Will My German Shepherd Ears Stand Up

Deciding To Tape Your Puppy’s Ears

How Long Do German Shepherds Ears Stay Floppy

The floppy ears on a German shepherd are a hallmark of the breed, but it can take several weeks for the ears to properly stand up on their own. A new German shepherd puppys floppy ears are soft and need time to harden. They may droop or stick out to the sides. The puppy may move his ears around but they will not stand on their own. When they begin to harden at four weeks of age, the ears start to stand. It may take up to three months for the ears to stand completely, and may not be fully erect until all floppy puppy ears are gone at six months..

German Shepherd Floppy Ears: 8 Essential Inquiries That Must Be Outlined

Would you agree that there is lots of mis-information regarding German Shepherds and their ears out there?

There`s no point in mentioning how many times people would come and ask Why does your German Shepherd have floppy ears? or Why are your German Shepherd`s ears down?

This is certainly something that most likely also happened to you or else you wouldn`t be here, right?

Some things need to be cleared first before going any forward: you don`t have to trim your GSD ears to make them stand up!

Something to Remember!

With that being mentioned, here`s what else is mandatory to keep in mind:

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Why Does My Puppy Have One Ear Up And One Down

Puppies are born with floppy ears

But rest assured this is normal. During their developmental stages, the puppys ears will start to become erect if theyre meant to be. Sometimes, one ear will stand up before the other, creating an image of a dog with one ear up and one ear down. Again, this is normal.

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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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Why Do German Shepherd Puppies Go Ears Up Then Down

It’s common for a pup’s ears to perk up and then droop again within a few weeks. So, don’t 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 puppy’s ears has to do with the development of the Temporalis Muscle, which I’ll get into a little further down, so keep reading.

Health Concerns Associated With Floppy Ears On A German Shepherd

When your German Shepherds ears are floppy, there is less air flowing through the ears meaning more moisture accumulates. This leads to the following health issues:

Increased risk of ear infection the moisture and heat trapped inside your puppys floppy ears increases the risk of ear infection even with frequent cleaning.

Increased risk of ear injuries if your puppy has floppy ears, they are vulnerable to potential harm because their ears are more likely to get torn and bitten or get got in something when fighting or playing.

Increased risk of hearing damage if your puppys ear injury or damage is severe, they could experience hearing damage or total hearing loss in the long run.

Need for more frequent cleaning whether your puppys ears are pointed or not, they need cleaning. However, if your dog has floppy ears, they need to be cleaned more often than those dogs with pointy ears.

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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.

The Perffeto Ear Stage

At this point, your German Shepherd puppy has gone through all the ear stages.

Their head and facial muscles are strong and their ear cartilage is upright, and in the correct position.

Although they still look too big for their head, this will correct as they grow into their ears.

This stage can start anywhere from 20 weeks and last until full correct positioning at 8 months.

This stage can happen anywhere from 5 months all the way up to 8 months.

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Taping Your Dogs Ears

Even if you’ve done everything in your power, you may still need to tape your pup’s ears. Many owners have taped their German Shepherd puppies ears with great success.

There are two ways you can do this and both methods are simple and easy.

Update

A reader here at GSC, Roger, has shared his amazing ear-taping success story

Roger used the materials found in the first method.

Here’s what he had to say

Is Taping A German Shepherds Ears Bad For Them

If you use the right tape to stand up your German Shepherds ears then, no, it isnt bad.

However, if you injure their ears because youve taped them improperly or inserted anything too far into their ear canal then, yes, this isnt healthy and is bad for them.

When in doubt, get your vet to show you what to do for their ears.

Your puppy might become annoyed with the tape on their ears, so they may need close supervision and even some distraction during the taping process.

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Is It Bad If Gsdears Don`t Stand Up

It`s completely fine if your German Shepherd`s ears don`t really stand up until four and a half/five months. Lots of times a puppy has its ears up only for them to come down again when the puppy begins its teething.

You, as a dog owner, might feel the need to worry. You shouldn`t! Most German Shepherd pups have their ears back up in no time.

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.

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Why Do German Shepherds Ears Need To Stand Up

German Shepherds ears stand up because they were bred to look that way. Out of all the other dog breeds, German Shepherds are the ones who look closer to their wolf ancestors because of their iconic dog ears and regal stature. As working dogs, their ears are extremely helpful at picking up even the softest of sounds.

What Age Do German Shepherd Puppies Ears Stand Up

Whats not to love about the German Shepherd dog? A typical classic German Shepherd, also known as an Alsatian is characterized by its strong, regal profile, bright eyes and perky, upright ears. However, if youve brought home a German Shepherd puppy, you would have noticed that his ears are droopy and floppy. The ears may stand up at times but fall back again.

Often owners of GSDs are very eager to see their poochs ears stand upright and worry when they see their puppys dropping ears. The often-asked question is, At what age will my German Shepherd puppys ears stand up? or Can I do anything to help?

In this article, we will discuss all that you must know about your German Shepherd pups ears and what you can/not do if his ears are not standing up.

When they are born, German Shepherd puppies have tiny ears that flop onto the side. When the puppy grows older, its ears go up naturally however, sometimes, they dont. The ears of the German Shepherd, like other dogs, are made of cartilage and to hold the weight of the large ears, the cartilage must be strong. As your puppy grows, the cartilage becomes stronger with the right nutrition and your German Shepherd will have straight, pointy ears for life.

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Be Careful With Glucosamine

Glucosamine is an over-the-counter supplement made for humans that maintains healthy cartilage and keeps joints lubricated, but its also commonly given to dogs too.Im not saying Glucosamine is necessarily bad for dogs, but its something you will need to talk to your veterinarian about first. Dont automatically assume your puppy needs Glucosamine because his ears are staying floppy for a little longer than usual. One thing about Glucosamine is that we rarely give it to young children, so this leads me to believe that puppies should stay away from it too. But as I said, speak to your veterinarian if youre considering Glucosamine.

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.

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Is It Bad If Your German Shepherds Ears Wont Stand

Its not bad if your pups ears cant stand up on their own. Sometimes genetics causes one ear to stand while the other tends to flop over. A German shepherd puppy might even have two floppy ears. However, this doesnt impact your dogs hearing or indicate that anything is wrong with their health.

Floppy ears are very common for a puppy in their teething phase. This phase usually goes on while your pup is between the ages of 16 and 20 weeks old. After that, their ears start to become stronger and begin to perk up.

If you have concerns, make sure to talk with your local veterinarian.

The breeder also might offer some insight. For parents with floppy ears, your German shepherd might inherit them too.

Gently Place The Foam Roller Inside Your Dogs Ear

Take out the plastic clip on the foam roller and gently place the foam roller against the inside skin of your dogs ear.

Dont shove the roller in! They only need to sit inside the ear enough to support cartilage growth.

Make sure you check for any creases or folds in their ears before moving on to the next step.

Repeat in the other ear.

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When Do German Shepherd Ears Go Up

German Shepherd puppies are born with floppy ears, but most will have standing up ears by 15 weeks. However, there will be some whose ears wont stand up until they have finished teething.

But why is teething a critical point?

Its all to do with calcium. When the puppy is growing, he is using lots of calcium for teeth development the teething phase. This means that a lot of calcium is being directed towards the teeth, and not to the ears.

This means that your German Shepherds ears can be floppy one week, stood up the next, and even not at the same time! Until the calcium is evenly shared around the body, you can expect some possibly weird ear behavior.

And this lack of calcium in the ears is why you might hear some German Shepherd owners saying they will give their puppy yoghurt due to the high calcium content.

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..

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