Cross Breeds

are all German Shepherd puppies fury and fluffy when their small?

and when they grow does it come out straight? When do their ears fully erect, my GSD ears are slowing going up.

Public Comments

1. German Shepherds can come in assorted coat lengths. Some are shorter and others are longer/fluffier. German Shepherd fur should be straight (possibly slightly wavy in some sections such as the rump). As for the ears erecting, sometimes they need a little extra help. We had my GSD's ears glued together to help them stay up (don't use normal glue...find someone with experience on gluing/taping dogs' ears).
2. yes all the german shepherd puppies are fury and fluffy when they are small.their ears will fully erect when they are about 3,4months.
3. Nope, not all are. They come in short haired, plush and long coat. When they lose their puppy fur it will come in straight although some may have a bit of wavy fur on their back/rump. It depends, some GSD's ears come up at an early age ,my GSD's were up at 7 weeks. Some can take as long as 9 months! Though at that time you can pretty much guarantee they won't come up. They go up and down a lot during teething, but eventually they will go up and stay up. If they are not up by 6 months you could tape them up, there are lots of how to's on google.
4. ◙ Add http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_GSD_Source to your browser's Bookmarks or Favorites so that you can easily look up such as rescue groups, feeding, vaccinations, worming, clubs, neutering, size, diseases, genetics. Then Join the group - the bits mentioned above are open to anyone, but other sections are only for members. You can then Click Photos and look in the albums for Ears and for coats.. Pups have "fury" only when a sibling attacks them. I will deal with "furry" in the Coats section. EARS: These can first erect at any time from 4 weeks to never, depending on genetics and health. Teething is such a strain on health that almost all ears soften while that's happening - the Ears album shows you many of the positions those softened ears temporarily adopt - and they can change from day to day! Nearly all GSDs have 2 permanently erect ears by, or while, 7 months old. The longest I've had to wait was 9 months. • Do NOT let anyone talk you into gluing or taping. As a breeder, I want to know what the GENES intended. As an owner, you need to be aware that a pup who finds the glue or tape irritating will spend the night trying to kick the irritation away - and by morning might well have kicked haematomas into each ear, making them so heavy that they can never erect. the only "assistance" I approve of is what you should be doing anyway: Last thing each night Pup gets a gnaw bone (e.g., part of an oxtail or sheep spine). The gnawing not only gives Pup something to do while you are boringly asleep, it also:- cleans teeth, dislodges deciduous teeth, helps permanent teeth break through the gum, exercise the facial muscles that control the ears, and any bits digested have the perfect calcium : phosphorous balance. COATS: I'm not going to indulge in debates about the differences between "fur", "hair", "pelt", "wool". I just claim that GSDs are furry; that they are required to have guard-hairs and a woolly undercoat. The original GSDs had 5 different coat types, but 2 disliked types were due to dominant alleles and so were quickly "bred out" of the gene pool. The remaining 3 coat-types are the effect of 2 alleles in a single series. • Stockhaars have the traditional short-coat (about 55mm/2" long over the shoulders), harsh, flat-lying, with a very dense & tight under-coat. Weatherproof, and easy to clean. • Langstockhaars aka "plush coats" have an intermediate-length coat (about 80mm/3¼" long over the shoulders), softish, with wisps in ears and along the belly, but retain an adequate undercoat for working in all weathers. However, they require considerable grooming to remove tangles and mud, and water clings to their softish guard hairs instead of running straight off the outside. • Langhaars aka long-coats have hair so long (about 150mm/6") and soft that it parts along the spine even when dry; the undercoat is inadequate and may even be absent. Useful only as an indoor pet, and require huge amounts of work to clean & dry them every time they go out into rain, snow, mud, etc. But beloved of those who think "cute" is important - some knuckle down and do the grooming; others neglect their pooches. To sort-of answer your question: If you want a functional GSD, avoid any pup whose coat feels soft - from those whose attitude & character & physical soundness meet your requirements, choose one of those whose coat feels a little "bristly". Regardless of what sort of pup you choose, BOOK YOURSELF INTO A PROPER TRAINING CLUB's WEEKLY CLASSES so that you can start being coached when Pup is 18-22 weeks old.. The proper age to bring a pup home is at 7-to-9 weeks old, and you must STAY HOME with it 24/7 for at least the first week. There are lots of requirements before I or a proper rescue group or SPCA shelter will allow anyone to have a pup. I hope you met them all BEFORE you accepted a pup. ◙ To ask about GSDs, join some of the 400+ YahooGroups dedicated to various aspects of living with them. Each group's Home page tells you which aspects they like to discuss, and how active they are. Unlike YA, they are set up so that you can have an ongoing discussion with follow-up questions for clarification. Most allow you to include photos in your messages. Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly "In GSDs" as of 1967