At What Age Do German Shepherd Puppies Ears Stand Up
Your puppy’s ears can stand up anywhere from 8 weeks to 8 months. And generally, they should be standing up by the time your puppy has finished teething.
One of my males was not even through teething and his ear cartilage was upright and ready to position correctly. His two littermates on the other hand still had floppy ears by the time his ears were upright.
Using teething as a benchmark is not accurate because of the wide variations in development, even between littermates.
So I prefer to play it safe and say 8 months of age is the cut off before you should start intervening.
Instructions On German Shepherd Ear Taping Follow
Now, here’s the process of German Shepherd ear taping:
First, insert the pencil into the pink foam roller about an inch or so to make it easier for you to hold later on. Next, put the Skin Bond on the pink foam roller about 3/4’s of the way around the roller, so it is well covered but not oozing or dripping off the roller in any way.
Important: You do not want the glue to drip off the roller into your pups ear canal when ear taping your GSD puppies ears. You do not want to get the glue on your hands either while in the middle of this process. That is where the pencil comes in – to help you hold the roller steady while applying the skin bond adhesive to it.
Optional step: If you decide not to use glue for some reason, you can cover the sponge roller all over with an adhesive tape such as a masking tape or surgical tape in place of the glue.
While holding the pencil end of the sponge roller device, wrap the GSD puppies ear around the glued / taped foam roller and then tape them into a fairly firm roll , in an upright position. Next, remove the pencil from the sponge roller by gently pulling it out from the top. Do NOT leave the pencil in after taping is complete!
Optional: Detachol Adhesive Remover is used to remove tapes, bandages and, of course, Liquid Adhesive.
Life is like a dog sled team. If you ain’t the lead dog, the scenery never changes.” – Lewis Grizzard
Is It Bad To Touch A German Shepherd Puppies Ears
Protect Your German Shepherd Puppies Ears from Trauma
A good rule of thumb is to keep any hands off your pups ears. That means no bending, rubbing, or folding. I know its not easy to leave those cute, soft ears alone, but its best for healthy, perky ears not to play with them.
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Why Does My German Shepherd Have One Ear Up And One Down
If you notice one of your puppy`s ears being floppy, then this might mean their ears are developing differently.
This isn`t uncommon, on the contrary, and at times one of the ears can stand up repeatedly while the other one might turn floppy.
Still, if after 8 months this still goes on, most likely this will become permanent.
How To Tape German Shepherd Dog Ears Up
Some people recommend taping your German Shepherds ears if their ears are not still up at five months old. In some cases, tapping may work for show line German Shepherds. But it rarely works for working line German Shepherds.
If you want to tape your German Shepherds ears, you must consult with your vet first, and only do the following steps under your vets supervision.
There are several methods to tape your GSD puppys ears.
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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
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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Instructional Video On How To Apply Moleskin Padding To A German Shepherds Ear
Applying Glue Tee-Pee Style
This works by applying Tear Mender glue to the outer edge of both ears and pressing them together. Here is a video showing how to do this properly.
Soft ears are a bad genetic trait in German shepherds. If the ears dont correct themselves and taping or gluing is required it would be best for that dog not to be bred. It should be our goal to produce the most healthiest and intelligent German Shepherds we can. Although soft ears do not take away from how intelligent the breed is, nor does it take away our love we may have for our K-9 companion. It is not according to the breed standards. And no matter what anyone else tells you it can create some health risk for the German shepherd dog. For example: if your German shepherd has one ear that stands and one ear that doesnt. Try cleaning the inside of both ears with ear cleaning solution and a cotton ball. You will quickly notice that the ear that is erect is much cleaner than the one that is soft. This can cause ear infections, hearing loss, and much worse if the German shepherd ears are not frequently cleaned.
All of these steps can aid the German shepherd Puppy in helping its ears stand erect but should only be done under the advice of a trained professional.
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German Shepherd Ears Implants
When everything else has failed, there are two last solutions that you can consider: getting surgical implants or having your German Shepherds ear cropped.
Bear in mind that those two procedures are quite painful and take a long recovery time. There is no guarantee that your German Shepherds ears can go up even after they undergo the process.
So you need to consider whether its worth it or not putting your dog into such unfair situations, not to mention the trauma that can last for a lifetime.
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Placing The Form Roller Inside The Ear
Remove the plastic clip in the foam roller and place it gently against the inside skin of your puppys ears.
Do not push the roller inside the ear, it only needs to be placed inside the ear enough to support the growth of the cartilage. Ensure that there are no folds or creases in the ears before doing the next step.
How Do I Fix My German Shepherd`s Floppy Ears
Before anything else, there`re a few things you`ll probably need. For this course of action you`ll require some white, thin if possible, tape. You`ll be able to find these at any of your nearest drug stores.
As soon as you have everything you need, arm yourself with a lot of patience and dive into the issue.
- Wrapping: Wrap each of your dog`s ears with foam and then use tape to form a tight vertical roll.
- Form a bridge between the ears: Then take the popsicle stick and use the tape to attach the ears horizontally. Your canine`s ears should be kept symmetrically.
- Re-tapping: Your Shepherd will start becoming suspicious about its ears and perhaps attempt to scratch or even roll over to try and get rid of it. That`s why you must be certain its ears are re-tapped.
- Breaks: Once a week get rid of the tape and try and observe if your dog`s ears will stand up by themselves. If they`ll remain up without any issue, then you know the method has worked.
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Moleskin Padding For German Shepherd Ears
Moleskin Padding In case you are looking for something a little less expensive than ear forms you can try Moleskin padding. It seems to be the most comfortable thing Ive ever used to assist with the ears, and without really paying attention you would not even notice they were in there. They seem to hold up real well and they dont fall apart like pipe insulation does. Here is how you do it:
1) Purchase Moleskin Padding with adhesive backing from a pharmacy.
2) Purchase Torbot skin bond online.
Purchase 3M Black Super Weatherstrip and Gasket Adhesive from any auto parts store. PLEASE READ WARNING LABEL BEFORE CHOOSING TO USE THIS PRODUCT!
3) Purchase large Nasal Strips from a pharmacy.
4) Purchase some Adhesive Remover wipes online. Or you can use baby oil.
5) Clean out the ears real well with an ear cleaning solution. Inspect the ears for any irritations or infections and allow ears to dry completely.
6) Cut the moleskin to the shape of the inside of the ear kind of like a teardrop. Making sure it is small enough to have 1/4 all around the moleskin.
7) Next remove the backing off the moleskin and apply a thin layer of Torbot or adhesive to it. Allow the Torbot glue to dry for about a minute or apply the 3M weatherstrip adhesive instantly.
8) Have an assistant hold the ear open to where you can easily fit the moleskin into the ear as centered best you can making sure it is covering the crease in the bottom of the ear.
Video Answer: How To Tape German Shepherd Ears By Not Using Tape
Most breeders and veterinarians will tell you that floppy ears are common while your German Shepherd is teething, which usually ends between 16 and 20 weeks. By then, the cartilage in the ear has become hard and strong enough for the ear to stand permanently.
Of course, the German Shepherd isn’t born with upright ears. When they’re born, their ears are floppy and over time, as they grow, their ears develop So it’s only natural for German Shepherd owners like you to want the best for your German Shepherd’s ears.
Gently squeeze to secure it in place.
Now your dog’s ears are taped down in the position you want them to form naturally.
Part 2 of a 2 part series covering Carols special techniques for older dogs with longer ears. This is a great technique for older puppies who have outgrown their tampons. It is also more durable, and as such is great if you have multiple dogs in the house, or an energetic pup who routinely breaks tampons or scratches them incessantly.
It is simple, easy, and does not bother or irritate the puppy to dig at his ears. With this technique, you do not put tape on the ears but instead only glue the ears together. Wait until the pup is at least 4 months of age.
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The Safe And Gentle Way To Tape Your Dogs Ears
One of the most notable qualities of the regal German shepherd appearance is their large, erect ears. According to the American Kennel Club , the ears should be:
Moderately pointed, in proportion to the skull, open toward the front, and carried erect when at attention, the ideal carriage being one in which the center lines of the ears, viewed from the front, are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground.
While there are many wonderful dogs that dont meet the breed standard, for some owners, their dog having erect ears is very important. For those that breed, compete, or show, according to the AKC its vital that their dogs meet the breed standard or they will be disqualified:
A dog with cropped or hanging ears must be disqualified.
German shepherd puppy ears go up between 8 weeks and 6 months. They will also often go up and down during this time, until they finish teething. Its totally normal for the ears of dogs 3 to 4 months old to not yet be fully up.
However, if a puppy reaches around 5 months and their ears have never gone up, they will probably need some help. In this case, its a good idea to get a health check to ensure your dog is getting the right nutrition and doesnt have parasites or any other health problems.
Once youre satisfied that your puppy is in good health, the next thing you can do is tape the ears to help them stand. This video, Ear Taping by Dr. Bill, is a good example of how to gently and safely tape your dogs ears:
- Scissors
Is Taping A Dogs Ears Cruel
The American Veterinary Medical Association states that ear-cropping and tail-docking are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient. These procedures cause pain and distress and, as with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthesia, blood loss, and infection.
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Improper And Poor Nutrition
German Shepherds need balanced nutrition during crucial growing stages, including vitamins and minerals that aid in cartilage and muscle development of their ears.
Improper or poor nutrition doesnt provide the right building blocks for growth and can hinder their ear development. You should ensure your dog gets the right nutrition from the start to avoid any issues.
Along with Vitamin D, calcium helps strengthen the cartilage to aid in building a strong foundation for the ears to stand up later.
Why Some German Shepherds Have Floppy Ears
The number one reason is genetic. Some puppies have floppy ears due to their genes. In this case, theres not much you can do about it.
The second reason is breeding fallacy. Many people adopting German Shepherds expect their dogs to have large ears. Because of this, a lot of breeders, especially breeders of the American Showline type, try to breed German Shepherds with larger ears.
The result of this attempt is enhanced German Shepherds with ears that are too heavy and too big to hold the cartilage up, which makes their ears flop.
Those two points above show us the importance of getting our puppies from good reputable breeders. Ask a lot of questions to the breeder and meet the puppys parents before adopting them.
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Taping Your Puppys Ears
To Tape Or Not To Tape
It is important to understand that you should never tape your GSD puppys ears too soon in an effort to make them stand up. Should you decide that you want to give this a try, you should wait until your puppys adult teeth have started to come in.
This is generally within a time frame of 3-5 months. However, we recommend waiting until your puppy has finished teething. This usually occurs at around the age of 6 months. This is not set in stone, so it is important to consult with your veterinarian to confirm that your GSD puppys teething stage has been completed.
Taping a German Shepherd puppys ears up too soon may actually damage them to the point that they will never stand up on their own.
As a puppy, your GSDs ears may seem to a mind of their own sometimes they will be standing straight up, while other times they remain flopped over. This is because, during the teething phase, calcium cycles back and forth between a GSD puppys ears to his teeth which causes this oscillation.
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