german sheperd puppies

Question
We have two german sheperd puppies whom are brothers and are four months old. one of the puppies ears have been standing since he was about two and a half months old,the other ones has not.Is this normal and is there a time period that they should be standing up? Thank You Sharon.

Answer
Some puppies' ears stand easily and some do not.  You might need to tape the ears (your veterinarian can show you how to do this) so that the cartilage of the ear will harden in the proper position.  Also, you can exercise the muscles that lift the ear by whistling or calling the pup by its name.  This "alerting" will cause the muscles over top of the head to contract, lifting the base of the ear.  If these muscles get worked, it is easier for the ears to finally stand.