# Is taping Needed??????? 4 months, I don't know!!



## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Please help! I don't know if I should start taping Byrons' ears or if I'm jumping the gun. His right ear was up straight for about 3 weeks (kinda leaning but up), the left ear never made it fully up, then a few days ago I noticed the right ear started looking limp. I checked his mouth and sure enough, he's adult teeth are starting to cut thru. He was 4 months on 9/13/10. I don't want to wait too late in case I need to start taping. Please everyone, let me know what you think... Thanks!!!:help:


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## Miss Molly May (Feb 19, 2010)

absolutely not!!! at 4 mths your pup is teething and its common for the ears to go down during period just be patient they will go up!


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## 4loveofadog (Mar 3, 2010)

dianak105 said:


> Please help! I don't know if I should start taping Byrons' ears or if I'm jumping the gun. His right ear was up straight for about 3 weeks (kinda leaning but up), the left ear never made it fully up, then a few days ago I noticed the right ear started looking limp. I checked his mouth and sure enough, he's adult teeth are starting to cut thru. He was 4 months on 9/13/10. I don't want to wait too late in case I need to start taping. Please everyone, let me know what you think... Thanks!!!:help:


 he is only 4 months old and teething. i wouldn't worry about taping. my guy had his ears going up and down until about 4 1/2 months. i started giving him a tablespoon of cottage cheese after his evening meal. it seemed to help and his ears started staying up. teething takes a lot out of our little guys. believe me they will stand up without having to do anything.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

I've heard Solid Gold Sealmeal is helpful. You are ok at 4 months but if they aren't up by 5 months I would tape. While they still can go up after 5 months the chances go down the older they are. I've always put forms in at 5 months if they aren't up.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the feedback.
I will give it a few weeks and see how those ears act!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Yeah, you have lift off. they go up and down for a while during teething. They should be just fine -- not time to worry.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

from what i've learned on this site, generally if their ears stand and then start flopping during teething, he'll be fine as his ears have already stood. Give him plenty to chew on which will not only help with the teething part but should also help strengthen the muscles that help hold those satellite dishes up! I think he'll be fine as his ears have already stood straight.


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## PADR1NH0 (Sep 8, 2010)

Miss Molly May said:


> absolutely not!!! at 4 mths your pup is teething and its common for the ears to go down during period just be patient they will go up!


agreed - the teething period is definitely a weird stage where the ears go back down lol... i remember freaking out then as well


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

These GSD ears are stressful! This is my first GSD and I will love him no matter what, he's an absolutely amazing dog. However, I would LOVE that signature GSD look )
He just started teething, not sure how long that usually takes but I guess I will give him a month to see what happens.


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## frillint1 (Sep 2, 2010)

Cottage Cheese.... Why?



4loveofadog said:


> he is only 4 months old and teething. i wouldn't worry about taping. my guy had his ears going up and down until about 4 1/2 months. i started giving him a tablespoon of cottage cheese after his evening meal. it seemed to help and his ears started staying up. teething takes a lot out of our little guys. believe me they will stand up without having to do anything.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

I too give my pup cottage cheese. I mix it into his food. Supposedly the calcium in the cottage cheese is good for their ears. I've done some research about supplementing the calcium the dog looses during teething, some of the suggestions were to give the puppy cottage cheese, yogurt or pieces of cheese. Not too much though because too much calcium can build up on the puppys' bones, which is bad.


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## Sherief Shalaby (Aug 24, 2010)

but you are saying that one ear never came fully up before so i believe you must tape them now and no need to wait.. my dog too had his ears down when he started teething but i didnt tape at 4 months and waited till he became 5 and half months because his ears were both fully up before teething.. but when he became 5 and half months and his ears were still not up all the time i taped them and this was last week.. they are still taped till today and i will remove the tape tomorrow.. will let you know the result..


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## 4loveofadog (Mar 3, 2010)

frillint1 said:


> Cottage Cheese.... Why?


 it has calcium - it's good for his teeth and gives strength to help the ears stand up. teething and ears standing up seem to fight against each other. so, i feel the cottage cheese is and has been helpful. besides the fact he loves it with pineapple


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Sherief, so you think I should start taping then? I took Byron today for his rabies vaccine and my vet said he doesn't know too much about how people get the ears to stand (such as taping) but he said the cartilage in both his ears feel good and strong, not soft at all; and he would assume by the way his ears feel, there won't be a problem standing.. I'm
probably better off taping, better safe than sorry, right?


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Also, take a look at the pictures of him. Those were taken this past Saturday. His ears aren't completely limp. I guess I'm just making excuses because I really want his ears to stand up on their own, without taping.


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## Sherief Shalaby (Aug 24, 2010)

dianak105 said:


> Sherief, so you think I should start taping then? I took Byron today for his rabies vaccine and my vet said he doesn't know too much about how people get the ears to stand (such as taping) but he said the cartilage in both his ears feel good and strong, not soft at all; and he would assume by the way his ears feel, there won't be a problem standing.. I'm
> probably better off taping, better safe than sorry, right?


 
sure my friend and in all cases if taping is done in the right way it wont do any harm.. and i read before in many dogs sites about this matter and most of them recommnend that if your dog's ears have never come up and he is 4 months it's a good idea to tape them.. here is a very good clip showing you how to tape them in a good and easy way..


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

This is my boy at 14.5 weeks old. he will be 4 months old next week.....just hang in there through teething...


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Thanks everyone. Byrons left ear (the one that never fully came up) has been standing up straight lately, it will still be down most of the time but I see some progress!


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## Sherief Shalaby (Aug 24, 2010)

dianak105 said:


> Thanks everyone. Byrons left ear (the one that never fully came up) has been standing up straight lately, it will still be down most of the time but I see some progress!


great news .. i hope you dont have to tape them but still keep the taping solution in your mind while observing his ears till he is 5 months or so then decide..


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Bear's ear was up and down and up and down all through five months. Now It is standing up perfectly. Be patient. Four months is not the time to worry.

four months is the time to go out and socialize before he gets too big, pointy ear'd and scarey....


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Selzer, you're so right! I've read so much about GSD's that they really need to be socialized. I've always taken Byron everywhere, around new people and new places since he was 7 weeks to make sure I keep him well socialized. Well I've noticed lately that he's a little more protective and observant around new people. I took him to the beach Saturday and he would bark at people when they walked by or give a low growl. I would reassure him that it's okay and he would relax, a lot of people just wanted to pet him because he's so cute


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## Cluemanti (Jun 25, 2010)

Our pups looks identical! How much Byron weigh? 

But I am having the same problem at 4 months, hoping in a few weeks they stand up. I'm not too worried about it though.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Cluemanti- Really? How funny! Can you post a pic of your dog so I can see? Byron was born May 13, 2010, I took him to the vet this past Tuesday and he weighed in at 40lbs. He's the sweetest thing ever. I love that dog like there's no tomorrow.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

BTW, Byron's left ear has lift off! Let's see how long it lasts!! LOL


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

They may fall back down during his teething. Jax's were horizontal for the final stretch and then 3 days after his last tooth fell out, they popped up like tulips!


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

I'm sure it will fall back down. But at least it came up, even for a little bit, that gives me a little bit more hope that they will both eventually come up after teething since both ears have gone up (not at the same time though). I know taping is an option but to be honest, I REALLY don't want to do it. I want to be able to say that I didn't have to tape his ears. Vain I know


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

There is no reason to tape until teething is done. Can't say if it's 100% always true, but I've heard (and it's been true for my 5 GSDs over the past 24 years) that if they came up before teething and then fell, they'll come up again after teething. Just looking at those pics, they look really strong at the base, which is good it's just the tips that are a bit soft. 

There's plenty of time before you even need to think about taping, so try not to stress over it in the meantime!


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Thanks Debbie, that was definitely reassuring.


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## Cluemanti (Jun 25, 2010)

dianak105 said:


> Cluemanti- Really? How funny! Can you post a pic of your dog so I can see? Byron was born May 13, 2010, I took him to the vet this past Tuesday and he weighed in at 40lbs. He's the sweetest thing ever. I love that dog like there's no tomorrow.



Just snapped a quick photo. Besides the muzzle they look very much alike!


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## Cluemanti (Jun 25, 2010)

And the ears are still floppy....


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## Helly (Mar 31, 2008)

Jasper is 4 1/2 months old...his ears are soft and floppy...he loves cottage cheese...but they dont' even hint of coming up....the video was a great tutorial to tape and that is what my husband and I are going to do today.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i say they're going to go up.
when you're out on the boat i think
your dog should have a life vest on.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Great news everyone!!!! Both Byron's ears are up!!!! They have been up for about 2 days now. Hopefully they are up for good. He did the complete ear dance and his adult teeth are in (not sure if all of them are in though).
He looks sooooo handsome. No taping at all was necessary  What an experience!!!


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Helly- My pup is about 4 and 1/2 months also. Do you have any pictures of your pup so I can see what his ears look like? Byron's ears did the ear dance, they were all over the place so I kept some hope. I didn't want to tape them just because I wanted to prove everyone (everyone meaning my family and friends) that his ears would come up on their own (which I did prove to them!!). I too gave Byron cottage cheese and yogurt but not too much since I heard that too much calcium is bad. Anways, if Jasper's ears haven't showed any sign at all of coming up then I would definitely tape.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Doggiedad- Come on, cut me some slack :crazy:. I will definitely get him a life vest for the next trip to the beach. Didn't think about it before.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Cluemanti said:


> Just snapped a quick photo. Besides the muzzle they look very much alike!


How adorable! He looks so sweet. Have his ears always been that floppy or did they raise up a bit and then go back down?


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Okay here are some pictures so you all can some of the ear dances Byron did. I have so many pictures but I would be here forever uploading them all. The first picture is when he was 7 weeks old. You can pretty much see what his ears went through (and in return, what I went through LOL). I'm not sure if they are up for good, his right ear still slightly leans in on to the top of his head but I'm sure with time it will get even stronger.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Here are a few pictures of Byrons parents. The dad has the darker face and the mom has the lighter face. Byron looks just like his daddy.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Just to let everyone know, Byron still has both ears up. Neither have fallen! I'm so happy and excited that his ears haven't fallen. He will be 5 months next week so I think he's just about finished teething. Thanks everyone for all your support and advice!


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## WhiteVegas (Oct 31, 2010)

diana happy to see ur pup ears up!! it sure is a relief...LOL ur Byron is beautiful. unfortunately my pup's ears are still up and down at 5 months  from ur experience take a look at him and let me know what ya think. should i tape them or let them stand with the time..? (he's not done teething yet but very close to be done)


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Hi WhiteVegas! Sorry I haven't been on here in a while to see your post. As far as your pups ears, I would definitely consider taping. Byron will be 6 months old this Saturday and his ears are still up. I noticed your pup has one ear up in 2 of those pics. Does that ear go up from time to time? Either way, at 5 months and almost finished teething, if I hadn't seen a siginifcant improvement in Byrons' ears, I would have taped. Ears up or ears down, we'll love them either way :wub:


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Also, do you give your pup any extra calcium? i would put a little yogurt once a day in Byrons' food bowl, mixed in with his puppy chow. I've heard that also helps. Make sure he has plenty of chew toys too. These are little things that I did with my puppy.


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## Montana Scout (Sep 27, 2010)

i cant find this answer anywhere... WHY do their ears go down while teething? does it have to do with something with calcium going to their teeth? or the jaw muscles not working as hard because of pain? or just plain hormones?


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

This is how it's been explained to me....Calcium is needed to strengthen the cartilage in the ears, which keeps the ears standing erect. When the puppy starts teething, the calcium that is used to strengthen the ears then becomes directed to the mouth during the teething process. This is why you then can give your puppy extra calcium (not too much though) such as yogurt or cottage cheese, to supplement for the loss of calcium in the ears. After teething, the calcium is no longer needed in the mouth and is redirected back to the ears, the cartilage regains strength therefore standing the ears back up. :crazy:


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

My boy 5 months old and finally firm ears! Now they do the normal Yoda when sleeping and go straight back when excited...phew....I understand the concern. I hit like around 4.5 months and one was still floppy friendly.


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## Montana Scout (Sep 27, 2010)

makes perfect sense to me!! thank you


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

No problem..Byron has what they call "friendly ears", which is when he runs they flip at the tips. His ears are always up straight, even while he sleeps though. I'm figuring with time they will firm up. Either way, I'm just happy they're up!


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Hey everyone, just thought I would give an update on my baby boy Byron. He's 7 months old, he will be 8 months on the 13th of January. His ears came up when he was 4 1/2 months old. They are still up, he's growing well and he's the love of my life.:wub:


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## Veronica1 (Jun 22, 2010)

He's so handsome! Nice full tail too. 

I feel the same way about my Panzer - sure do love him.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Thanks!!!


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## Knight (Sep 7, 2010)

Thats a good looking family


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## adamdude04 (Apr 15, 2010)

Maybe he's not a purebred?


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## Tropism (Nov 30, 2010)

dianak105 said:


> I know taping is an option but to be honest, I REALLY don't want to do it. I want to be able to say that I didn't have to tape his ears. Vain I know


That, and the poor dog looks -sooooo- stupid when it's got its ears taped up. %)


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

dianak105 said:


> Thanks!!!


It's good for other puppy owners to see this. Maybe they won't worry so much.


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## Roxygsd (Sep 8, 2010)

Roxy had one ear up at 14 weeks and the other went up and down until she finished teething at almost 7 months. A GSD breeder at my vet suggested additional calcium (cottage cheese/yougrt) but with vitamin c to help move the calcium through her system. Apparently, bones absorb more of the calcium than cartilage. This breeder had said not to worry until 7 months. But she has had luck taping a 10 month old ears to radar height. Be patient!


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## LondonnZack (Oct 3, 2010)

Lol, he has very sweet eyes! The other Wgsd in this thread is about the same age as zack, i freaked about his ears too, but hes got radars now. >< I wouldve taped if they werent up by 5 months.

and seltz i laughed so hard at the big pointy scarey ear comment lol!


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

PaddyD said:


> It's good for other puppy owners to see this. Maybe they won't worry so much.


I agree. More than likely I will get a female some time in the near future and I definitely won't stress about the ears prematurely like I did with Byron.


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Knight said:


> Thats a good looking family


Thank you very much!!:blush:


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

LOVE this picture-great looking boy!


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

One of the board members noticed her dog's ears always went up when they played fetch. Feeling that it couldn't hurt & might help, she got in the habit of playing lots of fetch games throughout the day. The dogs ears came up beautifully. Perhaps the fetch helped, or maybe not, but it's a healthy activity, deepens the bonds & they both have a blast with it.


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## SouthernNdN (Nov 17, 2010)

Thankfully I never really had to go through the whole floppy ear thing. I brought Nuhkia home with the flying nun syndrome. About 2 wks later (3mons old) one ear came up! This was after I had introduced her to a bull chew. It never went back down, and then about 1-2 wks later I gave her a kong with peanut butter on the inside that had been frozen. After she got done licking the peanut butter out of the kong and hr later, the other ear had poped up! It went back down and back up for about a wk. I just kept doing the kong about once a day with peanut butter, other than that she played with it through out the day, and within that wk the ear was up and has never went down. So for the past month both ears have been up and perky!

However for the past 2 days, she been teething and 2 molers have poped out today! So I am watching her ears like a hawk on a mouse!!!!!!


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## Knight (Sep 7, 2010)

My guy's ears stand now when he sits. He will be 9wks tomorrow


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Courtney said:


> LOVE this picture-great looking boy!


Thanks Courtney!!! Me too!!! This dog is like my son.. I love him soooo much, ears up or down


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## dianak105 (Aug 1, 2010)

Byron (2 weeks shy of 9 months)...:wub::wub::wub:


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