We are not veterinarians, nor do we claim to be. This is just our experience and what works for us.
Everyone has their moments of worry about the ears of their new German Shepherds. The puppy’s ears will go up and down, crisscross, flip back, and sometimes go up and down again. Don’t worry about that. Enjoy it. Your pup will never be cuter than this! Generally, the larger the dog, the longer it will take for their ears to perk up. Large males are usually the slowest. When the puppy is cutting its largest teeth, the cartilage drains and the ears fall off. After they have finished teething and the permanent teeth have erupted (around 7 months of age), the ears should come back.
The German Shepherd breed was developed by breeding herding dogs with erect, partially erect, and lop-eared dogs. Erect ears were preferred and it was written into the breed standard, however the base of the breed cannot be changed. From time to time a puppy from our lines will need to have its ears tapped in order to stand up. Probably 1 in 50 puppies in our program has needed this. I have friends in the breed that breed different lines where EVERY pup in his litters needs to have their ears glued. I prefer not to breed lines with this type of maintenance. But from time to time the need to glue arises. And luckily, thanks to my friend who has so much experience, I know how to glue them correctly 🙂
The German Shepherd’s ears are made of cartilage that hardens as teething progresses and the supply of calcium used for teething returns to the ears. More than genetics will affect whether your pup’s ears stand up correctly. Excessively creating your puppy, letting your puppy swim and frequently keeping his ears wet, letting another puppy chew or play with him, an untreated ear infection (email us for advice on ear infection treatment). heard) and not feeding them the proper diet will slow down or even prevent them from standing.
Things that help them stand up? Adding calcium to their diet while teething (we use cottage cheese and yogurt), adding some unflavored knox gelatin to their diet (which contains cartilage), trimming some hair from the back of their ears, and giving them big beef bones raw to chew.
If at 5 months of age your German Shepherd’s ears have never stood up, not even for a while, or at 7 months if they aren’t nearly set, it’s probably time to help him in other ways.
What you will need:
* Insulating foam for 1 to 2 inch plumbing pipes
* Skin Bond Glue (can be ordered at a pharmacy, is made for human use, and is the ONLY type of glue we would recommend)
* Sharpie marker
* Exact knife (or utility knife)
Place the foam on the ear, starting at the base and trace the shape of the ear from the base to the tip and around with a marker.
Cut the exact shape of the ear and thin the foam as much as possible with a knife.
Apply Skin Bond to the inside of the ear AND the foam and allow to dry until slightly tacky before adhering to the inside of the ear.
Press firmly into the ear making sure the ear is flat and there are NO creases or folds at the back of the ear.
Hold the dog still for a couple of minutes while the glue sets. Try to avoid scratching or shaking your head as much as possible.
Leave on for at least 10 days. Keep your head DRY. Check daily for irritation. If before 10 days it starts to loosen, reapply glue where necessary. Take out carefully after 10 days. Leave the ears alone overnight and check in in the morning. If they are still weak, repeat the process again. Do not let the ears move for more than 12 hours before re-gluing, unless there is irritation.
I wish I had photos of the ears we’ve had to glue on, but it’s been so long since I had to, and I never took photos. If your German Shepherd has weak ears, he will have to be consistent and on top of things if he wants them to stay on their feet. A little effort now should give you a beautiful image for years to come. If the ears are not standing up at 9 months of age, the chances of having the correct ears are slim. After 12 months of age, they are few or none.
German Shepherd Breeder, Kaykohl Land
