# German Shepherd X Rottweiler



## jomaperez (May 29, 2014)

Hi everyone, 

So I have a 7 month old german shepherd x rottweiler mix. He is completely done teething and on Monday I taped his ears. I used the pipe insulation and surgical tape method. 

As a puppy and even now before I taped his hears, his ears would occasionally go up when startled, playing, or when he's being attentive. I have worries that it may not go up because he's not full german shepherd. Even though everything about him is basically german shepherd except his short-medium coat and markings. 

This is my first time taping dog ears so tell me what you guys think.


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## Athena'sMom (Jan 9, 2014)

Rottweilers have very different ears than shepherds. My rottweiler growing up cartilage was very dense. Even though your gorgeous boy is half shepherd it my be just to thick and heavy to stand erect. His ear shape favors the shepherd but how dense is the cartilage. Good luck but my guess is they will remain down. Very adorable puppy!!


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

What a handsome boy

Athena'sMom beat me to it. I think this boys ears may remain down - they were never going to stand because he is mixed with rottie who has a completely different ear set.

It certainly can't hurt (I don't think?) to tape his ears and see. Good luck.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I'm with the others... if the Rottie is winning out with his ears, they won't stand up no matter how long you tape them. 

He's a gorgeous dog with his ears down, just a different look.










His left ear in particular, if it's still folding down at the base (not near the tip) isn't looking like it's 'almost' standing which is when the taping works.


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## mauser1 (Feb 24, 2015)

Are you absolutely sure he's a rottweiler mix? His head structure and body frame don't seem rottweiler at all; they're so much more "boxy" than a gsd. He could just take more after his shepherd genes, but I was just curious.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Please leave his ears alone! They are not supposed to go up and he is just gorgeous as is. 

My favorite foster was a rottie x gsd. His ears were exactly like your boy's ears.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

If you want a German Shepherd, you should have gotten a German Shepherd. Please leave his ears alone as they will never stand. You cannot turn a mix into a purebred. He is a gorgeous dog and he should be loved for who he is and for his looks.


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## mauser1 (Feb 24, 2015)

This post was originally from last May and so the taping was already done and past. I only commented on this older post to see if the owner was sure about the rott part, because I've had so many random people think that a blanket black and tan shepherd puppy is a rott just because of the colors ?

But I am curious if those of you that we're strictly against even trying to tape the ears, would you have said the same if you hadn't been told it was a mixed pup?

Also, realize that mostt dogs that are mixed aren't like a purebred with another purebred, to get a dog that is 50% one thing and 50% another. I've seen plenty of lab/shepherd or rott/shepherd mixes whose ears went up, and plenty whose dont. 
So if the pup was purebred and had a chance of ears going up, and taping/gluing did no harm, basically everyone on here would say to do it. If a pup is a mix and it has a chance of its ears going up and you help by taping, why are people suddenly more offended? You act like it does harm to a mix pup but not to a purebred. If they aren't going to go up, then they won't go up. The only harm done is maybe a waste of the owners time, and some annoyance to the pup (depending on the method used).


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

wolfy dog said:


> If you want a German Shepherd, you should have gotten a German Shepherd. Please leave his ears alone as they will never stand. You cannot turn a mix into a purebred. He is a gorgeous dog and he should be loved for who he is and for his looks.


I don't understand why taping the ears equates to not loving the mixed dog/wanting a purebred? This seems to come up any time there is a taping thread, sometimes even with purebreds (love him how he is, etc. even though in PBs it is a legitimate fault and the owner thusly expected erect ears) I also don't think he's trying to turn him into a purebred, he's trying to accentuate an aspect of his mixed heritage.

The OP could love his dog bunches regardless of floppy or erect ears and just have a preference for the pricked look if it's attainable. I think the pup is gorgeous as is and like his floppies. He's not my dog though. While I agree it is unlikely his ears will stand with rottie in him if that's the mix, the one ear does look a bit stiff so who knows?

I understand people's issues with ear taping/cropping/cosmetic changes to animals. I agree and disagree with different parts of it and support everyone's right to have their own view on the matter. But it bothers me when it seems almost implied a person doesn't love their dog just becuase they want to fiddle with their ears. Heck, I don't like my nose some days of the week! Some people get nose jobs, I don't think it means they don't love themselves.

I mean no disrespect at all, but for me, this comment reads like 'if you wanted a REAL GSD you should have adopted one instead of a mutt, shame. Now you want to prop the ears and try to get a REAL GSD? Too bad.' I sincerely don't mean this as a personal attack. On the Internet our words so often take on their own meaning to whoever reads them. I just feel for me, saying if you wanted a GSD you should have gotten one is a tad harsh. He brought a wonderful mixed pup into his home, knows he has GSD in him and GSD have erect ears, he wants to try and see if they'll prop up. Seems very innocent to me.


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## Big Brown Eyes (Jan 11, 2015)

Persinette said:


> I don't understand why taping the ears equates to not loving the mixed dog/wanting a purebred?


Good point.

Being owners you and I have the last word when it comes to deciding what happens with our property, our dogs. 

And if an action doesn't hurt or is illegal, you are at complete freedom to perform it on your animal.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Big Brown Eyes said:


> Good point.
> 
> Being owners you and I have the last word when it comes to deciding what happens with our property, our dogs.
> 
> And if an action doesn't hurt or is illegal, you are at complete freedom to perform it on your animal.


I agree. My post just voiced my opinion, nothing more than that.


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## supergsd (Feb 18, 2015)

I am guessing since the OP never came back that the ear taping didn't work and wont stand.


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## mauser1 (Feb 24, 2015)

OP may have just stopped using the forums. I am still curious about whether they KNOW it's a rott mix, since they assumed the coloring was not gsd. I just don't think it looks like it has any rottweiler features.


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## clnorris (Jun 9, 2015)

mauser1 - I have a legit Rottie Shep mix myself (3 months and absolutely adorable) and she looks incredibly similar to OP's. I believe it! Look the mix up and you'll find most Rottie Shep's don't look much like a Rottie at all.


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