# No Hope?



## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

My pup is about eleven weeks old and I took her to the vet today to get her second round of shots. The vet I saw told me there was zero hope of her ears coming up. He said they were too "heavy" and if they hadn't come up by now, they weren't coming up at all. Now, I've read all over the place that they can come up as late as 6 months, but when I told him this, he got snappy and told me that he sees dogs all the time and sees them day in and day out, so he knows what he's talking about. It's not that big of a deal if they don't come up, but I was sort of looking forward to seeing them up! (Granted, I don't know how much GSD is in her). A few days ago, she got up from a nap and had one ear up for about ten minutes, then if flopped back down. It's done that a few times today after she was running for a bit, but it always flops back down.

BAsically, I want to know if the vet doesn't know what he's talking about, or is it hopeless? Latest picture of her for reference:


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

lol your vet is wrong! Lots of ears come up late! Yes, it looks like the ears are heavy - but does not mean they won't come up....posting them would help definitely, Also give her beef leg bones/marrow bones to work on to exercise the facial muscles, and think about posting them

there are ALOT of posts about ears on the board.

Lee


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

What age should I post the ears?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The puppy in the middle is Bear at ten weeks:









Same pups a few weeks later,Bear on the left:









Same pups even later:









Here are pictures of pups at 13 weeks:









I do not think those ears need to be up yet. I agree with giving her plenty of raw meaty bones, and they are likely to be just fine. ASK your breeder if you should do anything.


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

No breeder  I found her in a dumpster whining , so I don't know anything about her parentage. 

Thanks for the pictures though, it makes me feel a bit better. I shall get some bones for her to chew on.


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## Tihannah (Dec 27, 2009)

My pups were 16-18 wks before there ears came up. And I've heard of many coming up long after that. If she's already showing signs of them coming up briefly then you should have high hopes of them eventually standing up permanently! My male didnt start showing signs of them popping up until around 15 wks!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Well, she is cute as anything. I would not give up on those ears. Give it another month anyway, even two, and then go through the process that is described better than I can with some molefoam inserts, and glue. But I think it may not be necessary. Good nutrition will help. They go up and down while teething. 

Thanks for rescuing her.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

The pup looks pure breed to me and looks like a great looking dog.

How do you know how old it is if you found it in a dumpster? This same vet telling you the age?

Find another vet, your vet is hopeless not the dog. My pup is 16 weeks, one ear is up other is down, than up, than floppy, than down, than up. At 11 weeks they were barely up. i never considered doing anything to them at 11 weeks.

Heavy ear, lmao.

Seriously he told you that, wow.

What is a heavy ear and how is that determined? Id like to see that in the vet journal of medicine. Maybe a long stock coat has some extra hair like mine on the ears, doesnt add much weight. 

No offense your vet sounds like an arrogant person who is clueless. Thats a polite way of putting it.


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

kr16 said:


> The pup looks pure breed to me and looks like a great looking dog.
> 
> How do you know how old it is if you found it in a dumpster? This same vet telling you the age?
> 
> ...


It was a different vet that estimated her age for me about a month ago (she said she looked between 6-8 weeks old, so I just estimated her to be about seven at the time, which would make her eleven weeks atm, but I'm not sure). The other vet was much nicer and I don't like the vet either. That's why I figured I'd ask. When she was getting her shots, the vet told me to hold her so she wouldn't move and I was trying to get her to lay down and hold her, but he got mad because she kept squirming. He snapped at me and told me "it's not rocket science, just hold her head" when I was just trying to make it easier on him. He was definitely a jerk.


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## idahospud49 (Jan 28, 2011)

She's adorable! I'd definitely say your vet is crazy. If he thinks her ears are heavy what would he think of








that was at 8 weeks old. 









Today at 5 1/2 months. I think they have stood up pretty nicely!


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

k_sep said:


> My pup is about eleven weeks old and I took her to the vet today to get her second round of shots. The vet I saw told me there was zero hope of her ears coming up. He said they were too "heavy" and if they hadn't come up by now, they weren't coming up at all. Now, I've read all over the place that they can come up as late as 6 months, but when I told him this, he got snappy and told me that he sees dogs all the time and sees them day in and day out, so he knows what he's talking about.


Wow. Um, no - he doesn't know what he's talking about. LOTS of pups don't have their ears up at 11 weeks old, that's still a baby! Now if she is mixed with something else, a breed that does not have erect ears like GSDs, then it's possible they may not come up without some help. But at this point it's really too soon to be worrying about it.


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## koda00 (Apr 27, 2009)

I heard marrow bones give them diarreah (sp), i know for sure knuckle bones dont. Thats what i give mine. Also try yogurt and cottage cheese in their meals about 1tbsp of each.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

a "heavy" ear is a common term - it is thicker at the base, and takes longer to stand....but many many showline dogs have big, thick, heavy ears and they stand, some take some help...but they stand....

raw bones exercise the face muscles, cottage cheese in the food gives some extra calcium....

Lee


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

I agree with everyone else the vet doesn't know what he's talking about.
Frank's ears felt 3 times as thick as my other dogs ears when I brought him home at 9 weeks, I just didn't see how they would ever stand straight up, I have friends who have dobie's and they said they would help me brace them and show me how, but I decided to let them do what they were going to do and by 4 months he had the straightest ears I've ever seen all on their own, they went up in about 24 hours and have never come back down. 
With your pup it may depend on what dog breeds are in him as to wether his ears stand, either way very cute pup, I would of brought him home too.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

Any vet who would speak to me that way would be fired! He is downright rude to say the rocket science comment. Definitely get a new vet.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My GSD's ears didn't stand till he was 9 months old. He is a long hair and he has 'soft' heavy ears. He is very expressive with his ears. I can tell his mood by his ears. He never went through the t-pee ear stage or most of the stages you read about. His too would stand for a few minutes (and I'd run to get the camera) and then flop again. 

I tried all of the ways I've read about to help them stand and it would work for a couple of days but then they'd fall out or cause irritations so I decided for his sake I'd leave it be. I was suprised that they finally stood after nine months. 

They are still soft ears and not the tight erect ears you see in most of the GSD pictures you find. 

His breeder has had three litters between the same parents as my GSD. No other puppy has had any significant problems with ears standing, nor have they had another long haired GSD puppy.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

k_sep said:


> No breeder  I found her in a dumpster whining , so I don't know anything about her parentage.
> 
> Thanks for the pictures though, it makes me feel a bit better. I shall get some bones for her to chew on.


Thank you for rescuing her! I hope you wrote down the exact words of the vet so he can eat them when her ears come up


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

Oh my gosh, what a cutie!! Thanks for rescuing this baby!! How can anybody dump dogs is beyond me. 

Anyway, your Vet is wrong. My Odin is from West German showline- his ears went up at 10 weeks, they came up in 3 days. Follow the cottage cheese/yogurt/knuckle bone advise and your pup should be fine. 

Odin's ears at 10 weeks

March 11th









March 12th









March 13th









Now at 6 months old









I would change Vets if I were you.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

k_sep said:


> It was a different vet that estimated her age for me about a month ago (she said she looked between 6-8 weeks old, so I just estimated her to be about seven at the time, which would make her eleven weeks atm, but I'm not sure). The other vet was much nicer and I don't like the vet either. That's why I figured I'd ask. When she was getting her shots, the vet told me to hold her so she wouldn't move and I was trying to get her to lay down and hold her, but he got mad because she kept squirming. He snapped at me and told me "it's not rocket science, just hold her head" when I was just trying to make it easier on him. He was definitely a jerk.


Vet sounds like a jerk and ignorant. Vets shouldnt ask you to hold your dog down unless they know you or as in my case he is my good friend. So its a possibility the pups only 9 weeks also. I wouldnt worry about this at all. Anyone can guess and make assumption and they don't even have to go to vet or medical school for that. 

Ask your vet what vet school he went, that will piss him off.


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## s14roller (Nov 18, 2010)

LOL...11 weeks??? Like everyone is saying, that's just a baby. 

Mine didn't go up until 3-4 months and was fully up at 5 months...but there are some that go up earlier and some later.

As others have said, give the dog stuff to chew on (mine liked bully sticks which you can buy from bestbullysticks.com and recommended by other GSD owners). Also, keep the dog engaged...I don't know if there is correlation, but I was talking to her and training her from the start, and I think they try to perk their ears to listen and understand.


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

Just a random question, but do her ears look a little small?


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## Draugr (Jul 8, 2011)

At 11 weeks? Good lord, Jake's weren't even halfway up until around 4.5 months.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

My pup is 14 weeks old and her one ear isn't up all the way yet either. No worries though, I actually hope it stays wonky for a while longer...lol.


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## k_sep (Jun 21, 2011)

Her right ear has been standing then falling all day. I'll be doing the dishes, then she'll follow me and all of a sudden it'll stand up and I'll start spazzing out, then she gets excited and starts barking/jumping around with me. I think my puppy thinks I have gone mad, but then after a bit, it'll fall down again. It was up for a few hours this morning, then it fell after our walk. I never thought a dog's ears would get me all excited, but she's so cute with her lil wonky ears!

And Elizabeth, I don't blame you. Her wonky ears are super adorable. One of my friends owns a GSD that's 2 years old now and the left ear has the ear do a little droop. I know most people want the straight ears up, but it's adorable and really memorable with the little "flaw".


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