One of the most appealing features of French Bulldogs is their endearing bat ears. However, most new Frenchie owners wonder whether their dog will have floppy or erect ears since their ears are not up immediately or several weeks after birth. The following article explains why French bulldog ears are temporarily down and when the owners should expect them to stand up.
The French bulldog is an intelligent, affectionate, and fun-loving breed. Most people describe them as the owner’s companion. An intriguing fact about these pets is that their ears do not look the same. Some are floppy while others are pointed. This issue sometimes raises concern for most Frenchie owners.
When Do French Bulldog Ears Stand Up?
Every French bulldog has its own timeline for growth but their ears take between five to fifteen weeks after birth to stand and stay up. This process often occurs when the puppy is teething. Dog owners should understand that sometimes, one ear might stand up before the other and I have known some Frenchie owners where it takes 7-8+ months for the dog’s ears to fully stand up.
Here’s a photo of a French Bulldog puppy who’s ears haven’t gone up yet:
Watching the French bulldog’s ears erect is an interesting process. During the teething phase, these ears go through different phases before they stand up fully. For example, they one day one ear might be up while the other one lays down and the next day the opposite ear might be down while the other one is up.
Additionally, one ear might erect several weeks before the other one.
The time that the bulldog takes for its ears to spring up depends on the speed of its development. In most cases when you pick up your French Bulldog puppy at 8-10 weeks of age their ears should already be up.
Here’s a photo my breeder sent to me weeks before we picked him up to bring home (notice his ears have already popped up at less than 8 weeks):
Here’s a photo of my French Bulldog Augie the day we picked him up from the breeder:
A dog with a high development level takes days while others might take weeks or months. When your Frenchie’s ears pop up can vary so don’t worry about it too much.
Why does my French Bulldog have floppy ears?
Almost every Frenchie has floppy ears after birth. This information proves that your pet is perfectly normal with the cute floppy ears and you should not worry about them. As mentioned earlier, every French Bulldog puppy is different and their ears may go from floppy to erect at different stages in their development.
Erect ears are part of the French bulldog breed standards and one of the features that give them their characteristic look. They benefit these puppies by improving air circulation and reducing the risk of developing ear infection. When the ears remain folded, they are likely to trap moisture and block free air circulation. These conditions facilitate the growth of yeast and bacterial infections.
Do all French Bulldogs Ears stand up?
Most French bulldogs have erect ears by the time they reach the age of two months. However, some owners indicate that french bulldog ears never went up or their pets’ ears took seven to eight or more months to erect. Statistics indicate that approximately ten percent of French bulldogs have floppy ears in their adult life. The chances might be minimal but you should love and be proud of your pet regardless of this imperfection.
Why Are My French Bulldog’s ears are still down?
If you are wondering why your french bulldog ears down, you should know that having down ears is not abnormal. You should also be patient instead of panicking because these ears might require few weeks to stand. In most cases it will just take time for your Frenchie’s ears to stand up fully. In some cases, the ears never go up, but this does not means that the dog is abnormal or unhealthy.
Here’s a picture of a French Bulldog puppy who’s ears haven’t fully stood up yet:
The following are the reasons why the puppy’s ears have not stood up yet even after teething:
In various French Bulldog Facebook groups I see new Frenchie owners saying things like “only of my French Bulldog’s ears is up” or “his ears were up and then went back down” “what do I do?” Let’s look at some of the potential reasons why they may have not stood up yet.
1. Teething
Teething is one of the primary causes of droopy ears in French bulldogs. However, this period is temporary and the ears might stand up immediately after the teeth development. During teething, a lot of the calcium in your Frenchie’s body is being devoted to formation of their teeth.
Calcium is also important in building up your Frenchie’s ears but their body can only do so much at one time. That’s why when teething in your Frenchie has finished they can then devote some of that Calcium to their more erect ears.
I have seen some people recommending giving your Frenchie some added calcium in their diet to assist with ear formation. The research is out on whether this effective or not but may be worth a shot!
2. Genetics
This is the primary reason your Frenchie may have floppy ears. Your French bulldog might have floppy ears because of its parents’ genes. However, you cannot change the Frenchie’s genetics, meaning that you should accept and appreciate its uniqueness.
When selecting a puppy, you should consider selecting an ethical breeder because it has a lower risk of genetic abnormalities. Alternatively, you can take the pet for a dog DNA test to acquire valuable information before purchasing it.
3. Trauma
This isn’t really a big reason why French Bulldog ears won’t stand up but something you can watch out for. These ears are still developing between birth and the age of eight months. The ears might have permanent damage and become droopy if they experience trauma during this period.
4. The structure of the Ears
Your French Bulldog might have floppy ears in their adult life if the pinna is larger and heavier than usual. Additionally, the muscles or cartilage holding the ears might experience an injury and fail to support the ear.
Every Frenchie puppy can use different strategies to prevent their pets from this situation. They include;
• Keep the puppy away from aggressive and extremely playful dogs that might tug their ears.
• Protect the Frenchie from kids who might rub, pull, or play with the puppy’s ears.
• Do not allow the pet to wedge its head up against the crate’s wall.
• Take care of Frenchie’s ears by cleaning them gently. Cleaning them aggressively can cause permanent damage or prevent them from standing up.
Should I clean my French Bulldog’s ears?
As I have mentioned previously, ear infection and dirt can prevent the Frenchie’s ears from standing up after teething. If you are wondering whether you can clean the puppy’s ears, you should understand that this activity is vital and useful. It is important to clean your French Bulldog’s ears properly.
These pets tend to react to various environmental allergens, including dirt and pollen. The wide structure of these ears makes them collect a lot of dirt from the environment. This information means that the puppy’s ears are vulnerable to various allergies and infections.
Cleaning them regularly reduces the risk of these environmentally-induced ear infections. Vets often advise French bulldog owners to clean their pets approximately twice a month. You should know that over cleaning can be harmful because it eliminates the natural wax that protects the ears. These professionals also indicate that the cleaning should be gentle.
Acquiring more information about the age and time that these pets’ ears require to grow will help you understand what to expect and the strategies you can use to encourage the pets get pointy-shaped ears quicker.
Young Frenchie puppies are usually born with their ears down. In most cases, the ears stand up by the time the owner takes the pets from the breeder to their homes. If you plan to take the puppy away from the mother at the age of eight, the ears will have already erected after teething.
The role of teething in the development of the French Bulldog’s ears
Most puppy owners fail to understand how teething relates to the ears standing up. During the early stages of the pet’s life, the body consumes the calcium for teething. This mineral’s distribution in the body determines the behavior of the ears. For example, they might go up, fall back, go up, or become droopy. For this reason, some dog owners feed their dogs foods like yoghurt with high calcium content to boost the growth.
Other researchers believe that the puppy’s jaw muscles weaken during the teething stage due to intense chewing. These muscles are directly connected the pet’s ears and hence influence their growth and the rate at which they stand up. For example, they are less likely to erect when the muscles are tired. However, this process corrects itself with time and the pet owner should enjoy this process instead of worrying about it.
At what age do the French Bulldog’s ears stand up?
This question does not have a specific answer because each puppy experiences different development. In most cases, you will notice a change with the ears when the puppy is five to fifteen weeks old. However, you should also expect other results that are different from the lovable bat ears that you were expecting. For example;
• Only one ears is standing up
• The ears might stand up one day and lay down the next
• One ear might be standing up while the other is droopy
• The ears are hanging at the top
All these things are natural and might occur at different times during the teething process.
Last month, I was listening to a French bulldog owner who was talking about french bulldog standing up and complaining that his Frenchie’s ears were still droopy after ten months. If you are going through a similar experience, you should understand that at this point, the ears might never erect. Therefore, you should learn to love your dog with the down ears.
Alternatively, you can consider seeking assistance to help those ears erect if they fail to show any signs by seven weeks.
How to Assist the French Bulldog’s ears stand up
Taping is the most common strategy that dog owners use to make their pets’ ears stand up after seven or eight weeks. You should ensure that a professional breeder performs this task to avoid damaging the pet’s ears.
Taping
This recognized method requires a tape with a width of 1.5 inches. The following are the step that the tapping process follows to assist the puppy’s ears stand up;
1. Tear the masking tape to the required size.
2. Pull the bulldog’ ear and make it flat. Ensuring that it is flat prevents the ears from appearing folded after removing the tape.
3. Wrap the base of the ear with the masking tape.
4. Repeat the steps on the other ear.
5. Cut another tape strip and use it to connect both ears across the puppy’s head to offer reinforced support.
6. Leave these taping for approximately five days and then remove them gently
7. You can also consider repeating the process for three months.
Using the Calcium Injection
It the tapping method fails to work, French bulldog owners can also seek assistance from a vet. In most cases, these professionals prescribe a calcium injection to boost the calcium levels. You should avoid including calcium supplements into the puppy’s diet without the vet’s guidance. Crushed eggshells are better than these calcium supplements because they provide natural calcium that cannot harm the puppy.
Giving the Frenchie Parasite Medication
Keeping your Frenchie free from parasites is another strategy that the owner can use to assist the ears to stand up. You should have a strict vaccination schedule and ensure that the puppy takes worm, flea, and tick medication. You should also take the French bulldog to a vet immediately you start suspecting a parasitic infestation. This professional will assess the pet and offer the right treatment.
Offering Chew Toys
Allowing your Frenchie to use chew toys can also assist its ears to stand up. Apart from strengthening the jaw bones, these chew toys alleviate the discomfort that the puppies experience during teething. For the best results, the chew toy should be high-quality and durable. Moreover, you should ensure that it is made up of an indigestible material.
Puppy owners should be cautious about the meals their pets eat during the teething period. For example, you can give it a real raw bone to prevent it from chewing furniture and other hard objects. The bone will also restore the calcium the French bulldog uses to grow the teeth. However, ensure that you are supervising it.
Change the Puppy’s Diet
Poor diet is another factor that might be preventing the French bulldog ears from erecting after teething. The most effective strategy of solving this issue is ensuring that the puppy feeds on high-quality food. Additionally, ensure that it consumes food with high calcium content. The balanced diet will also contribute significantly to healthy development of the Frenchie’s body and brain.
The Yogurt, Cheese, and Milk Theory
Many people believe that a French bulldog ears can stand up if the puppy consumes yoghurt and cheese. I believe that this method might be effective because these products contain high levels of calcium. The body further uses these nutrients to strengthen the body. Therefore, a Frenchie owner can add milk and yogurt in the dry dog food to feed it more calcium.
However, your puppy should consume small amounts of the puppy dairy because large amounts can upset its stomach. Excess calcium might also cause damage in the frenchie’s body. Consult with your Vet for a definitive answer.
Ensure that the French Bulldog receives adequate Veterinary Care
A qualified, reputable, and experienced veterinary should check your puppy regularly. He or she can diagnose the puppy to ensure that it is not suffering from an ear infection, genetic disorder, or underlying infection. The routine visits will help you ensue that the French bulldog’s health is stable and does not have ear issues that might affect them from standing up.
Summary – French Bulldog Ears
In conclusion, French Bulldog’s ears stand up naturally. The age at which this process occurs depends on the puppy but five weeks is the standard time. Frenchie owners should understand that it is normal for their puppies to have floppy ears. However, sometimes the issue might occur due to teething, ear infection, parasites, and poor dieting. Strategies like tapping and incorporating high calcium meals on the diet can assist the ears to stand up. You should use these methods after the teething period.
