So the Ears Up?????? forum has terrified me.

[Carriesue]

My pup is four months and also a LC... When I first got him one ear was up but then shortly after that it went down and they both stayed down for a long time, he basically had floppy lab ears.

Now one ear has gone up and has stayed up for a few days, the other one is trying hard but can't quite do it yet, lol. He gets bully sticks, knuckle bones, marrow bones and has a few non edible nylabones. Stay away from rawhide!

I wouldn't worry about it though! As others have said she is still so young. I had a lady at the park tell me the other day that I should be taping my four month olds ears... Smile and nod, smile and nod.

I think it's pretty common for the standard stock coat dogs ears to go up before long coats.

This pic is from just last week!

Untitled (2012-12-19 22:29:49) by snowypony, on Flickr

[PorkandBeans]

Originally Posted by Carriesue

My pup is four months and also a LC... When I first got him one ear was up but then shortly after that it went down and they both stayed down for a long time, he basically had floppy lab ears.

Now one ear has gone up and has stayed up for a few days, the other one is trying hard but can't quite do it yet, lol. He gets bully sticks, knuckle bones, marrow bones and has a few non edible nylabones. Stay away from rawhide!

I wouldn't worry about it though! As others have said she is still so young. I had a lady at the park tell me the other day that I should be taping my four month olds ears... Smile and nod, smile and nod.

I think it's pretty common for the standard stock coat dogs ears to go up before long coats.

This pic is from just last week!

Untitled (2012-12-19 22:29:49) by snowypony, on Flickr

He's such a good looking dog, and I really like his coloring.


Below is a pic of what I'm currently dealing with.

The flopped ear on the right is the norm while we sometimes get a combover with the other. So like you said, she looks like she has lab ears.



There was one day on a walk where both were up at full attention. They were a bit wobbly but she looked so good with them up. I really hope they perk soon.

[hattifattener]

Odi at 3 and a half months.



as you see,ears were quite floppy.
a month later they were up.

[dazedtrucker]

Originally Posted by PorkandBeans

Is it really this common for adult GSDs to have ears that never stand?

I had no idea this breed needed so much help to get their ears up, or the fact that there's a very real possibility they'll never come up at all. Now I'm concerned because our 3 month old who is just starting to teethe still has floppy ears that haven't even shown a hint of wanting to stand since we got her. I really don't want her to have to put up with any taping/gluing so I plan to let things just run their course..

I don't think it's common at all... it happens occassionally. Worry at 7 months, they will be up and down before that. Check my albums... Axel was about 6 mos. before that left ear got a grip! It's just puppy stuff...I don't know the percentage, but most go up without any help at all... you don't see floppy GSDs all too often...

[doggiedad]

my last GSD ears went up when he was 6 months old.
before that they did the dance, "one up, one down and
both all around". the dog i have now ears went up at 5
months old and before that they did the dance.

[PorkandBeans]

Originally Posted by doggiedad

my last GSD ears went up when he was 6 months old.
before that they did the dance, "one up, one down and
both all around". the dog i have now ears went up at 5
months old and before that they did the dance.

My concern though is that I haven't seen a dance at all yet.

I understand that at 3.5 months she's still pretty young for them to go up but what worries me is how little (if any) progress I've seen. Those ears have been flopped for 99% of the time we've had her. Now and then one ear might come up for part of a day but that's it. No teepee, no ear up for a week then back down, no combover for extended period of time. It's just been nothing but floppy ears with the very occasional movement.

[Renmure]

Originally Posted by PorkandBeans

My concern though is that I haven't seen a dance at all yet.

I understand that at 3.5 months she's still pretty young for them to go up but what worries me is how little (if any) progress I've seen. Those ears have been flopped for 99% of the time we've had her. Now and then one ear might come up for part of a day but that's it. No teepee, no ear up for a week then back down, no combover for extended period of time. It's just been nothing but floppy ears with the very occasional movement.

Hi there

As most people have said, its a bit too early to worry yet. However I'm sure that you think of gsds with pricked ears - I know I do .
I just wanted to add that from what I have read if your dog's ears have gone up - even if its just for the 1% of the time that you mention above, then it is likely that your dog's ears will go up and stay up in their own time.

Some pups ears go up really early, about 8 weeks and never go down again, some go up and down with the ear dance mentioned, some never do the dance but just pop up one day and stay there.

I think its only if their ears have NEVER EVER EVER been up at about 7 months then there is A CHANCE that they may never go up even with some help.

By the way your pup looks absolutely lovely! Nzo has a long coat brother who we keep in contact with on facebook and its lovely to see the difference.

Wendy

[shepherdmom]

Marrow bones really do the trick as far as I'm concerned. I've got two GSD's and one lab mix who's ears are supposed to be down. This is what I got one day when the lab mix was chewing on a marrow bone. LOL

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...69192571_n.jpg

This is how they are most of the time tho...

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...66106089_n.jpg

[Atticus5]

I was told by years ago by the breeder of my first GSD pup, to crush egg shells in with the dog food. Something about the shells help to strengthen the ear cartlidge. Kolya's ears went up on their own shortly after this. Who knows if it was related to the egg shells or if it was just timing

[Yoschi's_Pet_Human]

Trust me, my wife is really tired of me stressing about Yoschi's ears. I do get relieved a bit when watching him run. When he runs his ears stand straight up for some reason, only to fall right down when he stops.. *shrugs* I'm always lamenting my floppy eared, one testicled high dollar dog...lol