I can't believe I'm asking this

[kayliyth]

So I took Kratos in for his 16 week shots and checkup. All clear, the vet stated though that she was already thinking we should maybe tape his ears since we're showing him. Because the cartilage is growing and if they aren't up by 6 months they'll never come up!

I explained our breeder says her puppies usually pop around 6-9 months. But now am wondering, should I be taping a 4 month old puppies ears? No right I mean that just seems weird. He's got big ears, but they seem proportional to his face/head, not like the bat wings or anything.

I don't -want- to tape our boy's ears, and I'm a firm believer they'll come up on their own. They were up before we got him, but then they flopped. Am I crazy to even consider taping?

[Sunflowers]

If he came from a reputable breeder, and she knows her lines, and his parents don't have soft ears, I wouldn't do it.

[kayliyth]

Neither of his parents have soft ears, and his grandmother's ears are very firm. All of her puppies and all of his sire's puppies always have their ears come up. Kratos' left ear really hasn't done any dancing, in fact he doesn't do the ear dance at all! His right ear has been up constantly, and will flop over into a comb over when he's tired.

[Sunflowers]

Does the breeder say if ears that have not done any dances will pop up? Has she ever had an instance where one of her pups' ears did not ? I would go by what she says rather than the vet, she knows what she has.

[kayliyth]

I'm double checking with the breeder, just to make sure. Its probably just because he hasn't fully come into teething yet. He's just 16 weeks today. Like I said his ears were up and then they grew a bit and got floppy. I know he's at a crucial age where his ears need the time to grow strong and want to give him the best chance.

For the record: If his ears DON'T pop. We'll love our floppy boy anyways. But of course we're hoping for the full look of the erect ears, it just adds something to their beauty.

[gsdsar]

If they came up at one point, they will most likely come up again. Trust the breeder, if she has never had a pup whose ears did not come up, I would not be concerned.

Plus he is teething. My new boy had both his ears up last week, this week he started hard core teething and one is floppy. I am not concerned.


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[kayliyth]

I'm try not to, honestly! I read all the forums here and was telling myself "i won't be that person who asks." but I asked. Arg! He's got the one ear up and the other sometimes will try to come up and then flop back over as though its just too heavy right now. Of course everyone is enchanted by his floppy eared look.

[gsdsar]

It's impossible not to worry. I only stopped worrying when they came up and stayed up for a week. Now that I have seen them fully up, I am not worried cause he is teething.

But yeah, we want ears up.


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[kayliyth]

You're right, its impossible not to worry about it. I'm not super obsessed yet, that will come closer to the 6-9 month ranges I just know it! Lol.

[kayliyth]

So I got an email back from the breeder. I'm to tape Kratos' ears!