Ears, glorious ears!

  AKC breed strandards for German Shepherd Dogs calls for erect ears. Some GSD's ears have droppy tips and others don't stand erect at all.  They are still German Shepherd Dogs and can be from very fine genetic lines with other great qualities but the fall short in the ear category.  We certainly look for, and in most cases get, fine erect ears as seen in the photo of Nossia.

Getting through the various stages of puppy ears in their journey to the consistantly upright position can prove to be quite frustrating . . .  especially if one doesn't know what to expect.  All GSD puppies are born with their ears DOWN.  As the puppy grows the muscles that hold the ears erect and the cartiledge required for the ears to stand must develop.  As the puppies in the litter begin to rough and tumble with one another (developing coordination, strength, pack order, etc) it is possible for one puppy to enthusiastically grab another puppy's ear. Rarely this can cause what proves to be permanent damage to the ear.  It may not stand at all or it may come part way up and 'droop.'  Children in the puppy's new family could also cause this kind of damage by pulling on or lifting the puppy by the ears.  Various surgical solutions may be available for such damage but use caution when choosing the vet to do the procedure.

Puppies develop at differing rates and there is no 'standard' age at which you can know if a puppy's ears are up 'for good.'  During the growing stages it is not uncommon for ears to begin to come up and then droop again.  In many cases ears will be standing erect and during the time when they loose their puppy teeth the ears will drop back down again.  A very precocious pup might have it's ears standing erect by 8 weeks.  More common (especially with the larger, slower maturing GSD's who have larger ears) would be ears coming up and dropping back down through a period of 10-20 weeks (after the adult teeth are in).  Some pups won't have their ears consistently erect until about 1 year old (which is when the AKC standards say the ears should be erect).  If the ears are not standing erect consistently after the adult teeth are in at about 5 months of age, the owner should begin working to assist the ears to stand. There are several methods that have proven helpful in doing this and you should consult with your breeder for specific recommendations for your puppy.  A quality breeder will be glad to assist you and be able to coach you through the process. 

The classic look of the German Shepherd with ears standing is a beautiful sight.  The German Shepherd whose ears aren't perfect will still have the great personality and intelligence and make a valuable addition to the family to which it belongs.

More helpful information is coming soon on our web site at www.rosehallkennel.com    . . .  Eliot