# 8/9/10+ Weeks old and ears are not up...



## Mrs.K

... that is because it is a PUPPY!

People, please, please, please, don't tape your puppys ears and don't be all "OH MY GOD MY PUPPIES EARS ARE NOT UP YET, HE's 9 weeks old... what should I do!"

It takes time for ears to come up and chances are if they are up with three months that they will be all over the place once they go through teething. 

IF your puppies ears won't get up AFTER THE TEETHING than you can start thinking about taping. But please, please, please wait until they went through teething!

You don't have to be worried just because your 8/9/10 week old puppy has floppy ears. IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL!


----------



## blackviolet

Ha, that's what I figured, but it's a little scary sometimes when you see a bunch of pups younger than yours with their ears already up. Hey, they say that chewing on stuff helps the muscles that hold up their ears. If rawhide is no good, and beef bones are "teeth wreckers", what should they chew?


----------



## Lucy Dog

Can we get a sticky at the top of this section of the forum?

This is a pretty common question and mrs k seems to have summed it up with her post.


----------



## Relayer

Lucy Dog said:


> Can we get a sticky at the top of this section of the forum?
> 
> This is a pretty common question and mrs k seems to have summed it up with her post.


Yes, but I'd extend the time-frame to 14-15 weeks!  Only problem is, people ask first and read stickies later anyway. Ughhhh...


----------



## Jax's Mom

blackviolet said:


> Ha, that's what I figured, but it's a little scary sometimes when you see a bunch of pups younger than yours with their ears already up. Hey, they say that chewing on stuff helps the muscles that hold up their ears. If rawhide is no good, and beef bones are "teeth wreckers", what should they chew?


Jax's ears were up at 8 weeks... then down... then back up at 10... after that just the driver's side, then after THAT, they both flopped on top of his head. When his teeth finally all fell out, they were both perfectly horizontal. A few weeks after that (almost 6 months) they're standing and becoming more firm every day. 
Those puppies you see with their ears up are the ones that just happen to have their ears up that day and their owners are parading them all over and taking pics of them to drive everyone else mental! I'm certain of it!


----------



## AvaLaRue

Jax's mom....Ava's have been up since I got her at 7 weeks. They haven't gone down at all...not even for a second. 

I'm disappointed actually. I love the pics of the floppy ears, the ear teepee's, the wonky puppy ears. I got shortchanged:shrug:

Mrs K....I agree with your statement. People need to just wait it out, they will stand up eventually!! Heck, I'm waiting patiently (not) for Ava's to fall!!


----------



## Whitedog404

I get the panic. I'm not saying I wouldn't love my dog just as much if his ears didn't stand up, but I love the intense, intelligent look of a classic GSD. Floppy ears give the dog a completely different look. If I got another rescue or a pup from a dubious breeder, then I'd accept that my GSD might not look like the breed standard. Actually, my rescue and BYB GSDs are gorgeous. However, when I researched like heck, and spent a small fortune on a puppy, with certain expectations in mind, then I would feel some measure of disappointment if his ears didn't stand up and he didn't look like a GSD. Again, doesn't mean I'd care for him any less, it just means I'd be disappointed. I'd get over it, I have no doubt. (I'm hoping the ear forms work.)


----------



## kidkhmer

Reminds me of my Daughter's belly button and my wife's fretting about it. When she was weeks/months old it was protruding a bit like a little button. My wife ( who is Khmer ) was freaking out big time and I was saying a) Who cares, she is healthy and b) Give it time ! c) There will be bigger things to worry about....

Now..at 2 years...guess who has the cutest little belly button town ?

Of course, if she had floppy dumbo ears then I would be taking her to a plastic surgeon in Bangkok to have them stapled to the side of her head...................NOT.


----------



## Whitedog404

It's called otoplasty and it's perfectly ok to have done if a person had such ears. I only know this because I had a friend who was a nurse in a plastic surgeon's office, not because I have or had floppy ears. My dog, however, is another story. Well, not so much at the moment because of those handy little forms.


----------



## jakeandrenee

raw beef bones and bully sticks are great for pups to chew....helps strengthen those muscles and ease the teething pain.


----------



## blackviolet

What exactly are bully sticks?


----------



## Helly

My pup will be 10 weeks old on Monday and his ears show no sign of even thinking about going up...and yes its driving me crazy...my last GSD had his ears up by 8 weeks...patience..patience..patience


----------



## blackviolet

I posted in the picture forum, but Godric is 13 weeks, and his ears went up yesterday. They're still a bit floppy, but it seems like the more he runs, the better they stand? Ha, so weird, but it's true. When he wakes up or lays and plays around the house, they start to go limp. The right one really falls. When we run around the backyard for a while, they both stand up great for hours after! Is running around exercising those head/ear muscles? Maybe he's trying harder to hold them up? I don't know, but running really seems to make a difference for whatever reason.


----------



## frillint1

I had no idea that sometime their ears stay down when they are a puppy. I guess I always thought they were always up. What age would they be up by like 13 weeks if they were to go up and stay up?


----------



## KZoppa

Shasta's ears have been up since she was 14 weeks. We literally watched in one day as her right ear decided to stand up. She has the tip of one ear that will never stand do to damage from a litter mate biting too hard but its very cute and unique. I'm waiting for the goofy floppy earred thing to start with the whole teething thing. She's currently 18 weeks old. I'll be happy when she doesnt feel the need to chew on and shred everything. my other dogs, i got after they were done teething and their ears were up permanently.


----------



## paulag1955

My Shasta's right ear was up at 13 weeks and her left ear took another week or 10 days. But some dogs ears take much longer, even until 5 or 6 months.


----------



## CNTLOSE

Athena's are halfway there at 9 weeks which out of the litter of 11 I think only one pup has both ears up already.


----------



## lweygand

*Ear infection vs. ears standing*

Hello everyone new to the forums :help: please ! I have a new pup that I purchased from a breeder here locally . He comes form decent bloodlines and is of German show/working lines on his sires side and german american show lines on his dams. We have aways owned GSD'S . This particular pup was purchased for my 11 year old son to begin showing next year in Junior handling ( conformation/obedience ) . ....To get the point....This baby has had an ear infection going on since he was 6 weeks old ( the breeder ( co -owner of the litter) insisted his ears were dirty. And used their kennel concoction as a cleaner, however I know an ear infection! They would not allow me to remove the pup until he was 8 weeks old. First stop vets! Sure enough ...INFECTION !! With this going on for 2 weeks is there any chance of it interfering with his ears standing? He is now on antibiotics and drops, the heat in the ear is gone ,and the mucus. He is no longer tilting his head or scratching...poor baby! My son would be devastated if this pup can't be shown.


----------



## Lilie

Hondo's ears didn't stand all the time till he was nine months old. And even then one would relax every now and then. Now that he is a year old, they stand when they should. But he shows his emotions through his ears. When he wants loving he'll come up and put his head on my lap and his ears will be laid back. When I talk to him, they'll pick up. Sometimes his ears look as though they are pointing east and west instead of north.


----------



## Pattycakes

Eight weeks old with both ears up.










With one ear up at 9 weeks old.










Back down with both ears around 11 weeks old.










Can't find any pictures when both ears stood up around 12-13 weeks old and they stayed up after that. 

She was 5 months old here and her ears still are both up.










6 months old here.


----------



## Courtney

Great pictures Pattycakes-her ears were all over the place like mine. He just turned 6 months and his ears are up and very firm. Nothing like watching/stressing out over the dancing games GSD ears play.

Your girl is beautiful!


----------



## Pattycakes

LOL...no kidding. I kept wondering from day to day whether they would stay up or not!  
Thanks!


----------



## CB54

Our GSD is 7 months old and 1 ear has been up since 7 or 8 weeks, the other ear is just now beginning to stand up. They both stand up when she is busy doing something, otherwise the one will droop like yoda's ears.

CB


----------



## Mrs.K

CB54 said:


> Our GSD is 7 months old and 1 ear has been up since 7 or 8 weeks, the other ear is just now beginning to stand up. They both stand up when she is busy doing something, otherwise the one will droop like yoda's ears.
> 
> CB


That is exactly how it is with Indra. Both ears were up before she went into teething and ever since then one ear is down. 

My dad is driving me crazy about taping the ear... :help:


----------



## VegasResident

Never panic....my boys ears did not firm up until almost 18 weeks old (i.e. almost 5 months). Bully Sticks, Himilayan Cheese sticks for chewing and doggie daycare for tons of muscle stimulation! 

He had one up at 7.5 weeks, then it went down and the left ear was completely down until after 4 months old when it was in a comb over (still down) then it became friendly floppy and then firmed up.

Believe me I was worried when one was a comb over at 16 weeks.

He is 20 weeks old this week, in the middle of teething and both are holding firm

Here you can see how much time it can take....












October 20th


----------



## Emoore

blackviolet said:


> What exactly are bully sticks?


Dried bull penis. Kinda disgusting to think about, but excellent for dogs to chew on.


----------



## GSDAlphaMom

You can check out pictures of many of the ear stages in this thread:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ears-up/145073-ear-stages-pictorial.html


----------



## Franksmom

Franks ears came up at 12 weeks and never went back down, I've heard people say they may go down during teething, at what age is teething completely done? so I wont' have to think about it anymore, he's 6 months right now.


----------



## Marytess

you can also give them horse hoof to chew on. it really helps (the smell not so great. xD)


----------



## kleisx

i have a german shepherd when my girl was 1.5 months old she have 1 ear full erected and 1 down, now she is 4 months old and have both ears low flopped.... what's up with my puppy


----------



## VegasResident

kleisx said:


> i have a german shepherd when my girl was 1.5 months old she have 1 ear full erected and 1 down, now she is 4 months old and have both ears low flopped.... what's up with my puppy


It is called the ear dance. Mine went all over the place










then










then










then










then


----------



## Kaiser Odin

So I shouldn't worry yet that my 11-12 wk old pup's ears are down still? I've read about gluing the ears at around 4 1/2 months old if they aren't up. Hopefully it won't come to that though.


----------



## Emoore

Kaiser Odin said:


> So I shouldn't worry yet that my 11-12 wk old pup's ears are down still? I've read about gluing the ears at around 4 1/2 months old if they aren't up. Hopefully it won't come to that though.


Isn't your puppy a mixed breed? His ears may or may not stand up, depending on his genetics. I certainly wouldn't worry about it at 12 weeks old. As others have said, they'll be up and down until he's done teething. If they look like they're trying to stand and just need a little help, you could try taping but if they're floppy because your dog has some floppy-eared breed in his background, no amount of taping will cause them to stand.


----------



## Kaiser Odin

Yeah, that makes since. Well if they look like they want to stand I will consider it.


----------



## Lora

I heard from a breeder that a good way to get your puppies ears up is to give them frozen bones. Lots of chewing working the jaw muzzles will help create strong ear muscles. 
You may want to give it a try.


----------



## kitmcd

Vegas,
Loved your photos. My little Isa is now almost 11weeks and looks so much like your dog. Today her ears were both up for first time (of course they were, she has a yeast infection and they look so red and everyone commented on it!)


----------



## liko and xavian's Mom

I heard that their ears will go up when they are comfortable with their new home. I think it's normal for their ears to go up and down, look like a triangle on the top of their head, one up one flopping. that's all part of the fun times with your puppy. Take lots of pix of those ears. I was told to not play with their ears until they are more mature.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom

liko and xavian's Mom said:


> I heard that their ears will go up when they are comfortable with their new home.


That is not true.


----------



## Josh's mom

Aww! I missed the cute floppy-ear phase, Josh's ears were up at 5 weeks when we first saw him, down at 7 weeks, up at 8 weeks, one down at 9 weeks then both up for good after that. I would have loved to see the teepee phase and the comb over, too cute!


----------



## hattifattener

*Odita Cilberg Europe,Latvia*



Josh's mom said:


> Aww! I missed the cute floppy-ear phase, Josh's ears were up at 5 weeks when we first saw him, down at 7 weeks, up at 8 weeks, one down at 9 weeks then both up for good after that. I would have loved to see the teepee phase and the comb over, too cute!



hello,did you mean this phase?


----------



## troy_mia

I am going to pick this 8.5 weeks old puppy this weekend.

I believe I shouldn't be worried about its ears based on what I have read so far in the forum.


----------



## JoMichelle

My pups ears were completely floppy until we went to play in the garden at about 11 weeks old. She kept pricking them up to listen to the birds, and then the following 3 days or so they just went up! Now we have a bit of a "teepee" going on and I love it, it's so cute. I was a little worried and impatient too as everyone wants their dog to have the proper GSD look.

Your pup at 8.5 weeks is way ahead of how my pups were at that age, so no I wouldn't worry!


----------



## Lilylongshanks

Otis had completely floppy ears until 18 weeks when they started going up and down. The furry hat comb over stage lasted about a fortnight, and by 23 weeks they were properly up. If his ears had stayed soft that really would have been no problem - he looked well cute.


----------



## Lilylongshanks

Lilie said:


> But he shows his emotions through his ears. When he wants loving he'll come up and put his head on my lap and his ears will be laid back. When I talk to him, they'll pick up. .


Love this - its exactly what mine does. Ears flat down and whole body wagging. It's sooooo appealing


----------



## Laney

One of Rivers ears was floppy until he was about 22 weeks old, then they went up for a week, then back down. It went up and down a few times before it finally stood up for good when he was about 6 and a half months old (about 26 weeks)


----------



## Kittilicious

Patience is so hard to have with those GSD ears. I know mine was wearing thin. I was sure that ear was never going to go up. 

This was the middle of January - 









Soon after that all his puppy teeth were lost and as soon as they came in I did the BreatheRight strips for 2 days. Thats all it took. They just needed a little boost.

This was about 2 weeks later - 









And this was just the other day - 










So for those who have "late bloomers", don't fret! It will happen!!!


----------



## iBaman

Sheldon's isn't going up (I'm pretty sure). The crease in his ear is too deep, and after breath right strips for about 2 months, they still wouldn't stay up longer than a couple days without. *shrug* He's still cute as the dickens, so I'm just not going to bother anymore =3


----------



## Spiderlash

Does touching/massaging your pups ears make them weaker? My 4 month old Bronson loves having his ears massaged. (He always leans into you and makes pleased grunting sounds, tail wagging like crazy. Too cute!) His ears are always up when he's alert (avitar), and the left one is a little weak and folds in the middle when he's relaxed. He's been this way since I got him at 3.5 months.

I figured they'd both go up on their own eventually, so I haven't been worrying. But if I'm doing something that could potentially make them weaker or not stand up at all, then please tell me!

He also has a Kong Extreme in his pen for him to chew on. And as for rawhide and bones, I thought they were dangerous for puppies . . . are bully sticks safe for pups since they aren't technically rawhide or bone? :help:


----------



## keekee

Hey Spiderlash, I have been breeding GSd for 18 yrs and have come across a few GSd with floppy ears, touching or massaging is not the culprit but rather sometimes it's in the genes,, pups with heavy ear set will have more trouble picking them up and sometimes they will shake them down and eventually the ear will not stand, so I have found a very easy procedure that has had very good results for me. buy a bottle of tear mender(found at Tractor supply) labeled for clothing but very safe for dogs.buy some medium size foam hair rollers (Sally"s) put the glue on the roller all the way around and insert the roller(make sure plastic insert is removed) inside the floppy ear and wrap the ear around the roller if they can over lap better yet. it will remain there for about 2 weeks the glue will come off by itself and it will have trained the ear to stand erect. please dont wait for them to go up by themselves if at 4 months they are not up they need help dont risk it. oh and once you have placed the roller inside the ear immedialty distract him so his attention is not focused on the roller inside his ear, he will forget in a few minutes and will not mess with it.


----------



## cms711

*Magnum - 15wks. old*

I had just posted a thread about Magnums ears, him being 15wks old as of yesterday and still not up. His brother from the same litter that my friend owns, his ears are both poker straight up =/


----------



## JayBye

I just figured I’d share this when I brought my shepherd home she had only one standing ear. Within’ weeks they both stood, and not long after they both ended up flopping again, but as she aged they stood straight up and that’s where they have stayed. I apologize it’s been awhile and cannot remember exact ages however I know it took her quite some time to get both standing ears.


----------



## Wolfgeist

blackviolet said:


> Ha, that's what I figured, but it's a little scary sometimes when you see a bunch of pups younger than yours with their ears already up. Hey, they say that chewing on stuff helps the muscles that hold up their ears. If rawhide is no good, and beef bones are "teeth wreckers", what should they chew?


Bully sticks! Beef tendons! 

If you want chew alternatives, I wrote a blog article on the subject:
K9 Instinct - Dog training, dog obedience training, raw diet, raw feeding, minimal vaccines: K9 Health: Ditch the rawhide, grab an antler! (Chewing for Dogs)


----------



## jewels04

My pup is new and isn't interested in chewing his toys yet...and I say HIS toys because we have had to throw out two Nintendo ds stylus's quite a few legos and a flip flop already since Friday(told the kids to pick up or he would eat their toys, they didn't believe me...they do now and their room has been spotless since because their afraid he'll eat more toys). If I keep offering him his toys(kongs, nylabones, rope toys) will he eventually start chewing on them? Can't have bully sticks my husband hates how they stink the house up...and any other type of bone makes our schnauzer sick.


----------



## Doctor Mike

Some big dogs don't go up for good until 9-11 months.


----------



## xtaylor

cms711 said:


> I had just posted a thread about Magnums ears, him being 15wks old as of yesterday and still not up. His brother from the same litter that my friend owns, his ears are both poker straight up =/
> 
> View attachment 17484
> View attachment 17485


The breeder that I got our GSD from said that that dad of the litter's ears didn't even begin to stand up until he was 8 months old. Our pup was the only one of the litter whose ears were still down when we picked him up at 8 weeks.. They soon stood up afterwards, but I do think that genes have a lot to do with it.. Don't be discouraged, one day you'll wake up and they'll both be perked up like they always have been that way


----------



## sandee396

I have a almost 4 month old GSD. . 
Her ears are not up They may go up for a second or two but are very weak and floppy. Her litter mates are straight up. Should I worry?


----------



## Shaolin

Finn's ears took forever it felt like to perk up. From 8 weeks, his right ear was up with no issue. The left on the other hand didn't seem like it was ever going to stand, but if something got his attention, it would stand up, no issue. It took a while for that other ear to go up and stay up, but it did. I think he was a little over five months old.


----------



## Walperstyle

Thanks for this thread, lots of good information. I'll stop feeding my boy socks and fluffy toys and more hard tasty long lasting bones to munch on. 

...mostly he's chewing on my arm.


----------



## Jericho2007

I think the length of the ear has a lot to do with it also. My female GSD's ears are long and didn't come up til almost 6 months. And the GSD's that have the shorter ears seem to come up a lot sooner. They will still flop during teething though.


----------



## jockamo

*First Ear Action*

She's a GSD/BC mix, so i have no idea whether her ears will stand or not. But this morning I saw the first hint of ear movement. She's 3 and a half months old here.


----------



## Krissy

Our pup didn't start getting his ears up until about 3-4months. Now, at 5 1/2 months, they are almost completely up. In the past few months they have gone up and down... finally up and we let him have chew toys, rawhides, everything! His ears are just HUGE, so I guess his little puppy head couldnt support them!


----------



## GSDNewbie1024

Patience is so hard to have with GSD's when you want their ears to just go up already! LOL

The left ear has been up for about a week and a half already, and as you can see the right one still have some catching up to do. People say it's due to genetics, diet, "massaging", activity, & age that will determine when they both go up for good.

My question is, is there a time period a little smaller than 9wks-8mos that most people can agree on about when they go up? The above time period seems a little TOO broad for me.


----------



## Anubis_Star

Zeke's ears were up and strong by 8 weeks. Flopped a little when he ran but never went back down. 

Luther's ears didn't go up until almost 5-6 months old! Here he was when we got him at *13 weeks*












Berlin's were up by 9 weeks. But look, just this weekend at 14 weeks - hey, it happens!


----------



## Anubis_Star

GSDNewbie1024 said:


> My question is, is there a time period a little smaller than 9wks-8mos that most people can agree on about when they go up? The above time period seems a little TOO broad for me.


No there's not, because that IS the time period. Many ears go up fairly young, but the cartilage doesn't actually really harden and strengthen until after they are done teething. Incisors and canines come out between 4-6 months, premolars and molars between 6-9 months. So they are teething for a long time. Even if the are up early, often times they still flop or fall over during that teething period.


----------



## Tyson13

Tyson is only 10 weeks old no sign of his ears standing as yet, but i have to say i am loving my floppy ear boy so much


----------



## evgeniy

I waited until 1 year...they are still floppy..now he is almost 3 years old

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Aaroncody

Stark's Vet is having me put a tampon in his ear and wrap it like you see in this pic. He said that it is acting as a splint. Has anyone heard anything about this splint method before? Seems odd to me..


----------



## selzer

Aaroncody said:


> Stark's Vet is having me put a tampon in his ear and wrap it like you see in this pic. He said that it is acting as a splint. Has anyone heard anything about this splint method before? Seems odd to me..


How old is this baby??? I agree with the OP, Mrs. K, don't fiddle-fart around with the ears on babies this young, you and your vet may do more good than harm. 

I have not seen the tampon used this way, I read about people using a hair curler. But that book was written in the seventies, when curlers were typical. Does anyone use curlers any more?

But I digress. A good method of clueing is cutting some molefoam in the shape of the ear above the little knotch. Use new skin as a glue to glue the molefoam in the hear and then curve it into shape, with your hands and hold it that way with tape for a few days. 

But this pup's ears look like they are doing fine, and I wouldn't weigh down the ear with anything, like this picture.


----------



## Apple

Patience is a virtue!!!  
River at 14 weeks







River at 17 weeks!







I was starting to get concerned but they just came up of their own accord.  


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## MiaMoo

Mia's ears didn't come up completely until 10-11 months old. :crazy:


----------



## Aaroncody

selzer said:


> How old is this baby??? I agree with the OP, Mrs. K, don't fiddle-fart around with the ears on babies this young, you and your vet may do more good than harm.
> 
> I have not seen the tampon used this way, I read about people using a hair curler. But that book was written in the seventies, when curlers were typical. Does anyone use curlers any more?
> 
> But I digress. A good method of clueing is cutting some molefoam in the shape of the ear above the little knotch. Use new skin as a glue to glue the molefoam in the hear and then curve it into shape, with your hands and hold it that way with tape for a few days.
> 
> But this pup's ears look like they are doing fine, and I wouldn't weigh down the ear with anything, like this picture.


Thanks for the advice. I too thought weighing it down didn't seem like a poor idea. 

Oh, he will be 16 weeks two days from now.


----------



## lcsparrow70

*12 weeks old One ear not standing*

After reading a few, I am relieved somewhat. Riley has one ear that was the first to pop up but is still drooping while the other is standing strong. I guess we just wait a little longer.


----------



## Rmccoy

I wonder about my pup, Kali.

She's just over four months (born end of november 2013)


----------



## AnaleighK12k14

Kooper is 13 weeks (almost 14). His ears have not stood firm yet, but they were up pretty consistently for a couple weeks. His right ear is now completely down, even more than it was when we brought him home. I caught him sleeping upside down in his crate, squishing both of his ears. After that, I noticed they would be down in the morning and come up later in the day. He has continued sleeping like that, and now the right one is fully down. My only concern is that I read that they can be damaged by that. Also, that right ear seems to be creasing all the way down at the base 
Here is a picture of him 1 week ago and today









1 week ago (on the right)









Today


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Lwilley

I would have you vet check to see if the cartilage in the ears are not broken. If the cartilage is good, just have patience They will eventually stand. Mt pup is 17 weeks and we have had one ear up and then fall. But I can tell they will come up as they are uncurling and when she puts her head down, they straighten up as well as when she sleeps on her back. Her mom's ears did not stand up for quite awhile when she was a pup. Also I feel if they are going to be large dog, it takes a little longer. Themother GSD is 86 pounds and Piper appears she be large also.


----------



## AnaleighK12k14

I actually looked back at the pictures from when we brought him home and the ear looks about the same to me. I think I will wait it out a little and see what it does. He's young so I have plenty of time to fix it if there's a problem. He's majorly teething right now. If it hasn't come up in a couple weeks when he is due for his next shots, I will talk to his vet about it. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## AnaleighK12k14

So Kooper has a cut on his face (long story) and has been in a cone for 24 hours and now the ear is standing on its own again, without the cone. Interesting. Made me feel better. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

