# Tattoo?



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Is it possible for a tattoo to damage the ear and cause it to not stand?
Our puppy's ear right ear was standing at 7 weeks but the one that got the tattoo a week earlier has never stood. It almost looks like there is a "break" in the ear (even though it's too soft to break).


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

I believe it's possible, especially with an adult dog, however I've not heard of it being an issue with a puppy. Ears go up and down a lot when they are small, especially when the ears get big. Usually with a break in the ear you can actually feel a crease. Maybe someone else has more experience with it?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

How old is your puppy?


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

He'll be 9 weeks old tomorrow. 
It's probably still too early to tell but it was just odd that one will go up and down but the other has never gone up.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

WAY too early to worry about it! I've actually heard the opposite - that the tattooed ear often comes up first, but I have no idea if this is just anecdotal or anyone has really kept track. 

In any case, your puppy is only 9 weeks old. It could be a few weeks before he's got both ears up, and then they may go up and down a few times until he's done teething. I suppose it's possible that the ear was damaged, but it could just be a coincidence that the other ear came up first.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I was wondering the same thing. I was talking to several GSD owners and they said their dogs' tattooed ear took longer to stay up than the other ear, or in one case the tattooed ear remained floppy.

You can have a "break" in the cartilage. I have seen a few German Shepherds with this, but it looked quite different than a naturally floppy ear or an ear that has not yet come up-- the fold was much sharper. 
Example:


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

It's possible but really not at all likely, not at this age, unless someone messed up with the tattoo. It would be rare for the puppies ears to both stand and stay standing at this age.

My pup was tattooed around 12 weeks and that ear never had trouble standing, it went up first and stayed up.


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