25/03/2023
When do my Puppy’s Ears Stand Up?
Whether a puppy’s ears stand up is due to a number of different factors including diet, exercise and breed.Belgian Malinois are a breed that should have upright ears. This process can seesaw from down to up and down and up, etc for up to 7 months. The ear support is cartilage and this cartilage grows, the ear becomes heavy and droops. Then the cartilage and muscles that work the ear strengthen and the ear straightens up again. This process continues until the ear is fully grown at 7 months of age.
To encourage upright ear carriage, you can ensure your puppy has an appropriate diet with ingredients that encourage cartilage development. Also, the muscles that work the ear are important and we often find that a session of chewing leads to more upright ear carriage. This is because some of the muscles that support the ear are also used in chewing.
Encouraging your pup to chew either chew toys or bones (chicken necks, chicken frames or brisket bones) is important. If you are using bones then choose softer bones with lots of tissue (meat, ligament, fat) to ensure a good chewing session. A lot of dogs around 4 months old lose ear carriage at the time of teething.
Have you heard the MYTH that extra calcium should be given to the pup because nutrients are being directed to the teeth instead of the ears? This is not the case and it is more likely that if the puppy has sore teeth, then it is not exercising the chewing muscles which help support the ears. Encourage your pup to chew a variety of things to allow teething and ear development.
