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.
Poor Nutrition For A Large Breed Dog
Large breed dogs, like your German Shepherd, need food made especially for their size and growth rate.Do not feed them small breed formula food!
German Shepherd Dogs can vary considerably at different stages of their life in their nutritional requirements for energy, fat and carbohydrate. Even an adult GSD still needs the proper nutrition, especially for this athletic breed.
Your German Shepherd isnt getting enough of the proper nutrients if you can:
- easily see his ribs, vertebrae, and pelvic bones
- feel no fat on the bones
- hes lethargic and tired most of the day
- his fur looks thin and falls out in clumps
- or you notice some loss of muscle mass
If chronically underfed or malnourished, GSDs may experience impaired ability to perform their normal daily activities, a puppys growth may become stunted, and your dog has an increased susceptibility to bacterial infections and parasites.
Keep in mind that your puppy should eat food made especially for large breed dogs and without corn, wheat, or soy so that the food is easier to digest and sensitive on their stomachs.
Try this Nutro Natural Choice large breed formula if you want to ensure proper growth and the right nutrition.
Steer away from foods with soy or soy products, as these are thought to contribute to stomach gas, which can lead to bloat or another stomach upset. And dont use a food made for small breeds as its not nutritionally appropriate for your GSD.
Why Do German Shepherds Ears Not Stand Up
If their ears are still not up after five months have passed, the first thing that you need to do is to consult with your vet.
Aside from genetics, there are still other possibilities that can cause your puppys ears not to be up yet, so you shouldnt give up easily.
The first possibility is your puppy might not get the proper nutrition that they need, and the second possibility is they might be sick.
You should check with your vet to ensure that your pup is in good health. Some diseases caused by intestinal parasites can halt the growth of your pups ears.
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Is Taping A Dogs Ears Cruel
Tape the dogs earsNo, taping is not cruel. When done properly with hair-fighting adhesive tape, this will do wonders for your canine companion. Double-sided tape may be a better option if you have an itchy pup or one that often chews things. Your first step should always be to measure the shape of your dogs ear so it looks as natural as possible. Measurement items you may need include a measuring tape and a pencil or soft pen. The easiest way to create the triangle is from the top down at 45 degrees into where his ears naturally fold downward then up on both ends about five centimeters from those folds those lines will form what looks like right angles at each point they intersect.
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.
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Is It Cruel To Tape A Dogs Ears
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.
Month Old German Shepherd Ears Not Up
The ears of a german shepherd are not up at around the age of four months. If you see your puppys ear flap down or laying flat, this is normal. The cartilage in their ears will strengthen around five to six months old and they should start standing tall after that time frame passes.
This can also happen if you leave your german shepherd in an environment with loud sounds for too long. Loud noises can cause the ear to flatten out because their ears are sensitive and they become overwhelmed by all of the noise around them.
If you notice this behavior, make sure that you do not play any music or expose them to loud noises until their ears start to perk up. You can also try to feed them during this stage as it gives their ears something else that they need to focus on, instead of the noise around them.
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Age Of Gsd Ears Standing Up
The owners of German Shepherd know that the ears of a German Shepherd are floppy when it is young. People buying a young German Shepherd often get worried about the ears being floppy and not standing straight.
It takes a German Shepherds ears to stand up after 20 weeks. It is because that a German Shepherd being a puppy is very weak and their cartilage is not strong enough to take the burden of their big ears. At the age of 5 months, the cartilage starts getting stronger after a proper diet.
This is the time when the ears of a German Shepherd puppy start turning into pointy from floppy. Whenever they respond to a noise or a strangers voice, their ears rise but quickly fall back to floppy. If the ears of a German Shepherd start standing up during the first five months, then they will be perfectly standing for the rest of their life.
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Encourage Your Puppy To Use His Ear Muscles
As previously mentioned, your GSD puppys ears may seem to take on a mind of their own one minute they are pointing straight up at attention, and in the next moment they are once again flopped over.
As long as your puppys ears have the ability to stand up on their own, you will be able to encourage more of the same. Take advantage of your puppys natural curiosity by making noises that will encourage your puppys ears to stand at attention. Try things like whistling, clapping your hands, squeezing a squeaky toy you get the idea. Anything to grab your puppys attention.
The more that you are able to make your puppys ears stand on their own, the more you are encouraging the strengthening of his ear muscles. Just like any muscle on your body, the more its used, the stronger it will get.
Another thing that you can do to help your GSD puppys ears to stand on their own is to regularly provide him with bones or chew toys. As your puppy chews on these things, the chewing motion works to strengthen the muscles at the base of the ear. This, in turn, will work to give the ears a stable muscle foundation upon which to stand straight up on their own.
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Signs Your Pup Could Develop Standing Ears
If you’re still unsure about whether or not your dog will have standing ears, there are other ways to check.
One is to see how they’re positioned on the head.
If they’re high on top of the head and relatively close together, there’s a good chance that they will stand up when your dog is older.
Also, see how they react when your pup is excited. If they perk up a bit, they’ll probably stay that way at some point.
Why And When You Should Tape Your German Shepherds Ears
Lets talk about what causes German Shepherd ears to naturally stand up. Every dog has a center part of the ear structure called the Pinna. The Pinna is mostly made up of cartilage which will harden as the dog grows. In some dogs like Boston Terriers and German Shepherds, the pinna is much thicker which allows the ears to stand up naturally. In dogs like the Basset Hound, the pinna is thinner and longer which causes them to have floppy ears.
The German Shepherds pinna usually starts to harden at 6 to 7 months and completes at 9 months. From the time of 5 months, you will see their ears perk up and then go back down several times. Dont be alarmed during this period because this is usually caused by teething.
Taping is most beneficial during the 7 to 8 month time period for German Shepherds, so the recommendation is that at 7 months you can try taping their ears if they have not stood up on their own by then. I would recommend ruling out other causes before deciding to tape their ears.
Taking your dog to the Veterinarian to have a workup, because parasites such as tape or roundworms can cause your puppy to not absorb essential minerals and nutrients which can result in their ears not standing up.
Once you have had them checked by your Veterinarian, you could try adding some calcium supplement to their diet which will help the cartilage to harden. Sometimes this combined with taping will produce the best results.
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How Long Until Puppy Ears Stand Up
Usually, its going to be at least a couple of months, until you see them stand up. It might be just one ear initially, but unless there is a health issue, the other should go up as well eventually.
It depends on the dog and his genetic heritage, and it could be as much as half a year before you see the ears of the dog stand up. Beyond that, it might never happen, if it didnt already.
Why Do German Shepherds Ears Stand Up
German Shepherds have got a great history as people used this breed to protect their livestock and herding but before domestication, they used to hunt food while doing this their ears stood up that we call pointy. The actual fact comes before us why do their ears stand up?
German Shepherds usually raise their ears seeing the dangers in front of them. They also raise their ears to protect themselves from the dangers. When German Shepherds raise their ears, this means that they are alert and cautious.
German Shepherds pointy ears may also be hereditary as they are the ancestors of wolves. Oh yeah! the basic shape of ears is much similar to wolves. Some of you may have also confusion about why do German Shepherds look like wolves? You can check the related content about this relevant fact and you will know the complete history of this breed.
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How Do You Tell If Your Dogs Ears Will Stand Up
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.3 Sept 2019
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.
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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 You Should Never Touch Your German Shepherds Ears
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.
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Using Calcium To Make The Ears Stand Up
Ive already touched on the next method which all relates to getting higher levels of calcium unto your German Shepherds diet. This can include additional foods such as:
- Cottage cheese
- Milk
- Yoghurt
The high calcium content in these foods is said to help a German Shepherds ears to stand up given that their natural calcium is being used in the development of their teeth.
But does it work?
I cannot find any research to suggest that calcium helps to fix floppy ears, and it appears to be more of an anecdotal solution used by owners.
I would certainly exercise a degree of caution, as milky foods can be too rich for young puppies leading to upset stomachs. Bottom line is I would not give my puppy lots of cheese and milk they may be lactose intolerant.
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.
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Make A Popsicle Support
Now, take the popsicle sticks and place them at the top of the foam rollers .
You might need another pair of hands to help with this, so ask your family or friends to help.
Take the self-adhering waterproof tape and place a medium-size piece across and around the two foam rollers and popsicle sticks. Youre creating a bridge between your pups two ears to help align and support them together.
This ensures even and symmetrical growth.
Never, ever shove the popsicle stick into your dogs ears or youll injure them! Make a bridge across their ears instead.
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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When Do German Shepherds Ears Stand And Stay Up
The answer to this question may vary. But if were going to generalize, the time it takes for a German shepherd to finish teething is 20 weeks or 5 months.
In addition to this gradual change, you may also notice a difference in their behavior right after the teething stage. For example, their floppy ears may suddenly stand up when hearing a book fall into the floor.