GSD owners! Really, how important is it that I....

[gritsar]

protect our new german shepherd's ears from being played with by his big brother Jax? Jax doesn't intentionally grab the ears, but during play, not having hands, sometimes someone's ears are going to end up in someone else's mouth.
All we've heard from everyone from the breeder to people on the street is "protect his ears".
How important is it really? I mean don't their litter mates play with the ears? There's pups born every day in someone's backyard that get roughed up pretty bad and if there ears are supposed to stand, they do.
We're not interested in showing either of our dogs. I only ask because DH would be really disappointed if Kane's ears don't stand and I'm getting exhausted here being an ear guard non-stop.
We've been keeping Jax on a drag line while he plays with the puppy, but that gets old. The only other option is to keep them seperated 100% of the time. I'd hate to do that because they do enjoy each other so much.
Kane is a pistol and giving Jax and the kitties a run for their money. 99% he's the instigator in their interactions and no, I am not keeping him in his crate most of the day because he is reliably going to the back door when he needs to go out.

 

[ConchRepublic]

I think as long as the ears aren't going to get torn there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thanks. There's not really any rough play going on. Just mouthing each other's ears, noses, feet, whatever body part they happen to get ahold of.

 

[Countrywife]

I've never heard that. We have ear and face chewing going on all the time. I personally would not worry about it if no one is getting hurt.

 

[lorieMN]

if they are going to stand they still should,,I guess if Jax was always grabbing the ears I would be worried,,but if its regular play I wouldnt worry about it much,,my two girls have slam dunked each other from the day I got them and 7 months later still do it,,both have perfect ears,,I have never had a GSD that the ears didnt come up,but I did see a male a couple weeks ago,2 years old,that his didnt and I have to say it looks really stupid when they arent up.

 

[Countrywife]

It took Bear forever to stand his ears up, and even now, they will sometimes fall if he isn't concentrating real hard. I think he is all soft and fluffy and adorable with his ears down.

 

[Bluemoon420]

It took a lot longer for Sampson's ears to stand up then Sophie's. Her's were up A LOT earlier. Sampson's ears went left ear up, right ear down. Right ear down, left ear up. Both ears down, both ears up, then one day...Ta Da! Both ears up and stayed up.

We used to call him Bow Bow Bear because his ears looked like bows on top of his head when he was a puppy.

They both played hard, and never had problems with their ears. Once they were up, they were up.

Bluemoon

 

[mylittlezoo]

DH wouldn't let me snuggle on the ears of either of our GSDs until they were 6 months old..... I did it quietly while he wasn't looking of course, they are so soft and fuzzy .... but I was careful and ours all stand up. My vet is a GSD specialist and she told me to be careful when touching them to make sure they don't fold. Apparently it can damage the cartilage and prevent them from standing. I dunno.

 

[jerseygirl1]

My soft-eared Angus - the GSD rescue that helped me with him said an all-raw diet would make his ears stand up - I found waving a squeaky toy will do the SAME exact thing
Everyone thinks his soft-ears make him look younger than 5

 

[ChickBond 007]

I have to agree with the previous poster about the 6 month rule. GSD ears, through overbreeding in the last 50 years in the U.S., may have deficiencies not seen in the breed earlier. Some GSD's ears have to be taped/molded, or worse yet--surgery, to achieve that "stand up look" for those that show. Even today, we don't mess too much with Cedar's ears. He prefers to be petted on the chest/belly anyway.