Standing Ears - Page 1

At what age should the ears begin to stand straight up. My 5 month old bitch ears stick out to the side. Sometimes they do go up, but fall to the side again. She is DDR pedigree and I was told that DDR dogs tend to mature more slowly. I was also told that teething has something to do with standing ears. Should I worry? Both parents have great ears!

Sometimes they go up quick (1 or 2 months), sometimes they go up at 6 months. Longer than six months is a little worrisome however, it can take as long as 8 months in rare cases. Giving them "knuckle bones" to chew helps get them up. Works out the facial and jaw muscles I guess. It can surprise you. One day you are worried and the next, wallah, they are up.

My DDR/Czech girl's ears went up, down, up, down, up down. Now that she's 4 months, they are as strait as pins, and she runs, they stay almost still. It takes time, and what I did, was a LOT of Tug-O-War, if you put them in drive, their ears go back, and it works the muscles. That was my experience any way. As "Do Right" said, the knuckle bones are great also, just make sure they're raw. Smoked or cooked can chip or splinter, which can be dangerous. If you want to check out my girl, she's now four months, and this picture gives a good view of her ears. http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/479294.html Good Luck!

another suggestion : try to put the dog in safe and controlled situations or contexts so that your dog must use it ears -- that may not complrtrly solve a soft ear issue but it will help stregnthen the ear muscles

I myself also is with the same dilemma // one thing i noticed is when you have your dog on a drive lets say, hes getting loco with a ball as if he was playing soccer.. his ears will stick together upright and when he is chewing up the ball trying to grab it he concentrates and is serious in what he's doing // It makes it (the base of the ears) firm (you'll notice only the tips will be soft) "you often get that from Jeck Noricum lines" With the placement of ears you have to massage gently inwards as to make them develop parallel lines and not outwards // Try to check also the thickness of the ears construction // if the base is wide enough to let the tips rise to the top // an option will be it your dog seems to have a broadbased ear that is to long...try to massage it CONCAVELY inwards to support the long ears // plus dont forget the mineral supplements Calcium and phosphates.. that where the RAW bones are very useful(also in TEETHING) My experience is the longer is takes to develop and a little bit of TL...(massage) the more rewards it brings (massage somewhat thickens the ears contruction) till next time

For the most part, it has to do with teething. By about 6 mths or so, your dog's ears should be up . In between 4-6 months, they'll go up down, one up, one down, both down, to the side, to the other side...ears have a mind of their own, and it has to do with their teething. To promote their ear standing, give them plenty of great things to chew on, and ask your vet about Vitamin C as well. If they're not up by 7-8 mths, you might want to start doing some research into gluing or taping. Also, make sure that your puppy's ear cartilage is not damaged during this period which could, inevitably, cause the ears never to stand up.

Ester C and Gelatin vitamin C (preferably Ester-C) is an essential and limiting nutrient for connective tissue formation. Gelatin is made from animal collagen. In all animals, collagen is an essential structural protein that forms an important part of bones, tendons, and connective tissues. It is a tough insoluble protein that is essential for keeping the many cells and tissues of the body together. Gelatin contains an exceptionally high content of two amino acids which play an important part in collagen formation, namely proline and glycine. In fact, it takes 43 grams of dried egg whites or 35 grams of dried non fat milk or 89 grams of lean beef to equal the amount of proline in just 10 grams of hydrolyzed gelatin. Though the body can form these two amino acids on its own, it has been suggested that under certain conditions the rate of synthesis may be insufficient to provide essential body requirements and degradation can exceed synthetic processes (i.e. there is a steady loss of body collagen). The intake of hydrolyzed gelatin appears to be an alternative route to getting chondrocytes (cartilage producing cells) and osteoblasts (bone forming cells) of the body sufficient amounts of these important amino acids for making structural proteins. Although chondrocytes are critical for collagen formation, their number is limited and their ability to form this much needed protein is influenced by heredity, age, physical activity (too little or too much), injury, and availability of nutrients. Although bone metabolism is quite complex and not fully understood, there is a growing number of studies showing the intake of just ten grams per day of hydrolyzed gelatin is effective in greatly reducing pain, improving mobility and overall bone/cartilage health. Several randomized, double-blinded, crossover trials have shown improvements in symptoms related to joint pain (Adem et. al. Therapiewoche, 1991). The people at Knox (the Jello people) have made a product specifically for bone health and joints called NutraJoint. It contains hydrolyzed gelatin, calcium , and vitam C. NutraJoint is cheap, has no side effects, and tastes good.

http://www.neocellcorporation.com/products-collagen+c-tablets.htm

Has anyone noticed a difference between males and females on when he ears stand up? My females ears have always stood up and stayed at an earlier age than my males.