# Ear Question...NOT asking IF or WHEN they will go up!!!



## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

Hi,
Im new here but have read a ton of "ear" threads. I have a question regarding my pups ears...not asking IF or WHEN they will go up as I've read every answer and opinion on this forum. I fully understand that it differs with every pup. What I am asking is for some clarification when some say, "if the ears have been up before...then likely they will go up again". Does "ears up before" only mean for an extended timeframe, i.e they were up for days, weeks or months but then became floppy again?

Our 19 week old GSD male, Denver still has floppy ears...but he will fully erect them multiple times throughout the day, everyday now. He only does 1 ear at a time for the most part, on ocassion both, but left/right go up an equal amount. The frequency is increasing every week. However they only stay erect for a few moments or until he shakes his head.

He is still very much teething right now so I understand they won't come up until after he's done, if at all. I'm not concerned about his health as he has been to the vet multiple times. He did seem to have an ear infection when we first brought him home at 12 weeks (head shaking and scratching at his ear) but I didn't notice it right away. Eventually I used the Zymox ear drops and it seems to have worked really well.
I feed him relatively expensive kibble mixed with cottage cheese at every feeding plus I've recently introduced a raw diet mixed in.

So I guess my question is...would this count as "having his ears up before" or no? Does the fact that he stands his ears fully up throughout the day, everyday, show that they are getting stronger and just need more time? Or do GSD even with permanently floppy ears have/had moments when their ears stood up?

Any and all clarification and/or help would be much appreciated!!!


















And while yes we would be a little bummed if his ears didn't pop, it would be OK!!!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Permanently floppy ears have almost never gone up and stood for any time period ime for the most part.

Ears that have stood for any time period multiple times, eventually will stand permanently ime for the most part


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I agree with @WGND.
If you are feeding him cottage cheese for ears, that won’t work because the ears are cartilage, so what he needs is bone broth, not calcium.
Ears standing are largely a genetic thing.


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## Buckelke (Sep 4, 2019)

He's cute!!
I can only tell you from experience that the dog has control over the ears. Ellie would walk up the side of the driveway dipping just that left or right ear to get under brush sticking out. She could dip both, or one at a time. What I'm saying is that she had control of those ears and whether they were up or down. So some of it would seem to be the individual dog and their control over where the ears are. Give the little guy time, he's cute either way.


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

WNGD said:


> Permanently floppy ears have almost never gone up and stood for any time period ime for the most part.
> 
> Ears that have stood for any time period multiple times, eventually will stand permanently ime for the most part


Ok...thank you for the clarification. I appreciate it!!!


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

Sunflowers said:


> I agree with @WGND.
> If you are feeding him cottage cheese for ears, that won’t work because the ears are cartilage, so what he needs is bone broth, not calcium.
> Ears standing are largely a genetic thing.


Thanks for the input. I'll substitute bone broth instead. I've also been giving him chicken feet. And tons of bones to chew on (NOT rawhide)


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

Denver&Aspen said:


> Thanks for the input. I'll substitute bone broth instead. I've also been giving him chicken feet. And tons of bones to chew on (NOT rawhide)


His mom and dad both had fully erect ears. And his older, fully grown brother from a previous litter who we also got to see had fully erect ears. So I think he just needs more time. I was just confused about the "previous standing" comments frequently made as his ears have never been fully up for an extended period of time. While most seem to have pups that had fully erect ears early on and then flopped during teething. So I was just affraid that was the definition of "previously up".


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

Buckelke said:


> He's cute!!
> I can only tell you from experience that the dog has control over the ears. Ellie would walk up the side of the driveway dipping just that left or right ear to get under brush sticking out. She could dip both, or one at a time. What I'm saying is that she had control of those ears and whether they were up or down. So some of it would seem to be the individual dog and their control over where the ears are. Give the little guy time, he's cute either way.


Thank you🙂 we think he's really cute too, lol!!! Really good personality. But we will love him regardless, of course. I was just curious. We all say the ear thing doesn't bother us but it's a little bit of a bummer. It's one thing that makes the GSD look so good looking, IMO. 
I agree he just needs more time. But he did put both ears up today. And I would be lying if I said he didn't look really good with them up!!!


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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

What a handsome boy you have there!!! I am absolutely in love with his face and gentle eyes. 

If they are standing up at all, then there's a great chance they're going to stand up and stay up, it just takes time. I agree he DOES look quite stunning with them up. It sounds like he's in good hands and going to be a real stunner when he grows up. ♥


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

Rabidwolfie said:


> What a handsome boy you have there!!! I am absolutely in love with his face and gentle eyes.
> 
> If they are standing up at all, then there's a great chance they're going to stand up and stay up, it just takes time. I agree he DOES look quite stunning with them up. It sounds like he's in good hands and going to be a real stunner when he grows up. ♥


Thank you for the comments. I do feel a bit more relieved now. Haha I can probably STOP reading all the "ear" threads now and just patiently wait for those suckers to POP up permanently.
Thank you!!!


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## Rabidwolfie (Apr 9, 2021)

I remember how nerve wracking it can be. I got my baby before I ever found this forum, and he was nearly the last of his litter to go up permanently. One of his sisters fell back down and largely stayed down and his brother is a 1-ear upper. Before they all grew up, though, there was a lot of good-natured teasing about my poor baby's ears. And they were HUGE too, so then there was teasing about that. It made me worry that I wasn't doing something right, but let me tell you, now I have the BEST looking dog in the litter, ears and all.

Just be prepared to love him even if he develops the floppiest hound dog ears in the world, which I believe you would. LOL


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

Rabidwolfie said:


> I remember how nerve wracking it can be. I got my baby before I ever found this forum, and he was nearly the last of his litter to go up permanently. One of his sisters fell back down and largely stayed down and his brother is a 1-ear upper. Before they all grew up, though, there was a lot of good-natured teasing about my poor baby's ears. And they were HUGE too, so then there was teasing about that. It made me worry that I wasn't doing something right, but let me tell you, now I have the BEST looking dog in the litter, ears and all.
> 
> Just be prepared to love him even if he develops the floppiest hound dog ears in the world, which I believe you would. LOL


Oh of course, he's my baby boy🙂
Ya we kinda get a little teasing at the dog park for Denver is the ONLY GSD pup there that still has floppy ears. All the GSD pups his age and younger all have their ears fully up. So it's kinda the running joke that everyone knows who Denver is based on his floppy ears...poor bud. Everyone always comments how good looking the other pups are, pause for a sec, look over at Denver and say, but he's cute too, lol!!! I laugh of course but it kinda stings for a moment. I reassure everyone they WILL go up but im secretly panicking inside. 
And I thought having a kid was stressful. We seem to worry just as much about our pups🤣


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I'd give him raw meaty bones, like a soup bone from the butcher. He's teething and that will help. Also, when you feed them the bone, you don't need to worry about calcium/phosphorous ratios because they are correct, whereas feeding just cottage cheese or yogurt raises only the calcium and an overage of calcium without the phosphorous will/can leave calcium deposits in joints. And cooking it tends to remove nutrients.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

His ears will stand! When people try to say there's a set timeframe it's incorrect. All puppies from dogs with erect ears, go through their own dance. My dog was completely floppy eared at 12 weeks, looked like a lab. At 16 wks, they were up for a bit, then all down, then wonky one up one down, trading sides daily! That part is normal.

GSDs are prick eared dogs. Probably 99.99% of well bred GSD ears stand. Your dogs ears have stood and will stand just as in that beautiful picture you posted!

For now, try to enjoy the dance and.ignore the dog park folks who say otherwise! He'll be fine!


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Agree with Tim! Star's ears were both up when I brought her home at 12 weeks. Within about a week, they both fell down, and didn't come up to stay until she was NINE MONTHS!! I tell ya, I was getting pretty nervous by the time they finally came up to stay!

But I hung on to what other GSD people were telling me: Once up, they WILL come up again! And they were right!


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

selzer said:


> I'd give him raw meaty bones, like a soup bone from the butcher. He's teething and that will help. Also, when you feed them the bone, you don't need to worry about calcium/phosphorous ratios because they are correct, whereas feeding just cottage cheese or yogurt raises only the calcium and an overage of calcium without the phosphorous will/can leave calcium deposits in joints. And cooking it tends to remove nutrients.


Yes meaty bones for sure. Haven't given them to Denver or our Husky raw but I'm definitely going to do this. Thank you!!!


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

Sunsilver said:


> Agree with Tim! Star's ears were both up when I brought her home at 12 weeks. Within about a week, they both fell down, and didn't come up to stay until she was NINE MONTHS!! I tell ya, I was getting pretty nervous by the time they finally came up to stay!
> 
> But I hung on to what other GSD people were telling me: Once up, they WILL come up again! And they were right!


Thank you...gives me much relief to know this!! I think I would be questioning it less if his ears had been up before for a longer period of time. But it's nice to know that "up before" does not mean for an extended period of time only.


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## poconoman (Dec 7, 2020)

Ears up or not. I want to squeeze him!


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## Denver&Aspen (Apr 29, 2021)

poconoman said:


> Ears up or not. I want to squeeze him!


Haha, right! I can't help myself from loving on him. He's very sweet and affectionate.


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