german shepards ears

Question
We got a German shepherd, now 8 months old. big floppy ears don't want to go up. Is taping them together the best solution now and how long should they be taped up? Is there a better solution? Many thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi Bob;
Was he/she played with by rubbing the head in scuffling, over the ears?
That can break down and/or weaken the ear muscles.
When I got my first GS puppy, I was working all day.
I gave her hard rubber toys to chew on, and they sqweaked, and they halped keep her happy when I was at work.
She was just a baby, so I came home on my lunch break to feed her and spend a little time with her.
I always heard those toys sqweaking when I got close to my door.
My upstairs neighbor said she layed with them all day.
All that gnawing must have been good ecercise for her muscles in her jaws and ears, because when she was 3 months old, there was not even a little tipping down on the ends. Her ears were standing up like an adult GS ears should.
Get your dog some Kong toys and NylaBones for her to play with.
The NylaBones can be stuffed with peanut butter or cheese to encourage them chewing.
They not only save your shoes etc from being chewed up if accidently left on the floor, but they exercise the jaw muscles, and they provide th teething exercises they need to sooth the sore gums and help push the new teeth through.
Any time now, withing the next couple of months or so, she/he will star cutting the permanent teeth, and the chewing will start again. Give him/her something safe and beneficial to chew on.
Check out these sites to see what toys are offered, and you can get them at most Pet stores.

http://www.nylabone.com/products/


http://www.dog-training.com/kong.htm


Taping them up might help.
I have seen Dobes with those contraptions on their ears, and they loook miserable.
are you sure she is purebred GS?
Cold there be a little bit of something else in there, enough for floppy earred genes to show, but the GS markings and confirmation be prominent?
If there is just a little bit of blood from another breed, one that has floppy ears, your dog may have gotten just those genes from that ancester.
If the ears were pulled on a lot, or the dog was played with in a way that held the ears down etc, that could have broken down the muscles that make thm stand up.
If none of those things factor in, it could be just weak muscles and with exercise they might stand up nicely.
I think their ears normally start to stand up really well at about 6 months or a little older.
Don't give up.
I have only had a couple of GS's and it has bn a very long time since I showed Gs, so I have forgotten a lot.
I would suggest you look up some of the major GS kennels in the US, and email them about the ears.
They would have a much broader experience with them.
I know, a friend of mine breeds, shows etc, some GREAT German Shepherds, and Pat knows a great deal about the breed. She has raised them for years. Her kennel is out in Pennsylvania.
Here is her website.
Tell her I referred you, and email her your concern.

http://www.schreknhaus.com/litterspuppies.html

While you are in the site, look at the pics of her Shepherds.
She has some GORGEOUS dogs.
Charlotte