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.
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
The ear form should stay in place a week or so.
If the ear does not stand up after the form falls out, go for another round. But clean the ear with the adhesive remover first and wait a day or so if the ear is red/raw.
The edges of the ear form will curl and start to come loose after a day or two that is normal.
Resist trying to put more adhesive in your dog’s ear while the form is in place! You stand a good chance of it dropping in the ear canal. Just wait and try again when the form falls out.
Good luck, have patience and love your dog no matter the outcome!
Provide Them With The Proper Chew Toys
Chewing helps to strengthen the muscles that surround the ears.
Its natural for your puppy to chew things and you should offer them the appropriate chew toys early on to prevent bad behaviors from developing.
Choose the proper chew toy for a German Shepherd that is durable and the right size for your dogs age and chewing habits.
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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.
Do Puppies Ears Change As They Grow
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. Usually, after the teething process is done, the ears will stand right up again at around six months.
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Will My German Shepherds Ears Stand Straight Up
YOU DO NOT TRIM GERMAN SHEPHERD EARS TO MAKE THEM STAND! They should have their ears up before they each 4-5 months of age. If their ears are not up by 4-5 months of age, they need to be posted. If their ears are up before 4 months of age, they often will come back down, temporarily, starting at 4 months.
Does It Matter If Your German Shepherds Ears Never Stand Up Naturally
Not at all!
Its not unhealthy for them to have one ear flopped over and even adds to their fun personality.
And, most of the time, this isnt a problem. You should take your dog to the vet to have them complete a thorough vet exam if youre worried. This gives you some reassurance there arent any underlying issues.
Generally, there is no need for concern and your GSD is still totally healthy.
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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.
What If My Puppy Has Floppy Ears Longer Than 5 Months Old
Its totally fine if your GSDs ears dont stand up around this time!
In fact, some puppys ears flop over for up to 8 or 9 months. A German Shepherd puppy with floppy ears at 9 months isnt anything to alarm yourself over.
Instead
Stay calm and take lots of pictures!
Youre going to make yourself smile later when you look at their adorable floppy ears!
Especially if one ear is up and the other is down. Those ears not standing is considered cute and adorable by most owners.
Even in the same litter the pups ears may stand at different times from one another. And, some puppys ears dont naturally stand at all.
According to research, about 1 in 5 German Shepherds will have floppy ears throughout their life.
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What Do My German Shepherds Ears Look Like
The larger and wider the ears, generally the stronger the ear cartilage has to be to support them when erect.
Smaller and thinner ears may have a better chance of standing up, but this depends.
So, consider the structure and makeup of your GSDs ears, and consider how it might contribute to ear position.
The Genetics Of The German Shepherd:
The first thing to consider as a cause of floppy ears is the genetics of the German Shepherd.
The genes that the shepherds inherit from their parents play a very vital role in the appearance of that shepherd.
If the parents of the shepherd have floppy ears, there is a very high possibility that the doggy would also have floppy ears.
Before you proceed to obtain a doggy, have a look at the parents of the doggy so you can have a picture of how that doggy would look when the doggy is an adult.
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Use Breathe Right Strips
McCann dog training trainers advocate a more comfortable and even less invasive method of bracing the dog’s ear.
They suggest cleaning the inside of the pinna and carefully sticking a Breathe Right strip lengthways across the ear’s fold. They report having success with this simpler method. However, it is unlikely to work with dogs that have heavy or very floppy ears.
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.
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To Tape Or Not To Tape
It is important to understand that you should never tape your GSD puppys ears too soon in an effort to make them stand up. Should you decide that you want to give this a try, you should wait until your puppys adult teeth have started to come in.
This is generally within a time frame of 3-5 months. However, we recommend waiting until your puppy has finished teething. This usually occurs at around the age of 6 months. This is not set in stone, so it is important to consult with your veterinarian to confirm that your GSD puppys teething stage has been completed.
Taping a German Shepherd puppys ears up too soon may actually damage them to the point that they will never stand up on their own.
As a puppy, your GSDs ears may seem to a mind of their own sometimes they will be standing straight up, while other times they remain flopped over. This is because, during the teething phase, calcium cycles back and forth between a GSD puppys ears to his teeth which causes this oscillation.
Supply The Proper Nutrition
The best dog food for German Shepherd puppies includes all the essential nutrients such as vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals. Protein should also be abundant in every food as it is the most important part of a puppys diet. This should take place in the earliest months of your puppy. If youre consistent with the proper diet, your puppy will definitely develop those ears perfectly in the long run.
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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.
What Else Can I Do To Make German Shepherd Ears Stand Up
If your dog does not have the right genetics for pointy ears, then there is nothing you can do. However, if they have shown signs that their ears are going to perk up, then there are a few things you can do to protect them from damage.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
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Do Some 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.
Birth To 5 Months Of Age:
This is the change observed from when the GSD puppy is born until when the doggy is 5 months of age.
In this stage, Teething is the most notable occurrence. The teething process begins at around 3 weeks from birth. It is expected that when this process is over, the ears of the German Shepherd should be standing.
The cartilage in the ears of the GSD develops and strengthens during this period. When strong enough, the ears would be upright permanently.
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Why Does It Take So Long For A German Shepherds Ears To Stand Up On Their Own
A German Shepherd puppy must develop the cartilage and muscle structure to help its ears stand upright. Having their ears stand up takes properly developed muscles and strong cartilage
Young puppies bodies simply arent mature enough to have the strength that keeps their ears upright.
You might notice that sometimes your GSD puppys ears stand up when they hear an interesting noise.
But, then the ears go down after a bit. This is all part of their ear development stages.
How To Tape Up Stubborn German Shepherd Puppy Ears
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The ears of your German shepherd puppy can be curious things to observe. His ears may switch between standing up and flopping over for the first year of his life, seemingly without much rhyme or reason. His ears may eventually stand up all on their own, or they may need some help from you to stand up straight. Even though someone with experience should tape up German shepherd puppy ears,XResearch source you can tape your own puppy’s stubborn ears if you feel comfortable doing so.
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What To Do When Your Gsd Puts His Ears Down
Whenever your German Shepherd shows fear by flattening his ears and tightly pinning them to his skull, you must make sure you provide him with enough attention and talk to him in a soothing voice to offer reassurance so he can calm down.
If he behaves this way around a specific path on your walk or before certain activities, you get to make the call whether teaching him to get over those fears is worth it or not.
Willow has a strange fear of the sound of young school children when theyre on the sidewalk. She appears to despise their loud voices and high-pitched screams. She gets extremely anxious and will immediately put her ears down, cower her body, dig her claws into the ground, and pull on the leash to get away faster. I now choose to avoid walks around school times!
Proper Diet And Nutrition
If your German Shepherd puppys ears are not standing upright, then the main culprit for this could be cheap, commercial food. Always feed your dog, high-quality food. Often, dog owners recommend giving puppy supplements like calcium to help their ears grow upright and perky. However, this may not be a great idea because too much calcium can affect your puppys bones and joints resulting in permanent skeletal issues.
So, the best thing to do is follow a natural diet consisting of high-quality foods such as chicken feet, yogurt and cottage cheese. All these foods can help to make your German Shepherd puppys ears pointy and perky. Both yogurt and cottage cheese are rich in calcium and chicken feet are rich in glucosamine. These help to strengthen the cartilage.
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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.
Correcting My German Shepherds Ears
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.
Depending on a dog, the teething can last 16 to 20 weeks, and by that time the cartilage in the ear will become strong enough to hold an erect ear.
You should get interested in your German Shepherds ears if five months have passed and they havent perked up yet. This could be a sign that your pup is lacking some essential nutrients and isnt developing properly.
So before you opt to correct your German Shepherds ears, take him to the vet for a full check-up. And if everything turns out fine, your pup has most likely inherited the floppy ears from one or both of his parents.
In this case, you should ask yourself whether a correction is really necessary and whats in it for your dog. On the other hand, if you find your German Shepherds floppy ears funny and cute, you dont have to stress if they are going to perk up at all.
But if you decide to correct your pups ears, do it after he has finished teething and do it right. Its unnecessary and cruel to put your dog through pain and discomfort just for the sake of beauty.
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When Does A German Shepherd Puppies Ears Stand Up
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.
When do German Shepherds stop standing up? Check his ears. If your puppys ears stand up when he gets excited, they probably will stand permanently by the time he is 6-months-old. Conversely, if your German Shepherd still has floppy ears at 9 months, he probably always will.
When do German Shepherds ears teething? Many GSD puppy ears dont stand up until months later and thats perfectly normal. Teething is usually complete by the time your pup is around five months old. By this time, your German Shepherds ears may already be standing at attention.
When to wrap up German Shepherd ears? To wrap up, if your German Shepherd puppy is still sporting droopy ears , dont panic! Give those ears plenty of time to develop and get stronger before taking action. If your GSDs ears dont stand up by 6 months, then is the time to look into alternatives to help those ears along.
Can German Shepherd puppys ears stand up? Wait to see if puppys ears stand up naturally. Even with the option of taping, it is preferable for German shepherd puppy ears to stand up without assistance. You cannot wait indefinitely for your puppys ears to stand up, thoughif they have not stood completely up by the time he is 7 to 8 months old, they are unlikely to stand up at all.