The reasons German shepherds being so famous are manifolds but the most glaring reason is how German Shepherds look. Be it their graceful color, thick coats, respectable and intimidating stature, and adorable pointy ears. This all gives a majestic look to our favorite dog breed. However, owners may have to deal with a German Shepherd floppy ears condition.
This is not an uncommon problem and while floppy Ears might look highly adorable, they can also affect your German Shepherd’s overall look.
Therefore, if your dog also has floppy ears, this article is just for you as we will explain all the possible reasons for German Shepherds having floppy ears. And to further help out our valued readers, we have also included some common ways through which you can get this problem sorted out.
It is Probably Nothing
Before we start telling you all the reasons that might result in your German friend having folded ears, it is better that you be aware of the fact that having floppy ears is as natural as it gets for German Shepherds. Therefore, you shouldn’t get extremely anxious if your pup has floppy ears.
Most likely than not, his ears will naturally straighten up as he grows older. German Shepherd ears typically start standing straight when they hit five months or around 20 weeks.
The reason for this to happen is that this is the same age when German Shepherds stop teething which is further caused by the strengthening of facial muscle. This further aids in the rigidity of ears which causes them to start standing straight.
All this is why we recommend our dear readers to wait for around five months before starting to get worried about their dog’s ears.
What Causes German Shepherd Floppy Ears?
Now coming to the fundamental question of what exactly causes German shepherd floppy ears. Unfortunately, there is no single culprit towards which we can point our fingers as there are multiple reasons that can contribute to German shepherds having floppy ears. Following are 3 common reasons.
Genetics
The dog pedigree plays a vital role in what kind of physical attributes your dog will exhibit. Dog genetics can ber defined as “the study of passing down characteristics from one generation to another.” Therefore, the reason for your pooch having floppy ears could simply be genetics.
If your dog has floppy ears, then it means that either one or both of his parents had the same attribute meaning that they also had floppy ears.
Therefore, professional dog breeders put great emphasis on the genetics of dogs that they decide to breed. This minimizes the risk of unwanted traits such as a floppy ear condition.
That’s why we recommend that our dog owners only get puppies from breeders who are professional, respected, and ethical.
Physical damage or injury
Ears are sensitive and this holds true for German shepherds as well. An injury can easily affect the stiffness of your dog’s ears.
This doesn’t mean that you should start keeping your dog from being active as you can’t stop dogs from … well … being dogs. All you can do to prevent this from happening is to keep an eye on your German shepherd while they are playing.
Make sure that they are not around any blunt obstacle or any other thing that can seriously injure them. Dogs also like to bite each other while they play and therefore you need to keep them from hurting each other ears to prevent any risk of injury.
That being said, dog owners need to understand that getting hurt is just part of the game for dogs and therefore, owners need to be prepared for any medical emergency. If you have a canine.
You should have basic knowledge of first aid to prevent your dog from having any permanent damage.
Owners should never pull, tug or twist their dog’s ears even while playing with them. Ears should only be touched in the form of soft pets that do not affect the overall shape of your dog’s ears.
German Shepherd Floppy Ears: Improper Nutrition
The essential thing that you can provide your dog to ensure excellent health is a quality nutrition plan. A dog with all of its nutritional needs fulfilled will surely be more healthy and fit than a dog that suffers from nutritional deficiency. Therefore, make sure that your
German Shepherd has all of his nutritional needs satisfied; otherwise, it can lead to several complications, including physical issues such as floppy ears.
The most common cause of nutritional deficiency in dogs is the use of poor-quality dog food. Many dog food brands don’t care about the health of your dog and to drive up profits, they make their dog food products from sub-par ingredients that are unable to meet your dog’s nutritional requirements.
Dog Owners should always pick premium quality food, full of protein content. It should be made from quality protein sources such as real meat.
Dog food must be free from any allergens and should have all the required essential vitamins. Finally, it should also have the recommended fat content for the well-being of your four-legged best friend.
Solutions to German Shepherd Floppy Ears
Now that we have discussed possible causes of a German Shepherd floppy ears condition, you must be wondering what line of action you can act upon if your dog has floppy ears.
Well, no need to worry as there is a lot that you can do to help out your lovely pooch. Some of the ways by which you can help your dog overcome this problem are described below.
Use foam rollers gently and punctually.
Weak cartilage structure is a leading cause of dogs having floppy ears. The outer structure of the ear is known as Pinna, and it is entirely made up of cartilage. To protect your dog from having floppy ears, you must make the cartilage structure of the Pinna as strong as possible.
You can find a number of ways to do it, including offering your pooch food high in calcium content, taping the ear, or massaging the ear.
The most effective way to make the cartilage structure of the Pinna stronger is by massaging the inner side of the ears with a foam roller. This will boost the cartilage forming filaments known as Collagen.
This, in turn, increases the density of cartilage present in the ear structure, which makes them stronger and sturdier. And in this way, using foam pillars to massage your dog’s ear can help prevent him from developing floppy ears.
Provide your dog with chew toys
German Shepherd floppy ears can also be caused by to weak muscles in the face and forehead region. These muscles are responsible for providing the ears with the required strength to remain standing straight.
Therefore, if these muscles get weak, your dog becomes highly susceptible to problems such as floppy ears. Therefore, you should make sure that your pooch has good muscle density.
A straightforward way to accomplish this is to provide your German Shepherd with the proper chew toys, as chewing can be a perfect exercise for his muscles. Muscles tend to break up during exercise, and eventually, when the muscle heals, it becomes bulkier and more robust than before.
That’s how muscle development happens all over the animal kingdom and therefore, the same goes for dogs. As the dog works on his chewing toys, the facial muscles will become more robust and this will promote rigid ears in your German Shepherd.