Parenting takes up a lot of time and effort, but it brings a lot of pleasant emotions. Caring dog owners do their best to keep their pets healthy and looking good. The beautiful exterior of the dog is heavily dependent on compliance with the standards of a particular breed. For the German Shepherd, one of these pedigree attributes is the classic setting of the ears, which makes the representatives of this breed recognizable and speaks about the successful development of the puppy. It is far from always that ears are planted in the right way without human intervention. That is why puppy owners are eager to find out when the ears of German shepherds stand, what difficulties may arise, and how to overcome them.
Proper puppy ears
When a puppy of a German shepherd gets ears, it is important to pay attention to how much their landing corresponds to the current standards of this breed. The ears of the German Shepherd should be medium in size and pointed in shape, set on a wide base. The direction of the ears is strictly forward and upward. Any deviation from the described standards is classified as marriage, including broken or dangling ears, as well as a distortion of direction. That is why considerable attention should be paid to the puppy during the period when the ears of the German shepherds stand. A photo of the correct fit of the ears will help to notice the deviations that arise. It is imperative to do this on time.
When German Shepherd Ears Stand Up
This question is raised so often that, it seemed, specialists had long had to come to a common point of view. However, when it comes to when the ears of the German Shepherd should stand, opinions differ somewhat. Some experts say that the puppy's ears begin to rise from two months, and this process continues until the age of five months. While others consider it normal to set up your ears at six months of age. In exceptional cases, the ears can finally stand up at the age of eight months. However, it’s worth worrying even if at four months the puppy’s ears have not even begun to rise.
Causes of deviations in ear planting
Why does the ear of a German shepherd stand in the wrong way? As with any other health problems, the causes of the disorders are divided into congenital and acquired throughout life. So, for example, if the puppy’s parents suffered from a similar problem, it is likely that their offspring will also have it. Sometimes the cause is the structure of the musculoskeletal system of the dog. Also, improper development of the ears can provoke both mechanical injuries and infectious diseases, hypothermia of the dog, a lack of vitamins necessary for the safe development, as well as a number of diseases that slow down the body's development process, overweight or extremely low puppy activity.
How to prevent abnormal development
As practice shows, the harmonious development of the dog fully depends on its owner. The first thing you should pay attention to is the dog’s nutrition. It must be balanced, rich in essential minerals and vitamins. The amount of food should correspond to the weight and age of the puppy. A dog that is regularly overfed is much more likely to get into trouble with the development of ear cartilage. In this connection it is necessary to walk with the puppy enough. Physical activity can prevent a large number of health problems. It is important to monitor the health of the ears, especially during the period when the ears of the German shepherds stand, and regularly clean them, carefully avoid any mechanical damage.
All kinds of infectious diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system are also dangerous. Caring for the puppy's health during the period of its active development should be the primary task of the owner. Daily physical activity, massage of the dog’s auricle and constant comfortable temperature in the room where the puppy is kept will also benefit.
Puppy ears raising
If by the age of four months, when the ears of the German shepherds rise, the ears of the puppy have not yet begun to rise, it would be reasonable to resort to some more effective measures. In fact, the owner of the dog has the power to correct the situation and help the ears to rise in the right way. It is important to pay attention to the fact that before such procedures it is necessary to make sure that the dog’s ears are absolutely healthy and not damaged mechanically.
Raising ears with adhesive tape
First, it is important to verify the necessity of this method. To do this, you should carefully feel the dog’s ear for the so-called weak points, when clicked, the ear rises independently. If such a site is located in the upper part of the auricle, then the problem will be solved by itself and additional intervention is not required. If the weak spot is located in the lower part of the ear, then the crease exists and it is necessary to resort to gluing. It is important to use a high-quality patch, which would not provoke irritation on the skin of the dog.
First of all, you should carefully shave the wool from the auricle, as well as clean it of any contaminants, whether sulfur or dirt. Next, two strips of the patch should be cut, which would be about the same size as the area of the inner surface of the ear. They need to be glued together: the side without the adhesive coating is glued to the adhesive side. This double strip is glued to the inside of the ear. The ear must be carefully twisted into a tube and fixed vertically with a patch. You can wear it for ten to twelve days.
Ear lift with foam
This method is quite simple to implement. It is necessary to cut the foam tabs with a diameter half smaller than the width of the auricle and a length slightly smaller. Foam tabs are inserted into the shorn and clean auricle, the ears in several layers are fixed at the base in an upright position using a hypoallergenic patch.
Often it will take two to three weeks to lift the ears in this way, in some cases about a month. After removal of the structure, the ears will be properly set upright.
These and other issues of dog care should be investigated by anyone who plans to have a German shepherd puppy: how many months the dog has ears, what are the ways to raise the ears, how to protect the dog from developmental disabilities. Indeed, the health and happy life of a dog in a family fully depends on its owner and the responsibility that he bears for the life of his pet.