# EARS help



## ali2020 (Dec 6, 2009)

ears were down at the age of 5 months, from 5 months to six months they were up and now from last 3 days 1 ear is up and 1 is down . should i tape them or wait for a little bit ?


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

ali2020 said:


> ears were down at the age of 5 months, from 5 months to six months they were up and now from last 3 days 1 ear is up and 1 is down . should i tape them or wait for a little bit ?


Everything I read says you should only be concerned with ears that have never gone up by 4.5-5 months. Ears that spend some time up and some time down are of no concern.


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## kayek9 (Aug 27, 2002)

At 6 months old, I would definitely tape. It won't hurt your puppy to do so and it's just a bit of reassurance that you're taking every step possible to get them up and stay up. I will usually intervene by 4 1/2 months if the ears are not standing, don't want to take any chances.


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## HarperGirl (Mar 15, 2010)

From all of the great tips I've read in previous posts (thanks!), we just taped Harper's one floppy ear at 5.5 months. Hers was inconsistent, too.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

kayek9 said:


> At 6 months old, I would definitely tape. It won't hurt your puppy to do so and it's just a bit of reassurance that you're taking every step possible to get them up and stay up. I will usually intervene by 4 1/2 months if the ears are not standing, don't want to take any chances.


Have you ever seen a GSD ears not finally stand?


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## Melly (Mar 21, 2010)

I have seen a few pics of ears not ever up or not fully up at adulthood it does happen some are adorable with 1 ear up and 1 down forever. Some people says it adds personality others say makes them look like mixed breed dogs lol. I personally plan on taping Bella's ears if they are not up at 5-6 months.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

Melly said:


> I have seen a few pics of ears not ever up or not fully up at adulthood it does happen some are adorable with 1 ear up and 1 down forever. Some people says it adds personality others say makes them look like mixed breed dogs lol. I personally plan on taping Bella's ears if they are not up at 5-6 months.


We just pulled the insert out of Fritz' (6.5 months) left ear and it still is not up. We've been taping,breathright stripping and now an insert since 5 months with almost no change yet.


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## ali2020 (Dec 6, 2009)

i just noticed something, his ears were up when he was in the crate and the same something happened yesterday too. as soon as i let him come outside one of them goes down again,.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

ali2020 said:


> i just noticed something, his ears were up when he was in the crate and the same something happened yesterday too. as soon as i let him come outside one of them goes down again,.


I doubt very much that you're going to have any problems with his ears going up.


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## ali2020 (Dec 6, 2009)

again today when i woke up, i saw shane had both of his ears up but as soon i let him out one fell down,


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## kayek9 (Aug 27, 2002)

In all my years breeding, I have only had one pup who'e ears did not come up after repeated taping. This pup went to a home along with his brother. They belonged to room mates who eventually parted ways and took their respective dogs with them. However, when they were pups, they were not kept separated enough when the one was in tape. Hence the problem. I agree that ears can go up and down as pups, but why take the chance that one will stay permanently down? Taping doesn't have to be a big deal for the pup, there are ways to do it that doesn't seem to bother them. 

If you are interested in the way I tape ears, let me know, I can give you the info. Ears are the nobility of the shepherd head, floppy ears may be "cute", but erect ears make the shepherd.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

_"floppy ears may be "cute", but erect ears make the shepherd."_
Courage, brains & attitude make the GS. Erect ears are just window dressing...Attractive, sure, but far less important than character, biddability & heart.


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## kayek9 (Aug 27, 2002)

RubyTuesday said:


> _"floppy ears may be "cute", but erect ears make the shepherd."_
> Courage, brains & attitude make the GS. Erect ears are just window dressing...Attractive, sure, but far less important than character, biddability & heart.


I prefer the "whole package", shepherd ears are supposed to be erect per the standard for the breed. So if we can help them along the way to be correct, then why not? My dogs have "courage, brains, attitude" and "erect ears".


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

kayek9 said:


> I prefer the "whole package", shepherd ears are supposed to be erect per the standard for the breed. So if we can help them along the way to be correct, then why not? My dogs have "courage, brains, attitude" and "erect ears".


I agree and personally I think one floppy ear makes a GSD appearance rather goofy.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

I prefer the whole package as well. Who doesn't? However, correct ears (IMO) are less important in a 'correct' GS than the essential GS character & temperament attributes. Frankly, given how important erect ears are to so many GS owners, a GS shouldn't be used for breeding if its ears needed 'help'. Taping, IMO, s/b restricted to those GS that won't be bred.


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## milkmoney11 (Feb 11, 2010)

My breeder told me to feed Vitamin C supplements if ears don't come up on their own.


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

I was a bit concerned about Prince. His ear behavior was similar to what you are describing. One was up all the way at around 5 mos. the other was up sometimes, but floppy most of the time. It was not until about 8 mos. that they both stayed up most of the time. Eventually they were both high and tight. I was told that as long as they are coming up, eventually they will stay up. Your odds are probably 95/5. Taping is an insurance policy. Depends on how concerned you are about it vs. the hassle of doing it.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

RubyTuesday said:


> I prefer the whole package as well. Who doesn't? However, correct ears (IMO) are less important in a 'correct' GS than the essential GS character & temperament attributes. Frankly, given how important erect ears are to so many GS owners, a GS shouldn't be used for breeding if its ears needed 'help'. Taping, IMO, s/b restricted to those GS that won't be bred.


Right on! :thumbup:


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## kayek9 (Aug 27, 2002)

RubyTuesday said:


> I prefer the whole package as well. Who doesn't? However, correct ears (IMO) are less important in a 'correct' GS than the essential GS character & temperament attributes. Frankly, given how important erect ears are to so many GS owners, a GS shouldn't be used for breeding if its ears needed 'help'. Taping, IMO, s/b restricted to those GS that won't be bred.


A German Shepherd is not "correct" if the ears are not standing. The standard states that cropped or hanging ears are a disqualification. It's not too much to ask that when you purchase a German Shepherd that the dog will be a good example of what the breed is supposed to look like as well as have correct temperament. If the ears need a little help along the way, so be it. It's very disappointing to most "pet" people to end up with a shepherd with floppy ears. I have had the occassional ear in my breeding program that needed taping, it happens. I find it odd that you say "given how important erect ears are to so many GS owners". I feel it should be important to ALL GS owners, it's the standard for the breed. Interesting enough, I had a bitch years ago that I had taped as a pup, in fact I also taped 2 of her littermates as well. All the ears eventually stood. I bred this bitch 3 times, she never produced a soft ear. I have also bred 2 daughters of her's that have produced nothing but strong ears. So to automatically cull a dog that has had it's ears taped from a breeding program is nonsense. You have to know what's behind your animal and make proper breeding decisions.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

It's a matter of opinion. Given how deeply people care about GS ears I _personally_ believe no GS s/b bred whose ears need assistance to stand. The pool of breed worthy GS is simply not that small. Breeders who care deeply about erect ears will (IMO) breed for them, not tape them. Many, perhaps most, breeders disagree with me, which is certainly their prerogative. Frankly, I don't understand how anyone can be passionate about 'correct ears' & still breed dogs/bitches whose ears aren't naturally correct. 

Why must erect ears be important to all GS owners? IF Djibouti's ears didn't stand naturally I don't know if I'd have taped them or not. I *do* know that if I taped them & it made him miserable I'd have stopped & resigned myself to a 'perfect' GS with imperfect ears. He's my beloved companion & an all around terrific guy but he won't be bred. IF his ears didn't stand I might have been a bit disappointed but it wouldn't have been crushing.

GS should have erect ears, but it's a fact of life that not all do. GS with faulty ears need & deserve loving, committed homes as much as their (physically) correct brethren. I ache at how many pet owners are stressed & miserable when their GS ears simply refuse to go up. I don't think it's wrong to help them see the beauty & worth of their pet despite the ears. The ultimate quality of a pet, including a pet GS, isn't in his ears.


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## ali2020 (Dec 6, 2009)

hey guys im back. my grandmother just passed away last week so i never got to come here. so ears are up(both) and when i come back from school like after 2 hours they both are floppy again. its weird ? i thought when they go up after teething they dont go down ? im gonna be trying taping them but isnt that harsh ? i think gluing would be comfortable for puppy too. turing 7 months on 26 any other suggestions.


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## molly farmer (Feb 26, 2021)

kayek9 said:


> In all my years breeding, I have only had one pup who'e ears did not come up after repeated taping. This pup went to a home along with his brother. They belonged to room mates who eventually parted ways and took their respective dogs with them. However, when they were pups, they were not kept separated enough when the one was in tape. Hence the problem. I agree that ears can go up and down as pups, but why take the chance that one will stay permanently down? Taping doesn't have to be a big deal for the pup, there are ways to do it that doesn't seem to bother them.
> 
> If you are interested in the way I tape ears, let me know, I can give you the info. Ears are the nobility of the shepherd head, floppy ears may be "cute", but erect ears make the shepherd.


could you please send me your taping info??


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