Could I get some ear-pinions?

saraja87 · 07-12-2011, 04:31 AM

We got our little girl at 11 weeks after she was already in the full throes of teething. We believe she was the last puppy in a backyard breeder's litter, as she was dumped with a note around her neck in a random front yard. She appears to be a full GSD, definitely coated although I'm not sure which type of coat she has, be it long stock coat or long coat. She definitely has the ear fringe and right now her puppy coat is very soft and silky.

She's now almost 16 weeks and her ears are "tippy" with one being floppier than the other and we've been wondering if we should consider gluing them. She still seems a little young at only 4 months as I've read and seen photos on here of much older shepherd's ears going up later. They're very mobile, they go up and down and she turns them left and right depending on the direction of a sound or her mood.

What does everyone think? Will they go up on their own or will they need a little help? Any opinion on coat type?

KZoppa · 07-12-2011, 04:47 AM

She's a long coat. The ears floofies give it away pretty heavily. As for her ears, she's still young and with GSDs their ears can go all kinds of crazy until they're totally done teething which is around 6-7 months. She certainly looks purebred to me but i cant get the pictures to zoom any further. Do i see a great deal of while on her feet? That would lead me to believe she may be mixed but has a high concentration of GSD in here genetics but i would still lean towards purebred.

Some GSDs have heavier ears than others so it will take longer for their ears to totally stand. Something that can prevent the ear from standing can be ear damage to poor genetics. I'm sure you'll love her no matter what. She's definitely adorable.

Welcome to the board.

saraja87 · 07-12-2011, 05:24 AM

@KZoppa Thank you for the response! I thought she might be a long coat, she's very soft and I don't think she has an undercoat, at least not like my Sheltie had. I'm sorry for the not so great photo quality, I've been snapping photos with my first gen iphone and they're not very good quality

The only actual white she has on her body is a small patch of hairs on her tail tip and a small patch under her chin. The rest is a tan color that's washed out in the photos, I think this one might show her coloring better. Her belly is also a lighter color than her top coat.

We don't mind either way about her parentage, though knowing would help us keep our eyes open for GSD prone problems like hip dysplasia, especially since she most likely came from questionable stock. We even find her floppy ears quite endearing but would be open to helping them stand since it seems to be such a concern for GSD owners. Her ears have definitely been doing crazy things while she's teething so we're happy to let them be for now as long as we're not damaging her in any way by not helping them stand early on.

fuzzybunny · 07-12-2011, 06:38 AM

She is such a cutie!

saraja87 · 07-12-2011, 12:36 PM

@fuzzybunny Thank you! We think she's pretty adorable

She has a fantastic temperament, very easy going, good with kids and our cats. We can't believe she was dumped!

I know this is the ear forum so I might need to post this inquiry elsewhere, but does anyone think her long coated status could have led to her being dumped? Thus far our vet guesses that she was from a backyard breeder, so they may not have cared either way, but it seems that a long coat is an AKC disqualifier that a breeder might not want in their litters.

**MaggieRoseLee** · 07-12-2011, 01:05 PM

I think she is ADORABLE and love the middle picture with her head cocked!

Since there are tons of GSD's dumped and in shelters/rescues, not sure if you can say it's cause of her long coat. Specially cause there are some that prefer that long coat whether it's in the standard or not!

Good luck with her and her ears and keep posting! Look at other posts in this 'ears' section I think some people think supplements to the diet may help...

KZoppa · 07-12-2011, 02:29 PM

she's adorable. its possible she was ditched because she's a long coat but not likely. Most cases with puppies is people realize just how much work they are and dont want to deal with them so they ditch them or something happens financially and they think the puppy will stand a better chance being dumped than at a shelter situation. It could even be possible she came from a good breeder and they didnt want to return her so they didnt look bad. Only they really know.

We definitely look forward to see more pictures as she grows and hearing the puppy war stories!

Stosh · 07-12-2011, 04:42 PM

Stosh is long coated and he has the same ear floofies along with the furry feet that look and sound like bunny slippers. And his fur was incredibly soft, now just his ears are super soft. Your girl is just adorable!

koda00 · 07-12-2011, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzybunny

She is such a cutie!

saraja87 · 07-12-2011, 07:14 PM

More gratuitous photos

She's too cute to keep the iPhone camera away

11 weeks - exploring our friend's yard

11 weeks - fluffy from a bath

11 weeks - getting her first collar

13 weeks - conversing with our cat

15 weeks - sitting with her daddy

Her coloring seems to be getting darker and richer in some places as she gets older, especially the places where she had more white as a pup. Is this common for GSDs?

She's also just starting to lose her baby teeth, and while she hasn't chewed anything she shouldn't have, we aren't sorry to see those little alligator needles go!

Her ears are totally funny, floppy and straight, tipped and upright. I was looking through all the ear progress photos and thus far hers haven't done the tip together phase but have moved to the one mostly up and sometimes tipped and the other floppy stage. They're really entertaining to observe and since they're still big and soft I expect they'll probably flop about for a few more months before deciding if they want to stand

07-12-2011, 04:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
saraja87 Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 126	Could I get some ear-pinions? We got our little girl at 11 weeks after she was already in the full throes of teething. We believe she was the last puppy in a backyard breeder's litter, as she was dumped with a note around her neck in a random front yard. She appears to be a full GSD, definitely coated although I'm not sure which type of coat she has, be it long stock coat or long coat. She definitely has the ear fringe and right now her puppy coat is very soft and silky. She's now almost 16 weeks and her ears are "tippy" with one being floppier than the other and we've been wondering if we should consider gluing them. She still seems a little young at only 4 months as I've read and seen photos on here of much older shepherd's ears going up later. They're very mobile, they go up and down and she turns them left and right depending on the direction of a sound or her mood. What does everyone think? Will they go up on their own or will they need a little help? Any opinion on coat type?

07-12-2011, 04:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
KZoppa Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Maryland kinda missing CO Posts: 13,816	She's a long coat. The ears floofies give it away pretty heavily. As for her ears, she's still young and with GSDs their ears can go all kinds of crazy until they're totally done teething which is around 6-7 months. She certainly looks purebred to me but i cant get the pictures to zoom any further. Do i see a great deal of while on her feet? That would lead me to believe she may be mixed but has a high concentration of GSD in here genetics but i would still lean towards purebred. Some GSDs have heavier ears than others so it will take longer for their ears to totally stand. Something that can prevent the ear from standing can be ear damage to poor genetics. I'm sure you'll love her no matter what. She's definitely adorable. Welcome to the board. __________________ The more people I meet and talk to,the more I love my dogs and their intelligence. www.krystalscollarcreations.weebly.com Riley GSD/BC 1/10/05 Zena GSD 6/1/03 Shasta GSD 5/5/10

07-12-2011, 06:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
fuzzybunny Elite Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ottawa Posts: 1,823	She is such a cutie! __________________ Carolyn Jazz, Shiloh Shepherd, 2.5 years old, CGC HIC Bunny, GSD X, 5.5 years old

07-12-2011, 01:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
MaggieRoseLee The Agility Rocks! Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Bushkill, PA (The Poconos!) Posts: 22,215	I think she is ADORABLE and love the middle picture with her head cocked! Since there are tons of GSD's dumped and in shelters/rescues, not sure if you can say it's cause of her long coat. Specially cause there are some that prefer that long coat whether it's in the standard or not! Good luck with her and her ears and keep posting! Look at other posts in this 'ears' section I think some people think supplements to the diet may help... __________________ MACH2 Bretta Lee Wildhaus CGC TC TQX Glory B Wildhaus NA, NJ, NF + LOL (still) "*Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde*

07-12-2011, 02:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
KZoppa Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Maryland kinda missing CO Posts: 13,816	she's adorable. its possible she was ditched because she's a long coat but not likely. Most cases with puppies is people realize just how much work they are and dont want to deal with them so they ditch them or something happens financially and they think the puppy will stand a better chance being dumped than at a shelter situation. It could even be possible she came from a good breeder and they didnt want to return her so they didnt look bad. Only they really know. We definitely look forward to see more pictures as she grows and hearing the puppy war stories! __________________ The more people I meet and talk to,the more I love my dogs and their intelligence. www.krystalscollarcreations.weebly.com Riley GSD/BC 1/10/05 Zena GSD 6/1/03 Shasta GSD 5/5/10

07-12-2011, 05:24 AM	#3 (permalink)
saraja87 Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 126	@KZoppa Thank you for the response! I thought she might be a long coat, she's very soft and I don't think she has an undercoat, at least not like my Sheltie had. I'm sorry for the not so great photo quality, I've been snapping photos with my first gen iphone and they're not very good quality The only actual white she has on her body is a small patch of hairs on her tail tip and a small patch under her chin. The rest is a tan color that's washed out in the photos, I think this one might show her coloring better. Her belly is also a lighter color than her top coat. We don't mind either way about her parentage, though knowing would help us keep our eyes open for GSD prone problems like hip dysplasia, especially since she most likely came from questionable stock. We even find her floppy ears quite endearing but would be open to helping them stand since it seems to be such a concern for GSD owners. Her ears have definitely been doing crazy things while she's teething so we're happy to let them be for now as long as we're not damaging her in any way by not helping them stand early on.

07-12-2011, 12:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
saraja87 Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 126	@fuzzybunny Thank you! We think she's pretty adorable She has a fantastic temperament, very easy going, good with kids and our cats. We can't believe she was dumped! I know this is the ear forum so I might need to post this inquiry elsewhere, but does anyone think her long coated status could have led to her being dumped? Thus far our vet guesses that she was from a backyard breeder, so they may not have cared either way, but it seems that a long coat is an AKC disqualifier that a breeder might not want in their litters.

07-12-2011, 04:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
Stosh Crowned Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: tyler texas Posts: 8,434	Stosh is long coated and he has the same ear floofies along with the furry feet that look and sound like bunny slippers. And his fur was incredibly soft, now just his ears are super soft. Your girl is just adorable!

07-12-2011, 07:14 PM	#10 (permalink)
saraja87 Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 126	More gratuitous photos She's too cute to keep the iPhone camera away 11 weeks - exploring our friend's yard 11 weeks - fluffy from a bath 11 weeks - getting her first collar 13 weeks - conversing with our cat 15 weeks - sitting with her daddy Her coloring seems to be getting darker and richer in some places as she gets older, especially the places where she had more white as a pup. Is this common for GSDs? She's also just starting to lose her baby teeth, and while she hasn't chewed anything she shouldn't have, we aren't sorry to see those little alligator needles go! Her ears are totally funny, floppy and straight, tipped and upright. I was looking through all the ear progress photos and thus far hers haven't done the tip together phase but have moved to the one mostly up and sometimes tipped and the other floppy stage. They're really entertaining to observe and since they're still big and soft I expect they'll probably flop about for a few more months before deciding if they want to stand

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