Why Is Vitamin C Important For Dogs
There are a number of benefits that your GSD puppy can get from vitamin C:
- Vitamin C is an immune booster. It improves white blood cell function and activity, increases the blood levels of interferon , and antibodies.
- Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine that helps your pup becomes more resilient against allergies.
- Lastly, vitamin C promotes the development of a healthy joint. It reduces the likelihood of your dog developing joint problems like arthritis, hip dysplasia, and spinal disorders.
It may seem that there is no direct correlation between vitamin C and the development of your German Shepherd puppys ears, but it is essential to keep them in good health.
And if you recall from our previous discussion above, one of the most common reasons as to why your German Shepherd pups ears do not stand up is that they are getting sick.
Vitamin C is water-soluble this means it is hard to overdose on. Any excessive amount of vitamin C is flushed through urine.
However, if you add an extra vitamin C supplement to your GSD pups diet while they are able to produce enough amount of vitamin C on their own to meet their nutritional requirements, you can overdose your pup.
The easiest sign to watch if they are getting too much vitamin C is if they get constant diarrhea or constipation.
How Do I Communicate With My German Shepherd
Are you having trouble trying to communicate with your German Shepherd and read his body language? There have been countless attempts to bridge the communication gap between humanity and their dogs, but none have worked outside of tone and body language. Some people have even gone as far as training their GSD to listen to German commands!
Check out this awesome short video from Zak George showing you how to communicate with your dog by using a quiet and sincere tone and lots of eye contact. Im a big fan of Zak and love his ethical training methods:
Fortunately, dogs can read your body language just as you can read theirs. German Shepherds are highly intelligent and can understand your intent if you express how you feel through physical motions, but they also hear the volume and tone in your voice.
When you yell, they know youre mad. If you speak in an excited voice, they will be happy. For more info on the correct way to discipline your dog, check out this article, How to Discipline a German Shepherd And What Not To Do!
The best way to communicate with your German Shepherd is to use hand motions and copy what he tends to do. If you want to play with him, wave his favorite toy, and increase the pitch of your voice. If you want him to back away from something, use a firm tone and point at or away from it.
Lets now look at a couple of examples of German Shepherd body language and how to read what your dog is trying to tell you.
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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Signs Indicating That Your German Shepherd Is In Pain
If your German Shepherds hackles are raised, there are other signs to look for that would identify pain as the cause of the raised hair:
- Whining
- Avoiding certain movements or hesitant movements
- Not wanting to be touched. They may even show signs of aggression or fear in this case
- Restlessness
- General signs of distress
What Does It Mean When A German Shepherds Ears Are Down
First of all, let me explain why this question is here in Quora. This question is to find an answer about an interesting topic. This is the question by a user to try to explore the world. One day his neighbour asked him whether his dog is alright or not. When he checked then he saw that his dogs ears are down. Upon asking his neighbour then he came to know that whenever the ears of the dog are down then it is an indication that dog is in pain or something is wrong with the dog. After knowing the above information, he decided to ask about this everywhere. And because of this he asked in Quora to find an answer about this question..
Also Check: When Do German Shepherd Ears Go Up
Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up Straight
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% |
When Will My Pup’s Ears Perk Up And Stay Up
After your puppy has finished teething their ears will perk up and stay up for good.
But as I mentioned, using teething as a yardstick is not ideal because puppy development does vary slightly.
So by all means, keep your puppy’s teething in mind, but don’t start panicking too soon.
Speaking of panicking
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Why Do German Shepherds Ears Stand Up
Before dogs were domesticated, they used their pointy ears when hunting food. They needed to be perked upright so they could protect themselves from a threat. When a German Shepherds ears are pricked, it means they are alert, engaged, and listening to every sound.
Pricked or upright ears are the basic shape of a German Shepherds ears which was inherited from his wild ancestor, the wolf.
Im often asked why my German Shepherd looks like a wolf, especially by young children as I pass them by on my walk. To find the answer, check out my article which explains the breeds bloodline and history.
All German Shepherds have floppy ears when they are born which is caused by a lack of strength in the puppys ear cartilage. As they grow, their cartilage becomes harder, thicker, and stronger. Eventually, it becomes capable of supporting the weight of their huge ears!
Typically, when a German Shepherd puppy reaches about 20 weeks, and when they are coming to the end of the teething phase, their ears should stand up. Often there is variation each day and some days the ears may remain down before consistently standing upright.
This time may be dramatically different in each dog andmay occur sooner than 5 months or may take as long as 8 months in some cases.
Related:German Shepherds Ears Meaning: 4 Examples with Pictures!
Earlier, I referred to the German Shepherd breed standard concerning their ears. The below quote is from the American Kennel Club:
Brief History Of German Shepherd
The German Shepherd is a medium to large-sized dog breed that originated in Germany in 1899. While originally developed to work as herding dogs, German Shepherds have evolved and become all-purpose working dogs.
Thanks to their intelligence, agility, strength, and loyalty, this breed is preferred by police and military and also used for all types of work including search-and-rescue and as service dogs.
While original German Shepherds were primarily bred as working dogs, the modern German Shepherds are subjected by scrutiny. In the U.S breeders put an accent on looks and started breeding German Shepherds with an extremely sloping back that resulted in poor gait in back legs.
Luckily, some U.S breeders have begun to value the breeds working abilities and traditional appearance and started to breed German Shepherds with a straight back.
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Do All German Shepherds Ears Stand Up
If youve seen them up, theyll stay up. 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.
Can German Shepherds have floppy ears? German Shepherds have a majestic appearance with ears that stand up naturally in most cases, according to German Shepherd World. However, you do see GSDs with floppy ears sometimes, too. Much of whether one of these dogs has ears that stand up depends on their genetics. There can be other reasons for Shepherds ears not standing up, too.
How many German Shepherds have their ears standing up? 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.
What age do German Shepherd ears stand up? 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. At What Age Do German Shepherd Ears Stand Up Straight?
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.
Also Check: How To Train A German Shepherd Dog To Attack
Protect Your German Shepherd Puppies Ears From Trauma
There are a few things you can do to prevent trauma to your puppy’s ears.
A good rule of thumb is to keep any hands off your pup’s ears. That means no bending, rubbing, or folding.
I know it’s not easy to leave those cute, soft ears alone, but it’s best for healthy, perky ears not to play with them.
Keep other puppies and dogs from roughhousing and tumbling too much. By pulling and biting other puppies can unintentionally cause significant trauma to ears.
Some breeders encourage owners to massage the base of the ear. The theory behind this is to increase blood flow to the cartilage.
Whether this is true or not I don’t know. But I have never tried it since my opinion is to keep hands off ears until they perk up.
And to be honest, I think a healthy diet, whole food supplementation, and chewing on safe and appropriate toys is a much better option than massaging ears to increase blood flow!
What Age Do Puppies Ears Stand Up
In breeds with a typical wolfish look, like the German Shepherd, puppies usually have their ears up by the time they have finished teething, at about five months. With the right nutrition, this is about the amount of time it takes for the cartilage to grow strong enough to hold the pinnas weight.
Read Also: German Shepherd Puppy Food Amount
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.
German Shepherd With Floppy Ears
Have you got a german shepherd with floppy ears? If so, all of your questions are going to be answered in this article!
Some of the topics that will be covered include when a german shepherds ears should stand up, reasons preventing them from standing up, how to fix ears that dont stand up and most importantly, whether it matters or not.
So keep reading to find out!
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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.
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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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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