[DianaM]

Dogs that grow up with really huge ears and keep them just look "off balance." Quite honestly, I do not agree with the taping of ears. If they're too big to stand, breed differently as it is in the breed standard to have those ears and they are held in high importance (whether that's a good thing is another thread). If a dog's ears do not stand because they are too big or too heavy, that is genetic, should not be tampered with, and should not be helped so the dog can be shown and then bred. I know there are more important things to worry about with breeding but when half the litter or more need help to have the ears stand, something's not right.

I do agree, I can't stand Dumbo ears on GSDs. Puppies are puppies, they'll go through all sorts of gangly stages, but as an adult, the large ears just make the dog look.... goofy, I guess.

 

[DianaM]

I completely agree. Making them stand for cosmetic purposes is a-ok! For showing/breeding purposes, well I'd have to look at the whole picture. If it's one dog that it just happens and the lines have a low incidence of weak ears, eh no biggie. But if the line has prevalent weak ears, something needs to be done. Sure, health and temperament are MUCH bigger concerns, but this is still part of the standard and also a huge part of what makes a GSD look like a GSD, like it or not.