German Shepherds Forum banner

opinion on puppy

5K views 25 replies 17 participants last post by  RubyTuesday 
#1 · (Edited)
OK guys i need some opinions on my puppy ears and development.First they have never been up yet... They have been always 3/4 up till now (17 weeks) always one of the ears was higher than the other one... So how do you think is there a chance, and when i shoud consider taping ? Also i have contacted with my breeder and the guy said that there`s no point of worrying and the ears will stand .. Ok now the other thing, i think that my puppy development is too slow, i dont know i have browsed gsd wich are 4 months old and all of them are bigger than mine , i feed him with Royal Canin maxi junior , and because of my stupidity i made the measurement on eye , and i started to measure the food ot electronic scale since i got my worries (since 4th month).The dog is bought from quality breeder and have a pedigree here is the father => http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/dog.html?id=701786 , thank you for your opinions i appreciated them a lot !






and one older picture
 
See less See more
5
#2 ·
I think you are worrying to much :p. Dogs will grow at their own pace, as long as he is on a good quality food eating and pooping normal I would not worry. The ears at 17 weeks I wouldn't worry either if they are not up by 6-7 months then worry. It looks like they are working on coming up slowly lol.
 
#4 ·
Don't worry too much about it. Every dog grows at it's own pace just like everything else. I'd say enjoy those puppy days while they last because before you know it, they'll be giants.

The ears will go up eventually. My girl's ears didn't go up until she was 6 months and my boy's ears went up at 14 weeks. Both didn't need any type of support.
 
#5 ·
They look like they'll go up to me, too - they look strong at the base. He's probably just starting teething, which can make ears that were already up, go up and down, so it's too soon to worry. If they're not up after he's done teething, that's when you should consider taping, but that's a couple of months from now.

Feeding him more will not make him larger, that's determined by his genetics, it will only make him fat. Puppies do not all grow at the same rate, just like humans. Considering there's a 22 pound range in the standard for adult GSDs, it only makes sense that there will be various "normal" weights at every stage of development.
 
#6 ·
yep he have just start teething , about week and a half ago. And what about his size ? Is the growth rate varies on each dog ? Is it possible that my dog develop slowly till 4 month and then start to grow more quickly? Actually till what time gsd`s grow rapidly ?
Thank you for your feedback :eek:
 
#8 ·
Is it possible that my dog develop slowly till 4 month and then start to grow more quickly? Actually till what time gsd`s grow rapidly ?
Absolutely, and it depends on the dog. Generally speaking, the rapid growth of puppyhood has begun to slow down by 6 months or so. Baby puppies can put on as much as 10-12 pounds in a month, but obviously that doesn't keep up forever. Our Dena at 6 months old outweighed her half brother Keefer by 7 pounds when he was the same age, but his adult weight was 8-10 pounds more than hers, so they grew at different rates even though they were related.
 
#7 ·
I had a female Shepherd at 6 months she was 35 lbs I really thought her growth was messed up.... at 1 year she had matured to a decent 55 lbs now at 3 she is 72-75. I have another that was 55 lbs at 6 months and only 65 lbs at 19 months, they all do their own thing.
 
#9 · (Edited)
my last GSD ears stood at 6 months old. the dog i
have now ears stood at 5 months. both dogs ears
did the dance "one ear up one ear down both ears
round and round".

don't worry about the size of your dog. all of them grow
differently and at their natural pace.
 
#10 ·
Just as a precaution, I would start taping now. My younger male's ears stood up for a good 2 weeks, then fell down during teething. It's been deciding what it wants to do ever since. One of his ears is completely erect, while the other has a tiny crease. I started taping at six months. Look at the photos of Varick now on my profile page. The ear isn't floppy, but it's not completely erect.
 
#11 ·
I taped my baby's ears at 6months and they didnt go up, and he hates it.. Kept scratching at it too. I tried using glue meant for skin bonding on his ears but they fell apart after one day. But guess what, his ears stood erect for a whole day!! But I ran out of glue & it kinda caused redness too so I didnt use it again..

Then his ears still didnt stand at 10 months so I was kinda losing hope. However, not one to give up without using up all options, the tear mender glue I ordered finally arrived (many sites couldnt have it delivered from states to saudi arabia!!)... I glued his ears again and they didnt fall apart for a whole month (though I did touched up a little here and there...)!!

Told myself this was the last hope & I will give up if after a month they didnt stand.. But they did!! Now at 15 months, his ears are still erect, except when he was playing with me then they kinda can get floppy... Not sure if thats suppose to happen but they're otherwise erect at all times. ;)


Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 
#13 ·
On the growth deal - best to have slow steady growth. The one I had that grew like a weed got pano (she out grew it but still) - too hot a food; The one that grew slow and steady did fine - as an adult she outweighed the other dog by a good 20#. She turned out to be a tank for which 90# was light!

So... wait and see and don't worry if your adorable pup doesn't get to be a huge lumox but stays at a nice, reasonable size.

As to the ears - can't help, never had the problem with a pb gsd although I had one whose ears were a general wreck as a puppy - they were all over the place including tepee. Came out fine in the end.
 
#15 ·
Mystique's ears were up when she came home but have been doing the ear ballet ever since. She's 10.5 weeks and hasn't started teething yet, so she has a ways to go. I don't doubt they won't stand when all is said and done, but have decided if they don't, it's no big deal. She's adorable either way!
 
#16 ·
What a beautiful pup!! I don't think we humans give our dogs enough time to grow into themselves. Lavish the baby with love and kindness, not criticism for how he looks or how you want him to look. He will be a magnificent GSD, wait and see.
You will miss his puppiness and his floppy ears... so enjoy him now the way he is and take many pictures of him. He will not disappoint you.

My own first GSD had floppy ears at 6 months and she was the runt of her litter mates. Her ears are fully extended and she weighs 85 lbs. She gets compliments all the time. Even more beautiful than her outside is her inside.
 
#18 ·
I'd personally tape. Around that age with no sign of going up is when I taped my pup's ears. Only one ended up staying up, however.
 
#23 ·
My puppy is the same age as OPs. His ears are now up, but go together in a point - looks really funny, but as the dog grows the ears sort themselves out. Your pup is lovely, he will most certainly get his ears up, they are just work in progress. My little boy weighs around 40 pounds.
 
#26 ·
Ask your breeder when to tape. S/he should know the lines, what to expect & when to do more, ie tape.

i think that my puppy development is too slow, i dont know i have browsed gsd wich are 4 months old and all of them are bigger than mine
Slow growth is preferable. Your pup is genetically programmed for a certain size & will reach that size provided he gets adequate care & nutrition. Awesome dogs, including GSDs, come in a range of sizes, all of em equally loving, smart, devoted & deserving.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top