# Ears and the Crate



## JulBoh (Jun 11, 2019)

Found a few similar threads but generally involving much younger pups. My 8 month old's ears stood from about 10 weeks on. Lately, however, I've been noticing that often one is down (not nec. the same one) in the morning after sleeping in her plastic crate all night (70-90 lbs size and she's 70 lbs) It goes back up within about an hour. Obviously she's smashing it on the side of the crate when she sleeps. Could this damage her ears??


Also, when we leave her for 4 hours or so during the day she's in her larger, downstairs crate so her ears are not smashed and they don't flop down.


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## JulBoh (Jun 11, 2019)

Okay- so I took out the guesswork and just ordered (what seems like my 100th) a new, larger crate for upstairs! Boom!


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## Frisco19 (Aug 12, 2019)

A few observations. When pups and adults are tired, their ears definitely can sag. This might explain the first thing in the morning issue with the smaller crate but doesn't explain the larger crate where it isn't happening. Are you saying in the smaller crate your pup sleeps against the side wall and the ears are compromised by it's position or are you saying when it stands or sits it's head hits the top?

My guy is getting big, I have two large crates, but his head will certainly hit the top when he is an adult. I mentioned this to a few people in the dog business and they both said crates are for lying down, eventually the dog will not try to sit. Standing has a lower height and should be fine for getting in and out.

I would be curious to hear what other think or use. Do you have a monster sized crate for your adult GSD? My crates are already eye sores in my family room and bedroom. Really don't want to put an airline type crate in there.


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## JulBoh (Jun 11, 2019)

Smaller crate is a plastic kennel and is much narrower than metal, downstairs crate. So, when she lays in the kennel, her ears get smashed on the side. Height of both is about the same.


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## T'Challa! (Dec 4, 2019)

JulBoh said:


> Smaller crate is a plastic kennel and is much narrower than metal, downstairs crate. So, when she lays in the kennel, her ears get smashed on the side. Height of both is about the same.


My boys ears didn't start going up until about 6 months and even then they were only up when he was excited, after 8 months they were up fulltime, but we did have a day I came home from work a couple months ago and one ear was down not sagging but flopped down I didn't understand! The next day it was up again and never went back down lol so weird! I think its just thing that happens sometimes


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## JulBoh (Jun 11, 2019)

Funny it lasted a few days - ordered another wire crate and it hasn’t happened since! (Crate still in box but will use eventually.) Figures.


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