# Will my shepherd's ears go up?



## AzkabanvomReidenbreek

I have an 8 month old male German shepherd. I always have worried about his ears. When he was 4 months old his ears finally stood up. but soon after they went completely down. Now ever since he was 5 months old his left ear has been erect and the right one floppy. Will his ear ever go up? I mean, a month ago it wouldn't stay up for nothin. Now it stands up more if I help it but it will go down if he moves his head. And if he is in the right position it will stand up on its own, but is there any hope?


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## Germanshepherdlova

I have heard that some GSD's ears don't both stay up until 10 months old. My dogs stood up when he was about 4 months but this varies.


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## Lucy Dog

It's pretty late, so I'd tape them asap if i were you. There's still hope, but the windows closing.

Leerburg | Taping German Shepherds Ears


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## Emoore

At 8 months, it will probably always be weak and a little floppy. 


Just love your dog.


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## WarrantsWifey

Sounds like your gonna have a soft eared pup!  Soft ears are very sweet looking!


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## Tbarrios333

At 8 months he's a little old to still have a floppy ear. Personally, I think GSDs with floppy ears are pretty cute. You can try the taping or just give up and love him for who he is


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## Styler001

I've read that American bloodline and German bloodline GSD's can take different lengths of time for the ears to stand up completely. What I've read says weeks to months.

Well, my German GSD's right ear perked up early on. He is now almost 7 years old and his other ear _just_ started to stand up by itself. At first, it would only stand up after he'd been outside in the cold for awhile, then when he came inside and warmed up, the ear would go "friendly" again. Over the last couple of months, the ear has consistently stayed up, inside or out, warm or cold. It is still not quite a rigid as the other one, but it seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

I've never found it important for his ears to stand up, so glueing/taping/whatever was never even a thought. While it does make him look more intimidating with both ears erect, anyone unknown to him who would have thought he was a pushover because his ear flopped over would have been sadly mistaken had they tried to enter his yard.

So, for those who say that the ears won't stay up if they don't stay up after some number of months early on, that's not entirely true.


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## Snillies

Any problems with ear tattoos? Puppy has a tattoo on right ear and that ear is more floppy. I'm hoping she didn't have trauma. Thoughts?


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## idahospud49

Glock's one ear is a little.... crooked? It doesn't stand perfectly straight up. It is erect, just not straight. His quirky ear is the one with the tatoo on it. I do not know if this has something to do with it or what. It definitely fits his personality though!


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## ken k

my Heidi`s left ear was flopped over towards the top at 7 months, I started massaging it 4 of 5 times a day, after a couple weeks it has stood on its own, and she liked the massage


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## Jag

My bitch had this issue... she had soft ears. Your window is closing, but that's about the age (I think) I got desperate after trying foam inserts, taping, etc. and used tear mender glue and a cone to keep her from messing with it. It did work, and her ears finally both stood. I don't remember if it was her tattoo'd ear or not... but maybe it was. Seems that the heavier boned plush and long coat dogs are more likely to have the soft, floppy ears. I'd try the glue and cone, but you need to do it very soon. I think it was a week or two that I left them glued. Also, if your dog will chew, give the dog as many hard things to chew on as possible.


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## tequila

mine is 11 weeks old and her ears are down down down


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## m1953

tequila said:


> mine is 11 weeks old and her ears are down down down


I would not worry at all at 11 weeks, it is when they get to 7 to 8 months old and they are not standing yet, is when you should be concerned. At eight months after paying for show quality and my pups ears are still not standing and my breeder is not helping me out, is when you should be concerned


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## Suka

Cowboys had one floppy ear, which I use TearMender glue to hold up. I actually put a dab in the bent corner, which kind of stuck his ear to his head. It actually worked and didn't bother him.

But I think at 7 or 8 months, I took him for injections. The ear is sort of soft but it does stand now. A training friend just saw him again after several years and said "wait - didn't he used to have a floppy ear?" . Hah.


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## m1953

Suka said:


> Cowboys had one floppy ear, which I use TearMender glue to hold up. I actually put a dab in the bent corner, which kind of stuck his ear to his head. It actually worked and didn't bother him.
> 
> But I think at 7 or 8 months, I took him for injections. The ear is sort of soft but it does stand now. A training friend just saw him again after several years and said "wait - didn't he used to have a floppy ear?" . Hah.


What. Kind if injections...?. I thought I have read everything possable on soft ears and this is the first I heard of injections. Thanks


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## Suka

m1953 said:


> What. Kind if injections...?. I thought I have read everything possable on soft ears and this is the first I heard of injections. Thanks



Oh, the late Janis Novak wrote about it and I went to Dr. Radar of SkyCrest Animal Clinic for taping and injections. I found this about it but I am sure there is really old information on this forum in regards to these injections as well from back when I had it done in - I think 2003 or 2004.

4GSD - Ears Up


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## m1953

Suka said:


> Oh, the late Janis Novak wrote about it and I went to Dr. Radar of SkyCrest Animal Clinic for taping and injections. I found this about it but I am sure there is really old information on this forum in regards to these injections as well from back when I had it done in - I think 2003 or 2004.
> 
> 4GSD - Ears Up


Thanks very much


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## m1953

Very interesting link there. 2 of the shepherds used in the pictures where Mittelwest puppies.. The mother of my shepherd is a Mittelwest dog ...I am wondering now if this is where Nala's soft ear problem is from. I looked for over a year before I purchased. I was so concerned about ofa results and temperament, I never though about soft ears.


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## cheburashka95

*I'd try taping them anytime past 5-6 months*

Remi was about 8 1/2 months when we finally got a little worried her ears wouldn't stand on their own. The Leerburg article is good & you've still got plenty of time to get the ears up, but your pup may need a little help. Is your dog growing pretty fast? Remi is a pretty large boned shep and I think all her calcium went into her bones & teeth...not leaving much for her ears. Plus, she wasn't much of a chewer, ever, so that may have played a role. Our new addition is a major chewer and her ears have been up since about early 5 months & they were up and down from about 10 weeks. Goodluck!


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## m1953

Nala's ears are still taped.. My trainer did it for me a couple of weeks ago.. The ear forms I had glued in for the previous two months were not much help at all. When the forms fell out het ears flopped again with in a couple of days on the right ear and almost immediately on the left.. I will keep them taped until she is a year old if I have to has the tape does not bother her at all.


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## cheburashka95

We had a breeder help tape 1 of Remi's ears. (She didn't have "time" to do the other one...long story). So I glued the other one, same basic way. Obviously, I hadn't done it before, so I wasn't as good as the breeder. (who wasn't Remi's breeder by the way). I used small hair roller, glue, pencil to hold it into the ear tunnel and then tape to further secure it into the ear. I know this won't be popular, but we used weather-stripping glue to hold the roller in. That's what the breeder used and so I just followed her lead. Since then, I've had others tell me to use medical glue. We had to tape/glue the ear I did, more than once. The other ear worked the first time in less than 2 weeks of being glued. The roller fell out on its own. The second ear fell out before the good ear & I think that's because I didn't get it secured inside as well. Remi's a large-boned, very plushy coated shepherd (not long hair, but nice show coat). I'm like some other people in wondering if that doesn't play some roll in ear troubles...plus she wasn't a chewer. Gitchi loves to chew & she had no ear issues.


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## souterhopper

Hi there 
Iv had a similar problem 
My pups ears stud when she was 3 months old for about 2-3 weeks then dropped again and now she is 8 months with floppy ears, 
They pop up when her head is in certain position but other then that there still floppy 99% of the time. 
Did your dogs ears finally stand? 
As I'm now getting worried. 
Thanks


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