
Firstly, all puppies are born with closed, floppy ears. Their ears begin to open around two to two-and-a-half weeks. The point at which the large floppy bits, called the pinnae, begin to stand differs wildly between breeds and individuals.;
To get an idea of when the pinnae will become erect, you will have to check the following:
Do German Shepherd Puppies Have Floppy Ears
German Shepherds are one of the most striking breeds, and their large, triangle-shaped ears are a classic feature that we expect to see. So if you have a German Shepherd puppy youre likely wondering should he have floppy ears? is this normal?When German Shepherds start life, they have small, floppy ears that fold over to the front side. So yes, German Shepherd puppies do have floppy ears. And its completely normal.It can be quite a concern for new puppy owners who see their GSDs floppy ears when they were expecting the classic upright triangle pyramids! So lets get into when you can expect your German Shepherd to have upright ears.
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Why Does My Dogs Ear Not Stand Up
Simply being a puppy is one of the most common reasons your dog has one floppy ear. As the dog develops, one ear might become erect more quickly than the other, although it usually should follow suit rather quickly. How long it takes for a puppys ears to stand up depends on the breed and the individual dog.
How Come My German Shepherd Ears Not Stand Up
Your German Shepherd needs the right diet for their skeleton and muscles to grow properly. Many German Shepherds ears do not stand up while they are teething. So, if they are teething, be patient and try not to worry. In fact, it is not uncommon for their ears to stand up and then drop when they start teething.
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Ear Infection In German Shepherds
German Shepherds like most dogs are prone to Otitis Media and Otitis Interna which are common types of ear infections. Longer eared dogs are more prone to ear infections than shorter eared dogs. Symptoms of ear infection are pawing at the ear, shaking their head, pain when opening their mouth.
The best treatment for ear infections in German Shepherds is antibiotics which work most of the time. It should help reduce symptoms in a few days and cure the ear infection in less than 2 weeks. Routine ear cleaning can help prevent ear infections as well.
Is There Something Wrong With My Dog’s Ears
If five months have passed and their ears have still not perked up, it could be an indication that they are either not developing properly or that they are not getting proper nutrition. Your dog should have a diet that is abundant in protein, calcium, and vitamin D. If they are not getting enough of these nutrients from their puppy food, it might be time to switch to a higher-quality food. If you are really worried, you should take them to the veterinarian for a checkup.
However, most cases of floppy ears are an indication of non-standard genetics rather than lack of nutrition. Owners might want to rectify this problem with taping, but it rarely works because you cannot correct your dogs biological makeup.
If you are not too picky with your puppy’s appearance, then there is no reason to worry if their ears have not perked up by five months of age.
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Take Your German Shepherd To The Veterinarian
There are a few methods you can try to help get your German Shepherds ears up. But the first thing you have to do would be to get your dog checked by the vet. That way, your vet will be able to determine whether your dogs ears are down due to parasites or malnutrition, and will thus be able to provide you with the possible remedies for the underlying cause of your German Shepherds floppy ears.
Deciding To Tape Your Puppy’s Ears
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Why Do Some Dog Breeds Have Floppy Ears
Some dog breeds such as the Beagle, English Cocker Spaniel, and Poodle, have floppy ears. In the late 1800s, the English geologist and biologist Charles Darwin concluded that:
The incapacity to erect the ears is certainly in some manner the result of domestication.
Heres a really interesting animated video that explains why some dog breeds have floppy ears and how scientists believe centuries of domestication is the cause. Its only 3-minutes long and explains it in a helpful and fun way:
As dog breeding trends move further away from abiding by strict breed standards, floppy-eared dogs are being bred more due to their extreme desirability.
Some people admire their large, floppy ears because they are cute but I think the opposite. There is nothing quite like a German Shepherds pointy ears.
Having floppy ears also comes with some health issues which we will discuss in the next chapter.
Why Does It Take Five To Eight Months For Your Gsds Ears To Stand Up Naturally
German Shepherd puppies need time to develop healthy cartilage that can hold up the weight of their ears. When they are finished teething, usually, youll start to see their ears beginning to perk up and flop down back and forth.
If their ears can permanently become straight just before the end of the five months , then their ears will be straight and pointy otherwise they might get floppy ears for the rest of their life.
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When Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Or Perk Up
As mentioned above, German Shepherd puppies begin life naturally having floppy ears that dont stand up. A common question asked is when do German Shepherd puppies ears stand up? Typically their ears begin to stand up or perk up around 7 to 8 months with some being later or sooner.
Its best to not panic about your puppys ears early on but if you are too concerned you should always talk to your Vet about different options available to make sure you get their ears to perk up eventually.
What If My German Shepherds Ears Wont Stand Up
Sometimes, your German Shepherds ears will remain floppy even when your four legged buddy has grown into an adult. Is it bad if a German Shepherds ears dont stand up?
Not really, and as far as we know, there arent disadvantages of sorts if their ears dont stand up.
There are several reasons why a German Shepherds ears will remain floppy. These include
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Reasons For Delay In Ears Standing Up
There are several reasons due to which a delay in the popping up of ears can be observed.
Teething
The most common reason due to which the ears refuse to stand up is teething. It might be because the mind is engaged in the process of teething and cannot concentrate on the ears to stand up. Till the end of 5 months, it is quite normal if the ears remain floppy and do not rise.
Genetic issue
If the ears dont stand up even after the 6 to 8 months stage, then it can be due to some genetic issue. Nothing can be done if the floppy ears have passed through the genes.
Defective Ears
The ears are a sensitive part of a dogs body. If the ears do not stand up after the 8 months, then there might be something that happened to the dog accidentally that caused a defect in its ear. Some other puppies might have bitten or pulled the ears hardly or kid might have hurt the puppys ears while playing with it.
German Shepherds And Their Ears
German Shepherds, just like any other dog, are born with floppy ears. New German Shepherd owners often get worried too soon and become stressed about their puppys floppy ears. Its perfectly normal for your German Shepherd to have folded ears at around three to four months.
German Shepherd ears start to perk up and stand up at about six or seven months. Around this time, your puppy would have finished teething and his ears will stay up for good. However, there are always exceptions to this as some German Shepherds are late bloomers or they were never really destined for these iconic ears .
During their first five months, German Shepherd puppies have not yet developed their cartilage, and so, their ears are still not matured enough to hold up its own weight. This breed has very large ears after all. Floppy ears usually happen around teething time because as teeth break through the gums, calcium is extracted, making their ear cartilage very soft.
Its common for your puppys ears to perk up and droop again within a few weeks. But if your pups ears are not up to six or seven months, chances are they are not going to perk up. Dont worry though, there have been many successful cases wherein taping the ears after six months helped their German Shepherds.
There are many other reasons why your German Shepherd pup is experiencing floppy ears. Here are some of them:
Teething
Genetics
Trauma
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Why Did My Dogs Ears Go Floppy
Just being a puppy is one of the most common reasons your dog has a floppy ear. As the dog develops, one ear may become prick more quickly than the other, although it should generally follow suit fairly quickly. The time it takes for a puppys ears to stand up depends on the breed and the dog in question.
Why Does It Take So Long For A German Shepherds Ears To Stand Up On Their Own
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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Why Has My Puppy’s Ears Suddenly Started Drooping
Puppy ears change as they grow. In many cases, ears standing up perfectly before three months will start to droop again when the puppy is teething. This is because nutrients being sent to the ears are now being diverted to the growing teeth.;
Usually, after the teething process is done, the ears will stand right up again at around six months.;
On the way to fully erect ears, the puppy may go through many very natural stages. What starts with tiny floppy ears in a German Shepherd might evolve into ears that flop to the side.;
This may turn into “flying nun” ears, where one ear is down and one looks like it wants to fly away. Flying nun ears are usually followed by the comb-over stage, where they may be flopping over the top of the head. All of this is a normal part of the process of getting perfectly erect ears.
If you are concerned about a puppy having one ear up and one ear down, have your vet check for any trauma or inflammation in that ear, which may cause it to droop. If there is nothing physically wrong with it, check your puppy’s sleeping patterns.;
They may always be lying on one side and squashing one ear. You can encourage them to lie on the other side to balance things out.;
Why Is Vitamin D Important For Dogs
Vitamin D is vital for the regulation of the calcium and phosphorus balance in your pups body. The lack of vitamin D can make your pup get bone disorders rickets, heart disease when they grow up, which ultimately affects the development of their ears as well.
On the other side of the coin too much vitamin D can cause toxicity. So make sure you strike the right balance between too much and too little when giving vitamin D supplements to your puppy.
If youre hesitant in giving your pup commercially available vitamin supplements, you can alternatively substitute the commercial supplements with natural yogurt or cottage cheese.
Both cottage cheese and yogurt offer the same benefits; they are a natural source of calcium, protein, vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.
Tough yogurt may be a better choice among the two since yogurt contains probiotics that help the pups digestive system stay healthy.
If you pick yogurt to give to your pup, you should only give small amounts of plain yogurt at first, preferably one teaspoon, to avoid upsetting your pups stomach.
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How Can You Know Your Australian Shepherd Dog Is Done Growing
Theres only one guaranteed way to know that your Australian Shepherd is done growing.
This method is fully reliable and applies regardless of gender or whether you have a standard or a miniature Australian Shepherd.
The one and only way to confirm your Australian Shepherd has stopped growing is to have your dogs veterinarian take X-rays of the long leg bones.
At the top of each long leg, bone meets an area of cartilage called the growth plate. This growth plate, like its name suggests, is like the computer of the dogs leg.;
It sends out instructions, such as keep growing or stop growing.
The type of instructions each growth plate sends out can be changed based on what your dog eats, type and duration of exercise, timing of a neuter/spay surgery, individual and breed canine genetics, among other factors.
When your Australian Shepherd has stopped growing for good, the growth plates will harden and close. This means that there will be no more growth instructions sent out. Your dog is as tall as its ever going to get.
Now, keep in mind here that your Aussie may still have some filling out to do in terms of reaching their full adult weight. The growth plates only affect your dogs height.