[sprzybyl]

My 17 week Puppy (Riley) had absolutely glorious ears that would stand up in a triangle on top of her head. However, I bought a second smaller crate for our first floor because she's too awkward on the stairs and it was getting tiring carrying her up and down them (she's 40 lbs) when i wanted to crate her. However, the smaller crate is shorter, so when she sits her ears get bent at the top. Now one of her ears is flopped over to the OTHER side, and her triangle is gone!

Could she have "bent" it from sitting in the crate?!

Should I go get a bigger crate?! Please tell me I didn't flop her ear over

 

[onyx'girl]

Is she teething? I would go larger for the crate, anyway but teething makes their ears go wacky

 

[sprzybyl]

Originally Posted By: onyx'girlIs she teething? I would go larger for the crate, anyway but teething makes their ears go wacky

She is teething!

The crate is pretty large otherwise... its a size Large, actually for dogs 40-70 lbs. She can turn around and lay sideways or length wise in it... The bigger one upstairs is VERY large, you could fit two of her in there... its an xlarge size.

well, regardless I'm exchanging it... even if it IS the teething!! =P

 

[doggiedad]

why would you buy a smaller crate?? get a larger crate and get one that your dog can grow into. my boy is 90lbs. and he has a crate that could fit a Great Dan. don't cramp them up. you probably didn't harm her ears. they can do the ear dance for awhile.

 

[DSudd]

Rocky has the largest crate we could find. He no longer uses it, but when he used to sit in the crate his ears would either touch the metal at the top of stick out the holes.

I think it takes them a while to master having their ears stand up all the time.

 

[GSDgirlAL]

I too got Ava the largest crate I could find. I didnt want the crate to hinder her ears.

If you can I would get a taller crate just so you don't stress over your baby and those GSD ears

 

[sprzybyl]

Originally Posted By: doggiedadwhy would you buy a smaller crate?? get a larger crate and get one that your dog can grow into. my boy is 90lbs. and he has a crate that could fit a Great Dan. don't cramp them up. you probably didn't harm her ears. they can do the ear dance for awhile.

This second crate was also supposed to be for the car... The Xlarge doesn't fit in my car, but the large does. Plus isn't the point to have a "cave like" crate small enough so they can lay down, but not big enough so they can poop in one corner and lay in the other? (she hasn't done it, but this could be the case in the larger one upstairs)

 

[DSudd]

Sprzy - check for the crates with the dividers. We bought a life stages and you can increase the space as the pup needs it.

 

[sprzybyl]

I guess I'm going to have to upgrade my car so the crate can fit in there too!

 

[doggiedad]

Originally Posted By: sprzybyl

Originally Posted By: doggiedadwhy would you buy a smaller crate?? get a larger crate and get one that your dog can grow into. my boy is 90lbs. and he has a crate that could fit a Great Dan. don't cramp them up. you probably didn't harm her ears. they can do the ear dance for awhile.

This second crate was also supposed to be for the car... The Xlarge doesn't fit in my car, but the large does. Plus isn't the point to have a "cave like" crate small enough so they can lay down, but not big enough so they can poop in one corner and lay in the other?

she's not going to soil a larger crate.

 

[Fodder]

i doubt that you've ruined your girls ears. teething is the likely cause of the fall. however, i agree that you return the smaller crate. my boys ears have been up for a year, but he has very big & thick ears... the other day say we were driving for about an hour and he insisted on standing up the majority of the ride which pressed his ears against the top of the crate. when i took him out of the crate - one of his ears pointed west... and the tip of the other flopped over. they stayed like this for about 10mins. so even tho his ears are up, they arent the strongest. at the time i bought the crate i assumed he had stopped growing vertically... plus, when we're home he only uses it to lay down.

 

[sprzybyl]

Originally Posted By: doggiedad she's not going to soil a larger crate.

I KNOW I already said she hasn't soiled in her bigger one! The reason I got the smaller one was for my car. We were just using it on the first floor because it was easier than carrying her up the stairs every time we couldn't watch her for a period of time.

 

[sprzybyl]

Originally Posted By: Camerafodderi doubt that you've ruined your girls ears. teething is the likely cause of the fall. however, i agree that you return the smaller crate. my boys ears have been up for a year, but he has very big & thick ears... the other day say we were driving for about an hour and he insisted on standing up the majority of the ride which pressed his ears against the top of the crate. when i took him out of the crate - one of his ears pointed west... and the tip of the other flopped over. they stayed like this for about 10mins. so even tho his ears are up, they arent the strongest. at the time i bought the crate i assumed he had stopped growing vertically... plus, when we're home he only uses it to lay down.

Still don't know what to do about the car!

 

[GunnerJones]

Could the crate effect her ears?

not if you keep her stereo turned down

 

[sprzybyl]

Originally Posted By: MaxGunnarCould the crate effect her ears?

not if you keep her stereo turned down

LOL!

 

[MaggieRoseLee]

Crate effect her ears? (..no stairs puppy?)

Bretta's ears were never effected by hitting the top of the crate..

But I am more amazed by this statement:

Quote: she's too awkward on the stairs and it was getting tiring carrying her up and down them (she's 40 lbs) when i wanted to crate her.

Doing stairs is a 'learned' behavior. Puppies can be awkward because they don't know how to do them, and if you carry them they certainly won't learn. So they will CONTINUE to be awkward and not learn the body skills necessary for alot of real world situations.

Part of 'socializing' and learning life skills for my dogs isn't avoiding situations. It's me coming up with ways to guide and teach my pups how to do new things they have problems with. Either physically or emotionally.

Not saying to point your dog at a full set of stairs and have them tumble down............... but we can slowly encourage and teach them. And not break our backs carrying them up and down the stairs when they are normal healthy GSD's that come from a working dog background!

You ever seen This site (click here) ??

 

[sprzybyl]

Re: Crate effect her ears? (..no stairs puppy?)

Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLee

Doing stairs is a 'learned' behavior. Puppies can be awkward because they don't know how to do them, and if you carry them they certainly won't learn. So they will CONTINUE to be awkward and not learn the body skills necessary for alot of real world situations.

We are working on it bit by bit everyday. She's already improved so much in the last week that she can go up them no problem, (actually now we have to block them to prevent her from doing them so she doesn't go unseen!) but its more the down that is still a problem. When we mentioned it, our breeder asked us to wait another month or so until we let her do the stairs (full flights) on a regular basis because of her hips. We have many steps all over the place (resessed living room, 3 steps off the deck, two steps down into the garage, 6 steps down our front porch) so believe me, we aren't carrying her everywhere! ...and I'm amazed at how much she's already accomplished this past week!!