Can Purebred German Shepherds Have Floppy Ears
German shepherds are born with floppy ears. Puppies have not yet developed their cartilage, and so, their ears are still not matured enough to hold up their ears weight. The German shepherd floppy ears are also referred to as a result trait of the domestication of dogs since their wild counterparts have straight ears.
Ear Infections & Parasites:
Ear infections indeed cause a lot of pain for shepherds. It could result in more complicated issues if not treated properly and swiftly.
Doggys that are suffering from one ear problem or another would find it hard to raise their ears to prevent more pain.
In the case of parasites, the parasites would strip the doggy of vital nutrients needed to develop their ears properly.
What Kind Of Dog Is A 3 Month Old German Shepherd
German Shepherd 3 months old Puppies will be moderately matured and are very intelligent and as they grow up they become loyal dog friends. However, it is your job to properly socialize and train them.
Many German Shepherd owners jump the gun and start thinking about correcting their dogs ears while they are only three or four months old. Please note, theres no need to correct your puppys ears in any way until he has finished teething.
Some German shepherd owners are having problems with their ears flopping around. It isnt that much of a problem if it happens at 4 months age, as they can change every couple of months before finally standing up. So its best to just wait.
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Is Taping A Dogs Ears Cruel
A lot of owners want to know if the process of taping is cruel to dogs. The answer to this is based on each individuals opinion. In general, it is a very common practice that overall isnt seen as cruel to the animal. It is sort of a pain but doesnt do any damage to your dogs ears if done properly.
In fact: A lot of owners say that it decreases the amount of ear infections that your German Shepherd may get.
How Do You Tell If A Puppys 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
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Why Do German Shepherds Prick Their Ears
Since German Shepherd Dogs ears arent generally floppy , you can barely notice the movement whenever their ears stand up. Still, it is essential to know why German Shepherds prick their ears.
German Shepherds prick their ears whenever they are alert, interested, excited, or curious about what theyre hearing. Since sudden alertness is sometimes followed by aggression in canines, German Shepherds ears also prick up when theyre about to attack if they feel threatened.
To know whether your dog is alert or aggressive, you should watch out for other signs, such as growling, showing the teeth, sniffing, and considering his current environment. Your GSD may simply prick his ears forward and tilt his head if you make a peculiar sound.
Below is my German Shepherd showing her ears in the pricked position. You can see how alert and interested she is. She is focusing intently on something in the street, probably another dog passing by!
When a German Shepherd pricks up his ears and looks around or sniffs, you can conclude that he is alert. You should tighten your grip over his leash . This way, you can make sure he doesnt become aggressive towards another dog or person unprompted. If the dog is growling or showing his teeth while his ears are pricked up, you should assume hes in an aggressive state.
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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.
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Regular Checkups For Ear Infection:
One thing I dont joke about is regular checkups. I always ensure that my doggy is checked up as often as possible.
The best way to promote good health is to always check your doggy for any form of infection, parasite, or disease.
Detecting a problem early would make solving the problem easy. Always visit your vet whenever you can.
Age Of Your German Shepherd
Averagely, German Shepherds ears stand up straight around the 20th week when they finish teething. Floppy ears are common on your German Shepherd, which is still teething. Before teething ends, the puppies have weak cartilage in their ear. By the time week 20 reaches and teething ends, the cartilage has grown tough enough, and the ear can stand up straight.
Between the time when a German Shepherd is weening itself out of the teething stage, as an owner of one, you might notice their ear changing between floppy and pointy. In response to noise, your dogs ears might rise, and then immediately after, dropdown.
When you notice up and down movement of your dogs ears, you do not need to panic. This is happening due to the development of the temporal muscle. Therefore, you should begin taking notice and wait for the day when they will stand up for good.
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What Age Do A German Shepherds Ears Stand Up
There is no exact day, week, or even month. All puppies will develop at different rates. However, you should see perky ears within 5 to 15 weeks in the majority of puppies.
If they dont stand up in that time frame, wait until teething has finished at around 6 months of age sometimes as late as 8 months.
Its not unheard though for the ears to remain floppy forever in a few German Shepherds.
At What Age Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up Straight
When your puppy is finished teething , his ears should start to stick up or should be all the way up. Why does it take five months for this to occur?
As a puppy, the German Shepherd’s cartilage is not strong enough and cannot hold up the weight of their big ears. But as they grow and get the right nutrition, they will develop stronger cartilage. This process usually takes about 20 weeks.
When they start to wean themselves out of the teething phase, you will likely begin to notice their ears fluctuating between floppy and pointy. You might see them rise when they perk up in response to noise but see them flop down quickly afterward.
If their ears can stick up straight during the first five months , then its likely that they will be straight and pointy for the rest of their life.
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Is It Bad To Touch A German Shepherd Puppys Ears
Handling your pups ears isnt bad. On the contrary, its beneficial. Itll make cleaning your pets ears more manageable, especially if you create a positive association with this grooming task with a treat. You may find it helpful to massage your puppys ears gently to encourage blood circulation. That may get its ears standing upright quicker.
How Do You Know If Your Dog’s Ears Will Stand Up
In a perfect world, with ethical breeders who don’t breed for looks but rather for breed preservation and barring ear trauma, your dog’s ears should stand up in good time.
But as a rule of thumb, if your puppy’s ear cartilage has perked up, even a little, this is a good sign that they are developing and the cartilage is getting stronger.
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German Shepherd Puppy Ear Gluing
Another option you can try is puppy ear gluing. This is actually not nearly as awful as it sounds and is far easier to do than the ear taping method.
Another perk of puppy ear gluing over taping is that you are not going to cut off any air circulation to the inner ear canal when you use the glue method instead.
To glue your puppys ears in the upright position, all you need is some type of skin bond or tear mending glue the key is to pick some kind of fabric glue .
What you need to do for this method is to add a dab of glue to the outside of the inner ear flap about two-thirds of the way down from the ear tip . Then press the two ear flaps together for 30 seconds to allow the glue to set.
You definitely dont need to use much glue!
Wherever possible, if you have multiple dogs in your household, try to keep your German Shepherd puppy from playing rough games with the other dogs as this will cause the ears to separate.
The glue will wear off on its own after a while and you can observe if the ears are able to remain upright and erect when this occurs. If you need to, keep reapplying the glue until the ears are strong and stable to remain in the correct position without glue.
It may take a few weeks or longer for this to occur. Do not worry if the ears are not in a perfect position. As long as they stay upright, the inner muscles and tissues will naturally self-correct over time.
Puppy Panic: When Do German Shepherds Ears Stand Up
Fact checked by Kidadl Team
A German Shepherd dog is one of the most noble-looking, athletic, powerful dogs with a high level of intellect.
When viewed in outline, a German Shepherd dog may reach a height of 26 in at the shoulder and offer an image of smooth, beautiful curves rather than angles but with majestic ears. They have a free-and-easy trot as their normal gait, although they may speed up a notch or two.
The German Shepherd is a pet lover’s dream for its features like loyalty, confidence, courage, and steadfastness. German Shepherds may be extraordinarily kind friends and family protectors if properly trained and socialized. It’s an excellent breed for busy households.
The intelligence and protective character of the GSD, if properly taught, might make it an ideal choice for families with children. There are numerous reasons why German Shepherds are considered canine royalty, but experts believe their distinguishing characteristics are loyalty, courage, confidence, the capacity to understand orders for a variety of tasks, and the eagerness to lay down their lives in defense of loved ones. German Shepherds will be loyal protectors and lovely household pets.
If you like this article, you may find it interesting to read these fun-fact articles: Why do dogs lean on you, and why do dogs get the zoomies.
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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.
Why Do German Shepherd Puppies Go Ears Up Then Down
Its common for a pups ears to perk up and then droop again within a few weeks. So, dont let this alarm you. This is a sign that the cartilage and muscles are developing normally.
And this can happen several times during teething when the adult teeth are pushing through.
Although as I mentioned above, some puppies will not experience droopy ears during teething.
In my experience, if the ears perk up once and then droop again, they will come back up. So in this case just relax and wait for your pup to finish teething.
Some uneducated sources say this has to do with their bodies using calcium for bone and teeth development.
This is incorrect information because, in fact, their ears are cartilage and not bone, so calcium is not a factor in upright ears in fact, calcium supplementation can cause serious health issues.
In reality, this up and down see-saw of your puppys ears has to do with the development of the Temporalis Muscle, which Ill get into a little further down, so keep reading.
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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.
Can You Tell If The Ears Are Going To Stand Up Ahead Of Time
Its not really possible to tell if your pups ears will stand up when they are mature until they are at least a few months old, as this time is necessary to allow the firm cartilage in the ears to develop enough to support them. However, pups dont simply go from being floppy eared to having pointed ears overnight, and your pups range of mobility and ability to control the movement of their ears develops over time.
If your pup can prick their ears up or if the tips of them are very mobile by four to five months old, the chances are that their ears are developing normally, and will become pointed at the normal time without any intervention. If your pups ears have not begun to do this by the time they are around eight months old, it might not be going to happen.
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German Shepherd Puppy Ears Timeline
As we mentioned in the introduction here, when your German Shepherd puppy was a newborn, your dogs ears were floppy. All dogs are born with floppy ears, so this is totally normal.
Bt as Sequoyah German Shepherds breeder explains a German Shepherd puppys ears should start to perk up soon after.
In some cases, your puppys ears might start the process of standing up as early as four weeks old! In other cases, it may take as long as four months before you see signs of the alert ears the GSD breed is known for.
Leerburg Dog Training explains that sometimes it can take until after a German Shepherd puppy has finished the teething process for the ears to begin to stand up on their own.
The American Kennel Club expanse that teething can take as long as six months to conclude and requires a lot of your puppys resources to complete.
The critical period to watch and wait for is the period between five months and seven months. If your GSD puppys ears are still flopping over by the age of eight months, it may be too late to assist the ears to stand up straight.
Read on to learn exactly what to do to help your puppys ears grow and stabilize in the upright position.
Encourage Regular Use Of Ear Muscle
You might have noted that though your puppys ears are floppy, he tries to make them stand whenever he hears a new sound. You should make more different sounds a lot, this will make him try to make his ears more. If you continue encouraging him to do so many times, his ears will stand in the shortest time possible.
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Dont Touch Or Fondle With His Ears
The ears on puppies are so irresistible that we always want to touch them. But this is a big no-no!Too much fondling can weaken cartilage and bones that are not yet strong or developed. This will not only prolong the time that it takes for them to stand up, but it may even damage them permanently.Some breeders advise to gently massage the base of the ear to promote blood flow. This may work, but I cannot vouch for that as I have never done it. If youre unsure, just avoid the ears.
Dont Touch Or Fondle With The Ears
Puppys ears are always adorable and irresistible that you want to touch them, but this is not advised at all. Too much fondling weakens the bones and cartilage that are not yet developed or strong.
The touching and fondling will not only extend the time for the ears to stand up but may cause permanent damage.
Some breeders advise that you can massage the base of the ear gently to encourage blood flow but if you are not sure, avoid the ears.
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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.