When do the ears of a German shepherd get up?

Nowadays, German Shepherds are very popular among dog lovers. They can be faithful companions, even if they are at home, as they get along well with small children. Moreover, they are often brought up as guard dogs. Some, however, actively drive representatives of this breed of dogs to exhibitions, so it is especially important for such people to monitor how the ears of a young pet stand up. We propose to consider at what age the ears rise, how to put them in the puppy at home, and also the possible reasons if they did not get up.

From birth, like all other dog breeds, shepherd dogs' ears are not fully formed. At an early age, they are fairly soft cartilage that adheres very tightly to the puppy's head. After some time, his ears begin to grow with him, increasing in size. The moment of ear formation must not be missed, because, having reached a certain stage of development, the cartilage will transform into an elastic plate that cannot be changed.

The perichondrium is responsible for the formation of the ears - it depends on it how the puppy's ears will develop. It becomes a kind of conductor thanks to small vessels and capillaries, through which the necessary substances that are responsible for its growth and formation penetrate into the cartilage.

Many have noted the fact that a German shepherd puppy has ears much larger than its head at an early age. This is due to the vigorous activity of absolutely all parts of the puppy's auricle. From about two to four months, cartilage cells in large quantities begin to secrete collagen and elastin - substances that contribute to the growth of the ear. Thus, the development of the ears is ahead of the general development of the dog.

In the first period of development of a small shepherd dog, you should not panic about the shape of its ears. At this age, the cartilage should be in exactly this position. One of the features that causes inexperienced owners to panic is the initial formation of the dog's ears, and then their fall. This phenomenon is directly related to the change of the puppy's teeth. Thus, it turns out that at the age of 2 months, the ears may rise, and after a month they fall again. This is a natural process that nothing can be done about it, so do not worry ahead of time.

When the puppy is 4 months old, the production of growth-stimulating substances is drastically reduced. So, by the age of 5 months, it is practically reduced to zero, it is during this period that the auricle acquires a certain structure and density. There is no need to worry if the cartilage is not yet standing during this period. Perhaps they will rise 30-45 days later than the due date - this is still considered normal. Now, if the dog reaches 8 months of age, and the ears are still hanging, then, undoubtedly, you need to sound the alarm.

Many make the mistake of following the formation of cartilage from the very birth of the German Shepherd, but this is too early an age for setting. It should be borne in mind that each dog will develop in its own way, so do not expose the puppy too often.

To make sure that the ears stand up, it is advisable to provide the dog with all the vitamins required for their formation, as well as performing simple procedures for better formation. We propose to consider the main ones.

• Many dog ​​breeders add bone meal, various fish, and kefir to the standard diet of a puppy.
• It is advisable to massage the dog's ear, which is necessary for proper blood circulation and strengthening the cartilage, but this procedure should be performed carefully so as not to harm the pet.
• The owner may deliberately make sudden noises or rustles. Thus, the puppy will strain its ears and stand up to pick up the sound.
• It is required to monitor the health of the puppy. For any abnormality that you may identify (eg irritation, allergies), you should immediately go with your pet to a qualified veterinarian for consultation.

As mentioned above, if the dog has reached a certain age, and the ears do not rise, then this may be due to various factors. It is very important not to miss a moment and go to the clinic to see a specialist. The veterinarian will examine the dog, ask you a series of questions, and then determine the exact reason why the ears do not rise.

The most common reasons for this deviation are the following.

• Ear injuries during the birth of a baby.
• Diseases directly related to the ears.
• An allergic reaction of the body to certain foods.
• Previous diseases before the formation of the ears.
• Improper dog housing conditions, including inappropriate diet.
• Lack of essential vitamins for becoming.
• Few outdoor walks.
• The use of the wrong bio-dressings or their absence in the diet.
• The pet's parents have some kind of hormonal disruptions.
• The height and weight of the puppy is not age-appropriate.
• The occurrence of any stressful situation that affected the dog.
• Bad heredity.
• Reaction to vaccination or lack of it. This is how your pet's body can fight one of the viruses.

It is wise to see a qualified veterinarian in the first place. Only a specialist will be able to accurately determine the causes of such a problem and suggest a solution. In addition, there are a number of ways you can help your German Shepherd's ears to grow stronger and shape up at home at home. They should also be discussed with your doctor.

Most veterinarians state that if by the age of 8 months the ears are still not standing, they will never rise again... In this case, the only solution would be to perform a surgical operation, during which the puppy is implanted with artificial implants that give the required shape. Of course, the problem will still remain, but the dog will have the necessary characteristics to participate in various shows.

We propose to consider some of the most effective ways to place the ear. In the first case, the owner will need to have large foam rubber curlers (an alternative may be a small tube), a white surgical patch, medical glue, as well as a solid (without sharpening) pencil, stick or any other oblong object.

1. Remove the central axis from the previously prepared curler and insert a 20 mm stick inside. The surface of the curler needs to be smeared with glue.
2. The design is inserted into the dog's ear so that it does not harm the puppy and does not block access to the ear canal. When the curlers are in place, you need to press down on the surface of the ear so that it adheres to the medical glue, but do it carefully.
3. After that, you need to glue the ear and curlers with a plaster. At this point, you need to hold a pencil or stick, depending on what you have chosen. The wrapping process must start from the bottom up, while it is required to do this not too tightly so as not to harm the baby and not disrupt blood circulation. As soon as you come to the end, the stick is removed from the curler.
4. The next step is ear stabilization. To do this, you need to attach an ice cream stick to the back side, and then fix it. This will fix the selected position.
5. The puppy needs to be distracted so that he does not remove the bandage until a certain time.
6. The winding should be on the ear for no more than two weeks, the optimal period will be 10 days.

Another way is to provide the puppy with the correct amount of calcium. This will require giving the puppy a tablespoon of cottage cheese or yogurt at every meal. However, it is worth refraining from purchasing and adding food supplements to the diet, because an excess of this element can be deposited in the bones, and this will lead to a number of problems in the future.

The most gentle way to set your ears is to stick them on.

• Take a pair of identical pieces of cardboard.
• The puppy's auditory canal is plugged with cotton wool and the weak area of ​​the ear is shaved, where the cardboard will be glued. It is required to treat the clipped area and the sticky side of the patch. Such a procedure is required in order to exclude painful sensations during further removal of the adhesive. After the treatment has dried, the plaster is glued and smoothed in the selected place.
• Then a piece of cardboard is taken and greased with quick-drying glue. It must be glued, holding the ear, and then fix the selected position with a plaster.
• The glue stays on the ears for no more than two weeks.

After the ears have formed, it is necessary to prevent them from falling again. This may well be if you stop paying attention to the cartilage, as soon as they have acquired the correct shape.This requires constantly making loud noises, but so as not to frighten the dog, this will keep the ears tense. It will be useful to massage the ears for better blood circulation.

A German Shepherd puppy requires special attention when setting ears. Naturally, not every owner needs them to be of the correct shape, since not everyone gets a dog to participate in competitions. However, it should be understood that set ears in a shepherd dog is correct both from the aesthetic side and from the physiological one.

See below for two ways to raise your German Shepherd's ears.