Proper Diet & Nutrition:
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.
What Age Do German Shepherd Puppy Ears Stand Up
This should occur at about 5 months of age. Of course, this may vary from one GSD to another, but averagely it should be around this period.
In most cases, the ears stand when the teething process is over and that occurs when the German Shepherd is about 5 months of age.
If your doggys ear isnt standing during this period, dont panic, the time duration isnt fixed and the change could still happen in later stages.
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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Why Does This Process Delay
In many cases, the process of ears standing up straight delays for a while. The process is different for different dogs. Even the puppies of the same litter can have different times for the ears to stand up.
Some puppies take seven months to stand up their ears straight. The ears of a German Shepherd take a permanent shape till the 8th and 9th months. If the ears of a puppy do not stand up till the 9th month, then they wont stand up ever.
75% of the German Shepherds make their ears stand up during the first 3 to 10 months. Out of every 5 German Shepherds, one dog never gets its ears to stand up which makes it almost 18% of the total German Shepherds. This percentage is quite high and shocking.
Taking Care Of Your German Shepherds Ears
Like other dogs, you should regularly examine and care for your German Shepherds ears. Examine the ears once per week and remove the dirt, waxy buildup, or debris using an ear cleaning solution approved by the vet.
To clean the ears, squeeze a few drops of the cleaning solution into the canal. Then wipe the dirt and any excess solution using a cotton ball.
Dont push anything inside the ear or use ear swabs as they could lead to deafness or injury.
You can ask your vet to clean your puppys ears if you are not comfortable doing it.
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Other Methods In Making Your Dogs Ear Stand Up
Although many German Shepherd owners use taping to correct their dogs ears, there are many less invasive, but highly effective methods that you should try first. Lets take a look:
Chew Toys
Chewing on safe puppy chew toys is the easiest way you can help your dogs ears to stand up. Not only will chewing help with teething, but it will also help your dog to exercise his jaw, head, and neck muscles, thus making them strong enough to hold the weight of his ears.
Supplements
Many owners believe that supplementing their German Shepherds diet with calcium will help their ears to stand up. However, your dogs ears are made from cartilage, not bone, and calcium doesnt have any effect on the development of the cartilage.
If you want to supplement your pups diet, its much safer to supplement it with Glucosamine which lubricates the joints and supports healthy cartilage. As always, you should first talk with your vet to see if your German Shepherd puppy can benefit from using supplements.
Diet
Feeding your puppy with high-quality dog food is essential for his overall well-being and proper development. Make sure that you are feeding your pup with the highest quality food you can afford, and steer clear from brands that use fillers such as wheat, corn, or soy.
Check For Parasites
So, do routine fecal tests and keep up with deworming treatments to keep intestinal parasites at bay. Furthermore, get your dog tested for heartworms and talk with your vet about a preventative care plan.
Tapping German Shepherd Dogs
Tapping is a common practice to make the ears of a German Shepherd. This method is mostly used for the dogs used for shows and competitions.
The German Shepherd kept as a pet at home is not experimented with by this method. People just love to have a dog like German Shepherd. Floppy ears dont make any difference for them.
So there is no reason for using the taping method for your dogs ears if you have no concern about how the ears of your dog look like.
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Is Taping Your German Shepherd Puppys Ears Safe
As long as taping is done properly, it is painless however, it can cause your pet to get annoyed or irritated. Taping your dogs ears to make it stay upright is not a foolproof method and has a high failure rate and it does not fix the dogs genetics.
- Taping essentially helps the cartilage to shape up and get formed just like weightlifting causes your muscles to grow and become stronger. So, the common question is, is taping your safe? Well, if you do plan to tape your German Shepherd puppys ears, here are a few steps that you can follow to do it safely.
- Speak to your vet before you tape your German Shepherd puppys ears. Do not start very early and allow your pups ears to stand up on its own.
- Ensure that your German Shepherd pup is in good health. He should be physically fit, have a good and healthy diet and not have parasites.
- When taping your pups ears, make sure to use thin surgical tape.
- If your dog rips off the taping, then re-tape his ears.
- Ensure that you change the taping often and if your pups ears dont stand upright after a few months, then they probably wont and so you must stop the process.
When Will My German Shepherd’s Ears Stand Up
Sam Shephard is an experienced German Shepherd owner and has learned throughout the years how to optimize the breed’s health and wellness.
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Classic German Shepherds have ears that stand up straight. But anyone who has ever adopted this breed knows that their ears are floppy when they are young. Some owners, especially those who want a very classic-looking German Shepherd dog , are eager to see the ears stand up right away and often wonder whether there is anything they can do to help.
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When Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up Heres What You Should Know
The large erect ears make every German Shepherd remarkably unique. It is a physical trademark that makes them quite noticeable among all the other large breeds. Whether you own a German Shepherd or not, those ears could be one of the distinct traits youll first see.
But if you are reading this article right at this very moment, you probably have got a German Shepherd of your own and youre wondering when those ears really stand up.
How long should you wait before their ears stand up? Should you worry too soon or should you do something about right away? Dont worry. Weve got you covered.
When Do German Shepherd Puppy Ears Stand Up
German shepherd puppy ears stand up usually as the puppy develops and matures. Sure, those floppy ears look cute in a puppy, but owners of this breed are often looking forward to seeing their pups bloom into majestic representatives of the breed. Erect ears are one of the most cherished features in this breed which is known for making a vigilant watch dog with its alert, attentive look. If your German shepherd puppy has floppy ears, fortunately, in most cases, it’s just a matter of time, and those floppy ears will finally become erect. However, in the meantime, it’s important to avoid handling those ears in the wrong way.
An alert German shepherd with erect ears.
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My German Shepherd Puppys Ears Were Already Up But One Or Both Went Down Again
During the teething period , their ears can go up and down frequently. One day their ears can tilt sideways inwards leaning against each other, and the next day the ears can tilt outwards.
This unpredictable behavior, quite often, confuses first-time German Shepherds owners. If this is happening to your puppy, you dont need to worry too much as it is completely normal.
What Do German Shepherd Ear Positions Mean
Ears up and down this is how your puppy offers their greetings to other pets and people. It may be accompanied by face-licking and tail-wagging.
Floppy and relaxed ears this means that your dog is completely relaxed and not stressed.
Forward-tilted ears your dog is trying to tell you that they are alert and confident, which is mostly associated with an attitude of being self-assured.
Backward-tilted ears your dog might be feeling fear or anxiety, especially when training them to show submission.
Constantly tilting ears in different directions your dog could be trying to figure out where the noise comes from.
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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.
Development Of The German Shepherds Ear
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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Vitamin D For German Shepherd Ears
Unlike vitamin C, vitamin D is a different story. Your pup can produce some of their own vitamin D by basking in the sun, but thats not enough to meet their nutritional requirements.
To help meet their vitamin D requirements, you need to add vitamin D to their foods. Most commercial dog foods nowadays add vitamin D to their formula to ensure that dogs get the required amount of vitamin D that they need.
If you resort to feeding your pup with 100% natural diet foods, you need to add vitamin D to your pups diet since vitamin D deficiency is quite common in German Shepherds that eat home-prepared foods.
Make A Popsicle Support
Take the popsicle sticks and put them on top of the foam rollers . You may need help from a family member or friend to do this.
Next, take a medium-sized self-adhering waterproof tape and place it around and across the popsicles sticks and the two foam rollers.
This creates a bridge between the two ears to help support and align them together. This ensures symmetrical and even growth.
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Is It Bad If A German Shepherd`s Ears Dont Stand Up
When it comes to some canines, the entire process might take longer. Each and every German Shepherd pup, even if we are talking about pups from the very same litter, will evolve in a different manner. Some canines out there might take up to 7 months.
If a German Shepherd`s ears don`t go up until they are 8 or 9 months of age, they`ll probably remain down. This is because this is when the ears of most dogs of this breed take permanent shape.
Note: About 75% of the German Shepherd canines have their ears going up in the first 3 to 10 months!
Can This Process Take Longer
In some dogs, the process will take longer. Every puppy, even puppies from the same litter, will develop differently. Some dogs may take up to seven months. If their ears do not stand up by the time they are eight to nine months old, they are probably never going to stand up because this is the time when most German Shepherd’s ears take permanent form.
After 3000 people voting in my poll and a lot of questions in the comment section, I decided to make a table to provide a clear overview. Keep in mind that polls are self-reporting and can contain flaws or biases.
Around 75% of the dogs have their ears standing up in the first three to ten months. The results also show that nearly one in five German Shepherds will never have their ears stand up straight. That number is higher than I expected. I trained in official clubs with purebred dogs and I’ve rarely or never seen those, which makes me think there are more mixed dogs in the poll or some people voted too early.
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German Shepherd Puppy Ear Posting
The goal with German Shepherd puppy ear posting, or taping, is to help guide your puppys ears into the correct upright adult position without being invasive or uncomfortable.
You want to give your pup enough time to try to do this naturally. But you also want to intervene before the cartilage in the ears starts to harden , leaving the ear flaps in the wrong position.
You will need the following supplies:
- Some type of surgical tape .
- Foam roller inserts or foam pipe insulation cut to size.
- Two plain popsicle sticks or unsharpened pencils.
Here is what you want to do :
- Insert one popsicle stick into the center of each piece of foam.
- Insert the popsicle stick/foam into the ear.
- Wrap the surgical tape around the outside of the ear to hold the insert in place.
Be prepared for your puppy to find a way to paw off this strange contraption several times before they finally get used to it and forget about it. You want to leave this in place for a week and then remove it to check the ear position.
You may notice the ears start to stand a little straighter week by week. But if you see them flop over again, you need to re-tape them until they are strong enough to stand up on their own.
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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Feed Your German Shepherd Healthy Food
You need to make sure the dog receives quality food regularly. Feed your dog with food abundant in vitamin D, protein, and calcium. There are many dog food options available in the market, but it is highly recommended that you carry out intense research before deciding what is best for your German Shepherd.
Do not stress yourself trying to feed your dog what your friend or neighbor advised you to feed it, yet it is expensive for you. Research and purchase available and affordable healthy food for your dog.
Sometimes, when a German Shepherds ears refuse to stand-up, it is a case of genetics and not nutrition. Some owners might try to make the ears stand up by taping, but sometimes that does not work because it is difficult to correct a dogs genetic makeup. Taping also annoys or irritates pets.