Q: At what age do german shepherds' ears usually start to stand up?
I have a german shepherd puppy. She is 8 wks old now and I was wondering at what age german shepherds' ears usually start to stand up. Hers are starting to stand up a little! I think!
Answers and Views:
Answer by ladystang
depends some will stand up and go back down before standing up
ask your breeder when his line does.
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Answer by King Les The Lofty
There is no "usually" about it.
The ears first erect at any time from 4 weeks old to never, depending on the pup's genetics and health.
Almost all ears will soften while the permanent teeth are breaking through, and for a while afterward.
The rule-of-thumb is that if an ear has EVER been erect under its own power (not gravity- or wind-assisted) it will eventually become permanently erect.
Most GSDs complete ear-erection by or while 7 months old. The longest I've had to wait was 9 months. People have said that their pet's ears came up at a year old – I suspect that their pet's parents should NOT have been bred from!
Don't let anyone talk you into taping or gluing your pup's ears to "assist" them up. A pup irritated by its ears being taped or glued will spend the night trying to kick the irritation off, and by morning will have kicked hematomas into its ear or ears, making it/them too heavy to ever become erect.
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Last thing every night your pup should be given a gnaw-bone – such as part of an ox-tail or sheep-spine. The gnawing not only gives Pup something to do while you are boringly asleep, it also: exercises the facial muscles that control the ears, cleans the teeth, dislodges deciduous teeth, helps permanent teeth break through the gum – and any bits digested have the perfect calcium : phosphorus balance.
Please learn that the breed is the German Shepherd Dog – 3 words, so 3 capital letters, and GSD for short.
Answer by Vicky
My German Shepherds ears went up and down for weeks. If they haven't begun to rise by 6 months, its safe to say they won't.
Answer by miaugh
They will start now and will go up & down over the next several months. If they have ever stood up at any point on their own before teething starts ( somewhere around 4,5, 6 months), then they will likely stand again once teething is done & the puppy has all adult teeth in.
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ljb says
My shepherd puppy was 11 weeks old when I got him, and all but the very top tip of his right ear was standing straight up. Now, he is 12 weeks, and they are fully up.