# Any hope for a 15 month old with one floppy ear?



## Blue2009

Hi all-I'm new to to Germanshepherds.com and thought I would see what other owners thought of the problem we're facing with our sweet, loveable Blue. Blue is a 15 month old male German Shepherd with one floppy ear. This ear has been up and down since about he was about four months old....so sometimes it stands but mostly it is down. We've tried the tee-pee gluing method, the spongeroller gluing method, the earform method. We've given him gelatin, yogart, we feed him Blue Buffalo Dogfood. He's gone through chew bones, chew toys, we've taken him to interesting places to activate the muscles in his ears and stimulate them to stand up (we live near the beach and he loves looking at seagulls and jumping in the water!) He's gone to doggy day care on a regular basis to have fun with other dogs and we only put him in his crate for short periods of time since I work out of my home. In other words--we've tried just about every recommended thing! So I'm wondering if anybody else out there has had the same problem and if their dog had their ears come up after turning a year old. The weird thing is that lately, his ears come up more often than they used to and stay up for longer periods of time. Are we just dreaming that his ears will ever come up and stay up?


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## Shadow's mum

Check out Shadow's pic's She is 15 months old to now. Her ears have been up and down like your boys, and as you say more recently up more often. Mostly though they are down (sort of a comb over lol)
Shadow's seam to be up more when she is being really alert, which probably explains why they are up more often now, she's maturing and showing a different interest in her surroundings.
I'm not holding my breath now for permanently up ears.


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## missmychance

Does it really matter? I think its cute and unique. Frodo's dad had one floppy ear.


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## Blue2009

Thanks for the response--Both of your dogs are gorgeous! It's funny that Shadow seems to be doing the same thing as Blue! And it doesn't matter to us if Blue's ear never comes up- we adore him regardless and he is the goofiest dog ever so the floppy ear does fit him....my husband says it makes him easy to pick out in a crowd! But one does hope for a german shepherd with two erect ears since that is how a german shepherd it supposed to look! I'll keep hoping and wishing---his mother had one ear that kind of listed to the side--not down all the way but not completely up all the way either. His father had perfect ears--smaller and stronger.


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## missmychance

The last time I spoke with the couple that we got Frodo from, they said his sister has a floppy ear. Sometimes its up for days at a time, other days its down. Oh well, maybe someday, it'll come up. He's cute regardless.


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## Elaine

At this age, your dog's ears are what they are and they aren't going to change.


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## krystyne73

Welcome!!

My vet had said giving them calcium supplements can help (don't know if it is true), and constantly making sounds to perk them up will help strengthen the ear. My pups ears were up right away though.
I understand, I really like the prick, erect ears for the breed.


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## bianca

I also have a 15 month old who has floppy ears! Occasionaly one or very rarely both will stand. I have tried different things too. My pups litter has 3 from 9 who have soft ears so it is what it is for me  But I do secretly wish they were 'how they are meant to be'...sorry Molly Moo!


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## valreegrl

I heard an "old wives tale" and maybe someone else can confirm its validity or not, that massage will help pull blood to the ear thus helping stay erect. 

From what I remember, you massage from the base of the head to the tip of the ear, in an upward motion.


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## Blue2009

Great advice about messaging the ears- although at this point I believe nothing we do will make a difference. I've heard of german shepherds with floppy ears who had their ears come up around the two year mark but I wanted to see if anyone had actually had that happen with their dog or is it just one of those things people say to make you feel better about your dog's floppy ear! I'm afraid this ear is what it is- oh well- love Blue anyway!


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## liv

My 16 month old has a floppy ear too! He was returned to his breeder at 10 months, and she started taping them then. I continued when we got him at 12 months, but I think we're going to call it quits - it kind of suits his goofy personality and he is starting to get irritated by it. I do think if the original owners had started earlier it would have gone up, but the crease goes across the ear (like a lab) and his ears are so big and heavy that I think we missed that boat.


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## Blue2009

*Floppy ear*

Blue has a slight crease too--and we've been gluing since he was about 6 months old (off and on) We have already reached that point where we think it's pointless to try and get it to come up now--it either will or it won't....I just wonder if anyone else has had a floppy ear come up on it's own at such a late age  Your puppy looks so cute in that picture too!


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## Piper

Ours is just shy of 13 months and her right ear is floppy, with a crease in it too. We are trying the breathe right strips and it appears the ear stands up when we take it out for a while...who knows.


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## gmanshepherd

I have a 14 month old with one ear standing a bit and other is fully down. but love him anyway!


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## VanBuren shepherds

I taped and glued my girls for months. One ear up one ear down. Turns out the cartilage is actually tore at the inside base of the ear where it connects to the skull. I can actually put my finger under the cartilage and feel the tear. Don't know how or when it occurred, but she's still the best GSD I've ever owned.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Jlmaiorana

*Massaging ears*

My trainer warned me not to massage my girls ears at the base. She said the ears will not stand up if we massage the ears.


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## myanezt

Hello,

This post is from 2011, have the Blue's are going up?

I have the same situation, my black german shepperd ear sometimes up, sometimes down..... on the morning always up

Regards


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