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How To Make German Shepherd Ears Stand Up

Why You Should Never Touch Your German Shepherds Ears

How to make German Shepherd ears Stand Up?

You can accidentally damage the ears cartilage and make your puppy has partially or floppy ears if you touch their ears.

Therefore, you, your kids or other puppies should never ever rub or touch their ears during the teething period as any significant trauma that the ears get during this period can cause permanent damage and droopy ears.

At What Age Do Yorkshire German Shepherd Or Chihuahua Dogs Lift Their Ears

The puppies of all dogs are born with small ears, folded down, and drooping. But some breeds of dogs naturally prick up their ears after a few weeks of life.

When? Usually, the ears are raised in 2 or 3 months, but sometimes it can take up to 5 or 6 months. For the ears to be stiff, the ear muscle must have a certain amount of force, which helps to hold the cartilage in place.

Depending on the breed of dog to which they belong, some of them have their ears raised, or erect, naturally, and without any type of surgical intervention. As examples we can mention the Pomeranian, German shepherd, Siberian husky, Dutch shepherd, Yorkshire terrier, or the mythical long-eared Chihuahua.

On the contrary, keep in mind that if you want to lift the ears of a Doberman dog, it will not be possible since this breed by nature has floppy ears. The only way to get pointy ears for a Doberman is through surgery. Remember also that in many countries it is currently forbidden to cut the ears of dogs for aesthetic purposes, therefore this operation can no longer be done.

So in summary, now that you know how to make a dogs ears stand up, make sure you know what can and cannot be done for your canine friend.

Why Do German Shepherds Ears Stand Up

German Shepherds were created to look like their ancestors, the wolves. This is one of the breeds that most closely resembles the primitive species physically, including the pointed ears appearance to hear better. Besides, this feature gives them a more elegant and imposing image.

They have incredible hearing ability thanks to their ears, being able to hear even the slightest synods. For this reason, it is so important that your ears stand up. A dog with limited hearing can have many problems. The ears of German Shepherds are raised to ensure a perfect sense of hearing for the dog.

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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
  • Basset Hound
  • Daschund
  • Beagle

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Development Of The German Shepherds Ear

When Does A German Shepherd Ears Stand Up

Like all other dog breeds, the German Shepherds ears are not fully developed from birth. At an early age, they are quite soft cartilage that is very firm to the puppys head.

After a while, their ears begin to grow with them and get bigger and bigger. We cannot miss the moment when the ear is formed, because after reaching a certain stage of development the cartilage is transformed into an elastic plate that can no longer be changed.

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What Do My German Shepherds Ears Look Like

The larger and wider the ears, generally the stronger the ear cartilage has to be to support them when erect.

Smaller and thinner ears may have a better chance of standing up, but this depends.

So, consider the structure and makeup of your GSDs ears, and consider how it might contribute to ear position.

Gently Place The Foam Roller Inside Your Dogs Ear

Take out the plastic clip on the foam roller and gently place the foam roller against the inside skin of your dogs ear.

Dont shove the roller in! They only need to sit inside the ear enough to support cartilage growth.

Make sure you check for any creases or folds in their ears before moving on to the next step.

Repeat in the other ear.

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Has Your Gsd Puppy Been Sick

We are talking about serious sickness or physical ailments here.

If your GSD puppy has been affected for a period of time from a sickness that means it cant absorb the nutrients from its food, it may affect how your GSDs body and ears develop.

Regular vet checks can help prevent this.

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Home » Breed Info » German Shepherd Ears Not Standing Up: 9 Reasons Why This Might Be

What Kind Of Ears Will My German Shepherd Have

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

Anyone who has seen an adult German Shepherd dog can tell you that this breed is easily recognizable for its erect ears and noble expression. However, its a less known fact that all German Shepherd puppies are born with floppy ears.

According to the breeds standard, German Shepherds should have erect ears of medium size, which are carried upright and aligned. The ears should also be pointed and with the auricle facing forward .

Although the standard calls for erect ears, its not uncommon for adult German Shepherds to have dropped or floppy ears. Keep in mind that dogs with cropped or hanging ears will be disqualified and wont be able to compete in dog shows .

If your GSD puppy has been obtained from a reputable breeder and not a puppy mill, you can expect your pups ears to stand up and remain erect after he finishes teething.

On the other hand, bad breeding practices, trauma, or health problems can account for floppy ears in German Shepherds.

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Is There Something Wrong With My Dogs Ears

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.

How To Fix A German Shepherds Floppy Ears

If you notice early enough that your german shepherd has floppy ears, then you can often work to get them to stand up straight.

Here are some of the ways you can fix a german shepherd with floppy ears.

The Tape Method

One of the most common ways to fix a german shepherd with floppy ears is the tape method. Its been used by hundreds of german shepherd owners in the past with great results, and its relatively easy to do!

Here are the steps you need to take for the tape method to be effective.

Find Foam Rollers, Tape, And Popsicle Sticks

The first thing youre going to need to do is to find foam hair rollers, tape, and a popsicle stick. These are the only three tools youll need. If you cant get your hand on foam rollers you can normally get them off .

And remember, when youre using tape, you dont want to use tape thats too sticky, otherwise it will hurt your german shepherd when you want to remove it. Heres a great tape to use.

Place The Foam Rollers Inside Your German Shepherds Ears

Now the next step is to place the foam rollers inside your german shepherd ears. When theyre in his ears wrap his ears around them and then tape them in place.

Just make sure there arent any creases or crinkles in their ears. When theyre straight and looking good, you can tape them.

Place The Popsicles At The Top Of The Foam Rollers
Remove Once A Week
When To Stop

If you get to the 9-month mark and your german shepherds ears still havent stood up on their own then its time to stop.

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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.

Be Careful With Glucosamine

11 WEEK OLD GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPY

Glucosamine is an over-the-counter supplement made for humans that maintains healthy cartilage and keeps joints lubricated, but its also commonly given to dogs too.Im not saying Glucosamine is necessarily bad for dogs, but its something you will need to talk to your veterinarian about first. Dont automatically assume your puppy needs Glucosamine because his ears are staying floppy for a little longer than usual. One thing about Glucosamine is that we rarely give it to young children, so this leads me to believe that puppies should stay away from it too. But as I said, speak to your veterinarian if youre considering Glucosamine.

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When To Stop Taping Their Ears

At 9 months old your German Shepherds ear should stand on their own, without the ear taping or other measures.

If your German Shepherd puppy is 9 months old and their ears still flop over, please see your vet for further assistance.

This could mean your dogs ear might permanently stay flopping and fold over and isnt anything to worry about.

What Type Of Strips Will We Use

There are strips to help you breathe better at night , or the breathe right or breathe well type for dogs. They are also known as anti-snoring strips. You can get them in pharmacies, drugstores, and drugstores.

They have an adhesive part, which is the one that we will stick vertically, inside the ear of the dog that is fallen. And they also have a small metal strip inside, which is what will serve as a guide to make the dogs ears stand up.

For us it will be a super comfortable guide because we will not need to add glue or adhesive tape to their ears.

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What Did My Puppys Parents Look Like

This might be the most important factor that impacts ear position genetics.

It might be hard to outweigh the impact of undesirable genetics.

Every dog is different they have different parents with different genetic material in their bodies.

Different genetics affects individual appearance.

Some GSDs are genetically predisposed to have floppy ears if their parents passed this gene onto them.

This is particularly true if the German Shepherd is not a purebred or the lines have been crossed.

Look to the parents and breeding lines of your GSD to get an idea of what genes might have been passed onto your GSD.

Its possible non dominant genes can be passed onto a puppy so, even parents with upstanding ears might give birth to a floppy eared dog.

But, two parents with erect ears should have a greater chance of producing an erect eared puppy GSD.

If you havent bought your GSD yet and you want a dog with erect ears it might be a good time to research breeders who have breeding lines of mainly erect eared dogs.

Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up Straight

How to Stand ear of german shepherd

All German Shepherds are born with floppy ears and your puppys ears will go through several weird stages before they become pointy and stand up straight.

You should expect your German Shepherds puppy ears to stand up and remain erect when he is finished teething. In most cases, the teething process lasts until the dog reaches five months of age, but it can last longer for some pups .

During this period, you will probably notice that your Shepherds ears are going through some funny changes. Its quite common for the ears to be up one day, just to drop down again the next.

If this happens, theres no need to be alarmed! In fact, this is a sign that your pups muscles and cartilage are developing properly.

Keep in mind that all puppies are individuals and develop differently. Thus, there is a big chance that your Shepherd puppys ears need seven months to stand up straight.

Generally, if your pups ears have gone up at some point and then dropped down again, they will stand up again and stay that way into adulthood. However, if the dogs ears dont go up by the time he is eight or nine months old, chances are that they never will.

Percentage of Ears Standing Up

According to owners, nearly one in five German Shepherd dogs have floppy ears . However, this doesnt mean that your GSDs ears wont stand up once hes finished teething.

Lets take a look at percentages of German Shepherd ears standing up by age:

Age
16%

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Remove And Inspect Their Ears Weekly

Select a day in the week where you remove the wrapping and foam rollers and see whether the ears are standing naturally on their own. Also, check if there is any soreness from improper taping.

If the ears stand on their own, then do not tape them. However, if the ears flop down, tape them again to provide more support for a bit longer.

Ensure that you check them weekly to see the health of your puppys ears.

What Do German Shepherds Ear Positions Mean

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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Stimulate Him With Toys

This is one of the best ways to guarantee an optimal state of health and the ears natural development. This is helpful because it can keep you upbeat and incentivize you to perk up your ears while chewing on your favorite toys. This alternative is extremely effective for puppies older than five months of age.

Provide Them With The Proper Chew Toys

German Shepherd Puppies Ears Stand Up At What Age

Chewing helps to strengthen the muscles that surround the ears.

Its natural for your puppy to chew things and you should offer them the appropriate chew toys early on to prevent bad behaviors from developing.

Choose the proper chew toy for a German Shepherd that is durable and the right size for your dogs age and chewing habits.

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What To Do When Your Gsd Puts His Ears Back

When your German Shepherd puts his ears back, he is either submissive, nervous, or just being friendly. Again, look for other signs, but youll soon get to know your own dogs body language. Pay more attention to him and reward him with the affection and treats he deserves.

This ear position isnt a cause for concern. The only exception is if your German Shepherd displays this behavior around most strangers and you adopted him to guard your property! If thats the case, you might need to bring him a sibling who is less of a social butterfly.

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