# Purebred or mixed?



## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.















this third picture is his litter brother with his ears up








and Here are the parents


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

German shepherds aren’t born with erect ears. It takes months for some dog’s ears to go up. That doesn’t make them mixed. Your puppy is way too young to be so worried about the ears, especially if it’s for some odd reason making you think he’s a mix. He’s a purebred with ears that haven’t gone up yet. That’s it.


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

Since this is bothering you so much, as you have other threads obsessing about those ears, my advice would be to return the pup and find another whose ears are already, very likely just temporarily, standing.

This pup has to know that you are unhappy with him and that is completely unfair to him.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but you obviously are disappointed in your puppy and he has to know that.

Let him go to someone who will love him unconditionally, no matter what his ears do, the way he wants to love you.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Pawsed said:


> Since this is bothering you so much, as you have other threads obsessing about those ears, my advice would be to return the pup and find another whose ears are already, very likely just temporarily, standing.
> 
> This pup has to know that you are unhappy with him and that is completely unfair to him.
> 
> ...


I’m not getting rid of a pup for his ears. I just want to make sure I didn’t damage his ears in some way or was offered a fake purebred.


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## Pawsed (May 24, 2014)

Do a DNA test if you don't trust the breeder. I'm sure you haven't damaged the ears. As we keep telling you, they will stand when they are ready. But, like everything else in life, there are no guarantees.


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## Catrinka (Aug 6, 2020)

AceOfSpadez said:


> I’m not getting rid of a pup for his ears. I just want to make sure I didn’t damage his ears in some way or was offered a fake purebred.


You'll be getting the DNA results in a couple weeks, right? It'll be interesting to see what that says.

In the meantime, enjoy your cute pup and keep the pics coming! You've already decided that you're keeping him even if ears don't come up, so what are your plans if the DNA shows that's he's not purebred? If you paid significant money for a pedigree that is false, will you contact the breeder?


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

AceOfSpadez said:


> I’m not getting rid of a pup for his ears. I just want to make sure I didn’t damage his ears in some way or was offered a fake purebred.


If you’re worried about damaging the ears, do not tape them at any point. Just let them naturally do whatever they’re going to do, including being floppy if that’s what his genetics dictate.


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## UnlimitedGSD (Oct 16, 2012)

dogs are not purebred because they "look" purebred.... they are purebred if they are actually a purebred dog. If someone wants a purebred, they need to go to a breeder who breeds registered purebred dogs. The dog IMO looks like a mix. A DNA test will only tell you what is in the first 3 generations - doesn't mean there isn't something else mixed it farther back.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

UnlimitedGSD said:


> dogs are not purebred because they "look" purebred.... they are purebred if they are actually a purebred dog. If someone wants a purebred, they need to go to a breeder who breeds registered purebred dogs. The dog IMO looks like a mix. A DNA test will only tell you what is in the first 3 generations - doesn't mean there isn't something else mixed it farther back.


Well they’re registered and papered with a pedigree. What makes you think that they’re mixed?
Here’s the pedigree of each parent


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## UnlimitedGSD (Oct 16, 2012)

"What makes you think that they’re mixed?"
because it's the actual name of the post?


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

UnlimitedGSD said:


> "What makes you think that they’re mixed?"
> because it's the actual name of the post?


agreed.

OP, you have the registration papers / pedigree, you’ve seen the parents, and looking at any thread in this section will tell you that GSD puppies ears typically go up between 6 weeks and 6 months - sometimes even later. there’s also a poster that shared that they have a purebred adult with soft ears. but clearly you still have some doubts. so if you’re saying that there IS a reason to doubt, and you asked me if the pup looks like a mix... i’d say yes. that doesn’t mean that he is. if you stated that you were certain the dog was purebred and asked if it’s ears were going to stand... i’d believe it was a purebred pup that will likely have soft ears. again, that doesn’t mean that’s the case.

members that purchase their dogs from reputable sources, and breeders they trust.... don’t have these doubts or ask these questions.

so just as it’s possible for a breeder to lie or for a litter to have multiple sires..... it’s also possible for a purebred to have soft ears or be late bloomers.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

UnlimitedGSD said:


> "What makes you think that they’re mixed?"
> because it's the actual name of the post?


That’s my opinion, I’m asking what characteristic makes you think they’re mixed.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Fodder said:


> agreed.
> 
> OP, you have the registration papers / pedigree, you’ve seen the parents, and looking at any thread in this section will tell you that GSD puppies ears typically go up between 6 weeks and 6 months - sometimes even later. there’s also a poster that shared that they have a purebred adult with soft ears. but clearly you still have some doubts. so if you’re saying that there IS a reason to doubt, and you asked me if the pup looks like a mix... i’d say yes. that doesn’t mean that he is. if you stated that you were certain the dog was purebred and asked if it’s ears were going to stand... i’d believe it was a purebred pup that will likely have soft ears. again, that doesn’t mean that’s the case.
> 
> ...


I understand that, I just wanna know your opinion if you think he’s mixed based off of appearance.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

AceOfSpadez said:


> I understand that, I just wanna know your opinion if you think he’s mixed based off of appearance.


based on appearance, if i saw your puppy on the street, yes i’d say he’s mixed due to the size and shape of his ears. if you then pulled out his papers, photos of the parents and said you were certain he’s purebred - i’d believe you and assume he’s going to have soft ears.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Fodder said:


> based on appearance, if i saw your puppy on the street, yes i’d say he’s mixed due to the size and shape of his ears. if you then pulled out his papers, photos of the parents and said you were certain he’s purebred - i’d believe you and assume he’s going to have soft ears.


By size do you mean the ear flap or the ear length. Because in the picture I just think his ears weren’t positioned correctly due to the largeness. This is what I mean








This one turned into this now


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

...but for what it’s worth, this is my GSD mix (only 50%). so just as Unlimited said - appearance doesn’t make a dog purebred or not.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Fodder said:


> ...but for what it’s worth, this is my GSD mix (50%). so just as Unlimited said - appearance doesn’t make a dog purebred or not.
> View attachment 570106


But don’t you think that he would have other “mixed” features on his body or face besides the ears? If he was mixed?


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

To me, he looks like a poorly bred, pet-bred pure GSD. His ears are too wide and large, but you can easily get that out of poor quality parents. If you told me he was a lab mix (or something else) I’d probably believe you too. But since you have a pedigree and have seen the parents, I’d be inclined to believe he’s purebred and just a poor representation.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

What Pytheis said!


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Pytheis said:


> To me, he looks like a poorly bred, pet-bred pure GSD. His ears are too wide and large, but you can easily get that out of poor quality parents. If you told me he was a lab mix (or something else) I’d probably believe you too. But since you have a pedigree and have seen the parents, I’d be inclined to believe he’s purebred and just a poor representation.


I understand what you’re saying about too wide ears but do you think they could’ve just looked like that due to no cartilage? He now has some cartilage to where the back part folded inwards so it doesn’t seem as so large


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## mnm (Jan 9, 2006)

Looking at the pedigree's, I can say, if those are the parents, then you have a purebred, but not well bred pup.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

mnm said:


> Lokoing at the pedigree's, I can say, if those are the parents, then you have a purebred, but not well bred pup.


I do believe the pedigree is legit due to the colors being the exact same as they are in real life and the other records having the same name. Also using the owners name on the dogs name.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

mnm said:


> Lokoing at the pedigree's, I can say, if those are the parents, then you have a purebred, but not well bred pup.


Can a mixed breed dog be registered on the pedigree?


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

AceOfSpadez said:


> I do believe the pedigree is legit due to the colors being the exact same as they are in real life and the other records having the same name. Also using the owners name on the dogs name.


then you have your answer.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Can a mixed breed dog be registered on the pedigree?


Absolutely NOT! 
However, what CAN happen if the breeder isn't careful, another dog can breed with the female, and the litter will have 2 sires. If the owner isn't aware that a second dog added his genes to the mix, they may register all the pups as being purebred.

In most cases, the appearance of the pups will make it obvious that the father wasn't a GSD, but as a poster said on the previous page, sometimes it's hard to tell.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Based on looks, I'd say young GSD (and cute! but all puppies are cute even if I'm tempted to say one isn't) I'd suggest that the OP go spend more time messing with his puppy and a little less messing with the computer....


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Sunsilver said:


> Absolutely NOT!
> However, what CAN happen if the breeder isn't careful, another dog can breed with the female, and the litter will have 2 sires. If the owner isn't aware that a second dog added his genes to the mix, they may register all the pups as being purebred.
> 
> In most cases, the appearance of the pups will make it obvious that the father wasn't a GSD, but as a poster said on the previous page, sometimes it's hard to tell.


Well they didn’t have any other dogs at their place besides the parents, so it’s either full on fraud or just a German shepherd with floppy ears, or just a late bloomer with oddly big ears.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

middleofnowhere said:


> Based on looks, I'd say young GSD (and cute! but all puppies are cute even if I'm tempted to say one isn't) I'd suggest that the OP go spend more time messing with his puppy and a little less messing with the computer....


Wdym messing with the computer? I give my dogs plenty of attention.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

You are on here debating the merits of your pup based on his ears. Go play with your pup!


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## EgansMom (Apr 18, 2020)

I don't know about his ears but what I did notice is in the first pic he looks...apprehensive
In the second pic he looks...worried
He seems like a sweet fellow who (especially if not well bred) could benefit enormously from some fun and confidence building activities and outings with you.
My second boy had huge ears that did all sorts of wonky things and didn't fully come up till 6mos or maybe even later. 
I agree with others that if you are unable to fully love him as he is then he may do better in another home. If he has weaker genetics he will need a leader who takes an attitude of "you got this buddy - I have faith in you".


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

middleofnowhere said:


> You are on here debating the merits of your pup based on his ears. Go play with your pup!


I play with my pup 24/7. I love him. Just because I love him doesn’t mean I can’t worry about stuff.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

EgansMom said:


> I don't know about his ears but what I did notice is in the first pic he looks...apprehensive
> In the second pic he looks...worried
> He seems like a sweet fellow who (especially if not well bred) could benefit enormously from some fun and confidence building activities and outings with you.
> My second boy had huge ears that did all sorts of wonky things and didn't fully come up till 6mos or maybe even later.
> I agree with others that if you are unable to fully love him as he is then he may do better in another home. If he has weaker genetics he will need a leader who takes an attitude of "you got this buddy - I have faith in you".


Idk how he looks apprehensive or worried. The first pic was right before he took a nap and the second one was right after I got home from work and he was sleeping. I love him either way, just because I worry doesn’t mean I don’t love him. he definitely isn’t scared of me, he loves me to death.


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## pfeller (Sep 10, 2019)

I understand you concern. I too had that same concern with my baby moose Buddy, when he was a wee laddy.
The ears of a Shepherd are wondrous to behold. The upright ears are totally expected.

But alas, sometimes it just isn't meant to be.

Sometimes I'll get one ear standing up for a minute, then it flops back down. He is over 2yrs now, there is no hope for upright ears. But he is the most wonderful dog. Goofy, derpy, and pure GSD. We 'rescued' him from someone selling GSD puppies from a box outside the mall. Guy said he was pure GSD, but as the ears never stood up and he is way larger than breed standard, I truly thought he may be mixed. Maybe a bit of Dane, or some other equally large dog (he is nearly the size of a great dane) We got a DNA test done. Says 100% GSD (back three/four generations)
Funny thing is we have two other dogs. Both are mixes. Both of them have awesome upright ears.

behold, my beautiful baby moose Buddy.


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## pfeller (Sep 10, 2019)

Our pack for reference. This is an older pic, the pitty has passed on since this was taken.


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## markoff (Nov 20, 2020)

pfeller said:


> Our pack for reference. This is an older pic, the pitty has passed on since this was taken.
> View attachment 570168


What a beautiful pack! 😍


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

He might just be a late bloomer in the ear department so at this point I wouldn't give it too much thought. They do look "soft" but also large...might take awhile for him to hold them up. 

On the other hand (and it's a long shot) have you had him to the vet yet and did they look inside his ears? Dogs with ear infections or mites often hold them down or off to the side.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Whiteshepherds said:


> He might just be a late bloomer in the ear department so at this point I wouldn't give it too much thought. They do look "soft" but also large...might take awhile for him to hold them up.
> 
> On the other hand (and it's a long shot) have you had him to the vet yet and did they look inside his ears? Dogs with ear infections or mites often hold them down or off to the side.


I didn’t have his ears deeply looked at, but I did mention them. He said it might just be a late blooming due to size. I’ll probably have his ears checked next time I go. He hasn’t had any symptoms of an ear infection.


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## Harris Hill GSD Farm (Nov 9, 2020)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.
> View attachment 570072
> View attachment 570073
> 
> ...


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## Wirelesslee33 (Jun 8, 2020)

All GSD pups are different as indicated by other posts. It’s also been my experience that sometimes they come up and the tips will flop over again slightly on one or both ears. They did come back up all the way. Just make sure your kind and love your pup no matter what.


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## Dr Rob (May 30, 2020)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.
> View attachment 570072
> View attachment 570073
> 
> ...


I have a 9 month old . Her ear did not stand untill 6 months . Do not fret. They will stand. Calcium is a key. They are Developing their molars and other teeth and that takes high priority for the calcium in those. I assure you her ears will stand


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## Dr Rob (May 30, 2020)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.
> View attachment 570072
> View attachment 570073
> 
> ...


I am not a vet but I am a MD. I have 2 PhDs I have my BS and MS. In. Nutrition your dogs eats will stand !!!


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## Wirelesslee33 (Jun 8, 2020)

pfeller said:


> I understand you concern. I too had that same concern with my baby moose Buddy, when he was a wee laddy.
> The ears of a Shepherd are wondrous to behold. The upright ears are totally expected.
> 
> But alas, sometimes it just isn't meant to be.
> ...


Very handsome boy!!


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## Wirelesslee33 (Jun 8, 2020)

pfeller said:


> Our pack for reference. This is an older pic, the pitty has passed on since this was taken.
> View attachment 570168


Very nice looking pack and sorry to hear about your pitty!!


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## SulcoPete (Sep 10, 2020)

My girls ears didn't stand up until about 4 months


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## Willow81 (Aug 16, 2019)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.
> View attachment 570072
> View attachment 570073
> 
> ...


He looks perfect to me. Dogmeat had big silly ears for a long time and now they stand perfectly tall. Nutrients plays a big part in it. Top quality food and lots of different types of chew toys. If he happens to end up with floppy ears I'd be happy to take him ☺ I'm a huge fan of floppy ear look.


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## Wirelesslee33 (Jun 8, 2020)

pfeller said:


> I understand you concern. I too had that same concern with my baby moose Buddy, when he was a wee laddy.
> The ears of a Shepherd are wondrous to behold. The upright ears are totally expected.
> 
> But alas, sometimes it just isn't meant to be.
> ...


My girl is 95 lbs so she too is way over standard but she plays like a puppy, loves balls, loves the pool, and is silly. Much loved too!


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## Puppy grandma (Nov 3, 2020)

AceOfSpadez said:


> I understand that, I just wanna know your opinion if you think he’s mixed based off of appearance.


She looks precious!!! Those eyes and look make up for floppy ears. Too soon and no guarantee on ears. Signature mole? I could not see in picture. Any particular reason you need pure breed? Possibly you want what you paid for?
Lovely dogs and may have less medical issues if another stronger breed snuck in. Enjoy above all no matter what.


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## CEMC (May 2, 2020)

AceOfSpadez said:


> I’m not getting rid of a pup for his ears. I just want to make sure I didn’t damage his ears in some way or was offered a fake purebred.


Good for you! I realize that nobody likes to be misled but more than likely he's a regular German Shepherd that isn't "show quality" and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Here's my cents worth; There's a heck of a lot more to a working dog and loyal companion than upright ears and this little fellow may turn out to be better than you ever expected. A dog should not be labeled as "poorly bred" because his ears don't meet the standard. Don't listen to people that say things like that.
The best dog I ever had was a Doberman that was a far cry from being a champion show dog. But he was an incredible example of loyalty, obedience & courage. He is no longer with me but I think about him nearly every day. He has never been topped by any dog Ive ever known since or before and in spite of not being up to "show quality" standards many people that met him & saw him in action came to me requesting permission to breed him to their highly prized Dobie dams. He sired some of the most incredible dogs ever. 
Give your dog the love, attention and training he deserves & look into his heart, brain and attitude. Forget his ears and what some people say about them..
.


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## EgansMom (Apr 18, 2020)

I had assumed the "poorly bred" comment another member had made was referring to his pedigree not his ears ?


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

CEMC said:


> Good for you! I realize that nobody likes to be misled but more than likely he's a regular German Shepherd that isn't "show quality" and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Here's my cents worth; There's a heck of a lot more to a working dog and loyal companion than upright ears and this little fellow may turn out to be better than you ever expected. A dog should not be labeled as "poorly bred" because his ears don't meet the standard. Don't listen to people that say things like that.
> The best dog I ever had was a Doberman that was a far cry from being a champion show dog. But he was an incredible example of loyalty, obedience & courage. He is no longer with me but I think about him nearly every day. He has never been topped by any dog Ive ever known since or before and in spite of not being up to "show quality" standards many people that met him & saw him in action came to me requesting permission to breed him to their highly prized Dobie dams. He sired some of the most incredible dogs ever.
> Give your dog the love, attention and training he deserves & look into his heart, brain and attitude. Forget his ears and what some people say about them..
> .


Saying a dog is poorly bred often has little to do with the actual dog itself. Sure, the dog is 99% of the time off from the standard, be it physically or temperamentally, but what I mean by ‘poorly bred’ is a dog that is the result of someone that has zero business breeding and just slaps two dogs with working reproductive organs together to produce puppies with no care on health testing, temperament testing, or finding dogs that are truly worthy of passing on their genes. That’s why people ask why their puppy has hip dysplasia at 5 months old, why their dog is afraid of its own shadow, why their dog is attacking family members, and why their dog doesn’t look like the breed is actually supposed to, including erect ears.

Of course a poorly bred dog can be amazing. A mutt with the worst background can be loyal, smart, thoughtful, all the adjectives. But simply being great doesn’t make a dog well bred.


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## swatmozzy1 (Mar 13, 2019)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.
> View attachment 570072
> View attachment 570073
> 
> ...


I have a now 1 yr old male. When he is ready for play and outside both ears and erect the whole time. Even when chewing bones but it seems when he is more relaxed the one ear goes down. But he has the best temperament out if the 5 GSD I have had in the past. He is over 100 lbs already and sweet heart. Loves people, dogs, very low prey drive. I was thinking of getting a form for the ear but to me that adds to his already amazing personality


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## Pam V (Jan 5, 2020)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.
> View attachment 570072
> View attachment 570073
> 
> ...


I have a good friend who has been breeding GSDs for 40+ years. She's had plenty of floppy eared puppies. She uses a special kind of glue to glue the front inner edges of the ears together to get them to stand up. They may stay like that for many weeks before she dissolves the glue. The GSD I have now is 17 months old and we probably had her ears glued for two months. My friend still has her litter mate - 17 months old - and she still has floppy ears. I think your dog is very cute with floppy ears.


AceOfSpadez said:


> Hello, my “German shepherd puppy” will be 12 weeks old on the 29th. I believe he’s purebred because I have his pedigree and he’s AKC registered, but his ears are floppy. I either believe he’s mixed due to his ears or he just has poor cartilage in his ears. Please let me know y’all’s opinions. I won’t be receiving the DNA results for another 2 weeks. Everyone I talked to said they think he’s purebred, including vets and German shepherd owners.
> View attachment 570072
> View attachment 570073
> 
> ...


I have a good friend who has been breeding GSDs for 40+ years. She has had plenty of floppy eared puppies. When they are young she glues the front inner edges together with a special glue. She will dissolve the glue periodically to check to see if ears are standing up on their own. If not they get reglued. On occasion she has a dog whose ears refuse to stand up. She actually has a 17 month old dog whose ears are still floppy now. But she hasn't given up on her. If they never stand up she may sell the dog as a pet or keep her as a pet because they love her sweet nature. Your dog is quite cute and young enough still to get the ears to stand up if that is important to you.


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## pfeller (Sep 10, 2019)

Wirelesslee33 said:


> My girl is 95 lbs so she too is way over standard but she plays like a puppy, loves balls, loves the pool, and is silly. Much loved too!


she is gorgeous. love the bling.


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## pfeller (Sep 10, 2019)

swatmozzy1 said:


> ...was thinking of getting a form for the ear but to me that adds to his already amazing personality


I love the little bit of flop, it does indeed add a little personality. Handsome boy you got there.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Puppy grandma said:


> She looks precious!!! Those eyes and look make up for floppy ears. Too soon and no guarantee on ears. Signature mole? I could not see in picture. Any particular reason you need pure breed? Possibly you want what you paid for?
> Lovely dogs and may have less medical issues if another stronger breed snuck in. Enjoy above all no matter what.


He does have that signature mole on the right side of his face if that’s what you’re taking about.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

CEMC said:


> Good for you! I realize that nobody likes to be misled but more than likely he's a regular German Shepherd that isn't "show quality" and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Here's my cents worth; There's a heck of a lot more to a working dog and loyal companion than upright ears and this little fellow may turn out to be better than you ever expected. A dog should not be labeled as "poorly bred" because his ears don't meet the standard. Don't listen to people that say things like that.
> The best dog I ever had was a Doberman that was a far cry from being a champion show dog. But he was an incredible example of loyalty, obedience & courage. He is no longer with me but I think about him nearly every day. He has never been topped by any dog Ive ever known since or before and in spite of not being up to "show quality" standards many people that met him & saw him in action came to me requesting permission to breed him to their highly prized Dobie dams. He sired some of the most incredible dogs ever.
> Give your dog the love, attention and training he deserves & look into his heart, brain and attitude. Forget his ears and what some people say about them..
> .


The sire has a pedigree of Schutzhund titles. Apparently it’s some German competition thing or whatever. It’s the only competitive thing I know of his history through blood line.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Pam V said:


> I have a good friend who has been breeding GSDs for 40+ years. She's had plenty of floppy eared puppies. She uses a special kind of glue to glue the front inner edges of the ears together to get them to stand up. They may stay like that for many weeks before she dissolves the glue. The GSD I have now is 17 months old and we probably had her ears glued for two months. My friend still has her litter mate - 17 months old - and she still has floppy ears. I think your dog is very cute with floppy ears.
> 
> I have a good friend who has been breeding GSDs for 40+ years. She has had plenty of floppy eared puppies. When they are young she glues the front inner edges together with a special glue. She will dissolve the glue periodically to check to see if ears are standing up on their own. If not they get reglued. On occasion she has a dog whose ears refuse to stand up. She actually has a 17 month old dog whose ears are still floppy now. But she hasn't given up on her. If they never stand up she may sell the dog as a pet or keep her as a pet because they love her sweet nature. Your dog is quite cute and young enough still to get the ears to stand up if that is important to you.


Your friend should be aware that soft ears are genetic. Dogs with genetically soft ears should not be bred, since it is a fault. A breeder who is gluing or taping ears and then breeding that stock is really unethical.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

pfeller said:


> I understand you concern. I too had that same concern with my baby moose Buddy, when he was a wee laddy.
> The ears of a Shepherd are wondrous to behold. The upright ears are totally expected.
> 
> But alas, sometimes it just isn't meant to be.
> ...


Do you have any pictures of that dog as a pup?


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## pfeller (Sep 10, 2019)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Do you have any pictures of that dog as a pup?


yes, I had to dig a bit, but here he is: first pic is about 9 weeks, second pic is 2 weeks later. and the third is about 5 months. The pic I posted early (with the bow) was last xmas, about 2yrs old.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

pfeller said:


> yes, I had to dig a bit, but here he is: first pic is about 9 weeks, second pic is 2 weeks later. and the third is about 5 months. The pic I posted early (with the bow) was last xmas, about 2yrs old.
> View attachment 570599
> View attachment 570600
> 
> ...


Did you try taping or glue? I feel like his ears could’ve stood with help


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## pfeller (Sep 10, 2019)

AceOfSpadez said:


> Did you try taping or glue? I feel like his ears could’ve stood with help


nah, I didn't try that. I did do a lot of reading up on it. Frankly I didn't want to go through the bother of it all. He is fine the way he is. I get a good chuckle when I see him loping over to me with the ears flopping up and down. On occasion he'll have one or the other ear up for a few, then it flops back down. Like it is too much effort to keep it up. 
I love my big derpy goofball, just the way he is. 
My other two dogs, their ears standup. And they stood up early and easily. I feel Buddy just wasn't meant to have the stand up alert ears. 
Though he looks derpy and all, he still has an impressive size and a deep scary bark. For the most part, people leave me alone when he is with me.  it's nice. And the look on faces when opening the door after all three have been barking, priceless.


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## Mazie (Jun 12, 2020)

Holy smokes people! This person is just asking a legitimate question!! Some of you are all over this person like white on rice! YOU are the exact reason why people like me just lurk. Just because you have experience with dogs or are breeders or let your dogs eat out of the same dinner plate as you and share your bed which I personally find disgusting, doesn’t mean they don’t love their dog or treat them badly. Someone shouldn’t get their hand slapped because they are concerned about their puppy. If I paid a lot of money for ANYTHING and I had concerns you bet I’m gonna throw it out there! Some of your attacks and judgement on this person are completely uncalled for . Shame on you! Get your nose out of the air and BE NICE! These forums should be a place where people feel safe in asking questions. And YOU shouldn’t be slamming newbies just because you think you know everything. Cuz ya don’t.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Mazie said:


> Holy smokes people! This person is just asking a legitimate question!! Some of you are all over this person like white on rice! YOU are the exact reason why people like me just lurk. Just because you have experience with dogs or are breeders or let your dogs eat out of the same dinner plate as you and share your bed which I personally find disgusting, doesn’t mean they don’t love their dog or treat them badly. Someone shouldn’t get their hand slapped because they are concerned about their puppy. If I paid a lot of money for ANYTHING and I had concerns you bet I’m gonna throw it out there! Some of your attacks and judgement on this person are completely uncalled for . Shame on you! Get your nose out of the air and BE NICE! These forums should be a place where people feel safe in asking questions. And YOU shouldn’t be slamming newbies just because you think you know everything. Cuz ya don’t.


It’s okay lol, I don't care what these bums say. They don’t understand that worrying about something you love is natural. I’ve had dogs my whole life. I have plenty of reasons to worry, a dog that has floppy ears with no genetic reason is concerning IMO. I’m not gonna get offended because some loser is trying to make me feel bad over the Internet.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

AKC papers don't mean anything. As long as both owners of bitch and stud (could be the same person) sign that this breeding took place of said dogs, then they will issue papers. In the meantime the neighbor's Lab could have stopped by and bred the dog as well. A litter can have multiple sires. AKC doesn't have any control except if they would require DNA of parent dogs and the pups.
Enjoy your puppy for who he is.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Mazie said:


> Holy smokes people! This person is just asking a legitimate question!! Some of you are all over this person like white on rice! YOU are the exact reason why people like me just lurk. Just because you have experience with dogs or are breeders or let your dogs eat out of the same dinner plate as you and share your bed which I personally find disgusting, doesn’t mean they don’t love their dog or treat them badly. Someone shouldn’t get their hand slapped because they are concerned about their puppy. If I paid a lot of money for ANYTHING and I had concerns you bet I’m gonna throw it out there! Some of your attacks and judgement on this person are completely uncalled for . Shame on you! Get your nose out of the air and BE NICE! These forums should be a place where people feel safe in asking questions. And YOU shouldn’t be slamming newbies just because you think you know everything. Cuz ya don’t.


I didn't see anyone slamming the OP or his pup. You should relax. I saw some posts educating about ethical breeding, and that shouldn't offend anyone who loves dogs.


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## Mazie (Jun 12, 2020)

I understand what most people here are saying and agree. What I don’t agree with is people implying that he doesn’t love his dog and should find him a home where he will be loved. There isn’t one person on here who hasn’t worried or questioned SOMETHING about their GSD. That’s all he is doing. Asking opinions. I really don’t think it’s about the ears standing up. I feel the question is do you think the dog is a purebred because the ears haven’t stood up yet. When you purchase a purebred anything you want what you pay for. I think his concern is did I get ripped off and lied to by a breeder? He didn’t say he wasn’t keeping the dog. He didn’t imply he didn’t love his dog. He is just asking a legit question. I have shelled out thousands of dollars over the years for my Shepherd’s and I would be royalty pissed if I got a mutt. So yeah.. he has a right to be concerned and ask questions.


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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

So, I've read through all of this and I can understand the concerns, but that pup looks pure blooded to me despite the droopy ears.

Won't touch if it's poorly bred or not, that's not my area of expertise, but I personally don't see anything to bring paternity into question, and it looks like those little ears are TRYING to raise up. I think a little patience is simply in order. Some ears may take a little longer to come up that others. Also make sure baby has plenty of good things to chew on.

Sure is a cutie.


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## Mazie (Jun 12, 2020)

The Shepherd I have now I have had the WORST time with her. She’s my 5th GSD. I have done IGP previously and have a pretty good understanding of what to expect .She’s stubborn, rude, high strung, and high prey drive. In desperation I worked with her with a highly recommended trainer. She was exasperated with her as well. I spoke with the breeder when she was 6 months old and told her my concerns. It was THEN she says yeah.. her parents are very stubborn and mouthy too and she’s has had issues herself. Here I was after reading some of the comments made to me feeling terrible and doubting my own abilities as a dog mom. Which probably made things a bit worse. If I had known those traits beforehand I would not have purchased her. No way. Did I ask other’s opinions and seek advise? Yes. There was helpful advise and people snapping to judgment saying the entire problem was me. When I told the breeder what I was looking for in a pup I told her I was not looking for any of those traits. After registering her I see a long line of working, K-9 East German and Czech bloodline. Am I always happy with her? No. Is she a big pain in the butt? Do I feel I got ripped off by the breeder? Yes. Do I love her? Yes. Is she part of our family? Yes. So I get what this person is saying. Encouragement. Not “ oh, you have a question about your dog? Well maybe you shouldn’t own him and it’s probably best you find him a new home where he will be loved for who he is.” Really?? Sorry. But in my opinion that’s pretty crappy. To each his own I guess.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

wolfy dog said:


> AKC papers don't mean anything. As long as both owners of bitch and stud (could be the same person) sign that this breeding took place of said dogs, then they will issue papers. In the meantime the neighbor's Lab could have stopped by and bred the dog as well. A litter can have multiple sires. AKC doesn't have any control except if they would require DNA of parent dogs and the pups.
> Enjoy your puppy for who he is.


I took a DNA test. He’s pure bred GSD.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Mazie said:


> The Shepherd I have now I have had the WORST time with her. She’s my 5th GSD. I have done IGP previously and have a pretty good understanding of what to expect .She’s stubborn, rude, high strung, and high prey drive. In desperation I worked with her with a highly recommended trainer. She was exasperated with her as well. I spoke with the breeder when she was 6 months old and told her my concerns. It was THEN she says yeah.. her parents are very stubborn and mouthy too and she’s has had issues herself. Here I was after reading some of the comments made to me feeling terrible and doubting my own abilities as a dog mom. Which probably made things a bit worse. If I had known those traits beforehand I would not have purchased her. No way. Did I ask other’s opinions and seek advise? Yes. There was helpful advise and people snapping to judgment saying the entire problem was me. When I told the breeder what I was looking for in a pup I told her I was not looking for any of those traits. After registering her I see a long line of working, K-9 East German and Czech bloodline. Am I always happy with her? No. Is she a big pain in the butt? Do I feel I got ripped off by the breeder? Yes. Do I love her? Yes. Is she part of our family? Yes. So I get what this person is saying. Encouragement. Not “ oh, you have a question about your dog? Well maybe you shouldn’t own him and it’s probably best you find him a new home where he will be loved for who he is.” Really?? Sorry. But in my opinion that’s pretty crappy. To each his own I guess.


Yeah, I’ve had an amazing time with this dog when it comes to learning and control. He picks up tricks almost immediately, so it’s never been a problem to teach him stuff. He loves to jump into puddles though. I was gonna tape his ears but I gave up, it looked like the ear pads were bothering him so I took them off.


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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

Thank you for the update.


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## AceOfSpadez (Feb 25, 2021)

Rabidwolfie said:


> Thank you for the update.


Also pretty large for his age. He’s 75 pounds at 6 months. I took him to the vet and he said that he’s in good shape, he’s just large.


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