German Shepherd Ears

Question
QUESTION: Hi. I just adopted a 3 to 3 1/2 month old German Shepherd puppy. He is a great little dog, lots of energy, already house broken, but has a left floppy ear. He is still teething.

I have had three German shepherds before and have never had to do this with any of them. How long should I wait for the ear to come up on its own, and what method should I use to tape them?

Any advice on what should or shouldn't be done with his ear at this point?

ANSWER: Most Shepherds' ears eventually come up on their own although in a few cases, not until almost a year old.  How many Shepherds over a year old have you seen that didn't have their ears up?  I haven't seen anything from a credible source on taping ears.  I suspect in many cases the ears would have stood up without it.  

I would watch his diet and otherwise leave the ear go.  I know too rich of a diet hurts the development of large breeds' joints.  Supplements are the worst thing you can do for them, and may hurt the ears too.  You should be feeding a puppy chow now. Switching to an adult chow for the larger breeds at 4 months, slows growth and helps develop sturdier joints.

Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx  Fortunately young Shepherds are more likely to show a little rib than be overweight.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your prompt reply. You were right on. A couple of days after posting this, his ear starting to struggle to stand on its own. Each day it was less and less floppy and now it has been up for three days. No tape!

Answer
I have the option to have a thank you note sent in cases like this.  Instead, I want to point out how helpful feedback like this is.  Even constructive negative comments help.  There are some areas I am very sure of my knowledge.  On the ears, I know in many cases they eventually come up on their own.  I don't think anybody really knows if taping helps.