Many dogs have floppy ears when they are just puppies. However, after a specific time their ears stand up naturally.
Akita puppies also have floppy ears and their ears also stand up as they grow up. But you might not know the exact timing so, probably asking yourself, “when do Akita’s ears stand up?”
So to give you a precise answer, this article is going to provide all accurate information with justifications.
When Do Akita’s Ears Stand Up?
Generally, Akita dog’s ears stand up when they are around 9 to 14 weeks old. As, until 9 to 14 weeks old, Akita puppies’ ears remain folded down. So from 9 weeks of age, their ears start to stand up. And by 16 weeks their ears stand up fully. If it doesn’t, taping is needed to make ears stand up.
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Akita puppies have droopy ears until they reach 9 to 14 weeks old age. After reaching 9 weeks of age, their ears start to stand up gradually.
And most of the Akita’s ears stand up by 14 weeks old. However, some Akita may take a little longer time. And their ears will be seen to stand up fully at 16 weeks of age.
If any Akita puppy’s ears don’t stand up fully by 16 weeks old, he needs taping to make his ears stand up completely.
At What Age Do Akita’s Ears Stand Up?
At the age of 9 to 14 weeks old, Akita’s ears stand up. Most of the Akita puppy owners have stated that they have seen their Akita fluffball’s ears stand up when the dog has reached 9 weeks old.
After that till 14 weeks old age, the ears were gradually standing up, and at 14 weeks old their puppies’ ears wholly stand up. Therefore, it will take 9 to 14 weeks of age to make the Akita pup’s ears stand up.
But this age is not fixed for every Akita dog. Some Akita dogs will take more time than usual. Therefore, it will take 16 weeks old age for them to make their ears stand up fully. And if it doesn’t happen, taping is a must.
Can Akitas Have Floppy Ears?
The majority of Akitas have floppy ears until they reach the age of 9 to 14 weeks old. Because during this period their ear muscles are too weak to stand up on their own.
But starting from 9 weeks old to 14 weeks old, their ear muscles start to get strong and gradually the ears stand up finely all by themselves.
However, if any Akita dog’s ear muscles are not so strong, they will stay floppy for a little more time. But by 16 weeks old, the muscles will be strong enough to make the ears stand up fully.
How Do You Tell If An Akita Puppy’s Ears Will Stand Up?
Akita puppies have floppy ears and some Akita puppies take more than usual time for their ears to stand up. And this can make you think about the factors by which you can tell whether an Akita’s ear will stand up or not. So, all the general factors are explained to you.
Breed
Dog breeds that are wolf alike with thick, double-coats and have gotten prick ears from wolf ancestors are most like to have standing ears. And it’s known that Akitas are a wolf-type of dog breed and have inherited all the qualities mentioned above.
So, just be assured that your Akita’s ears will stand up too. Even if it takes a little more time.
Check Ears
If you notice that your Akita puppy’s ears are standing up whenever he gets too excited, know that between 9 to 14 weeks old he will get permanent standing ears.
Another way of checking and knowing is the setting of his ears on his head. This means if your Akita pup’s ears are about to stand permanently, it will be set higher on his head. Also, the ears will be closer in distance than the flabby ears.
Diet
If your Akita puppy is getting enough calcium in his chewing phase, the cartilage in his ears will be developed appropriately too.
So his ears will stand up naturally on their own. Also, let him chew raw bones but obviously under supervision. Because chewing helps to build the ear muscles to build properly. And it helps Akita’s ears to stand.
Don’t Scrub His Head
Do not scrub his head. Because you may rub his ears and head out of fondness but it can break his cartilage making it soft and nimble. Which is not strong enough to support his ears to stand.
So you resist yourself from petting and rubbing your Akita’s head. And be assured that you are letting his cartilage will be firm enough to hold his ears standing.
How Can I Make My Akita Dogs Ears Stand Up?
5 effective ways to make your Akita dog’s ears stand up are going to be described below.
Tape His Ears
Taping an Akita’s ears is the most basic and traditional way adopted by breeders. Taping is such a method that will set your Akita’s ear in a specific posture and will train his ears to stand straightly when the tape is peeled off.
The most suitable way for taping is using medical tape. But you must start applying this method at your Akita’s early age, like when he is just 4-6 weeks old.
Because when you’ll keep your Akita pup’s eras taped as a pup, the ears will be trained to stand up on their own as an adult.
But before you start the taping process, make sure your Akita pup is ready for it.
Strengthen His Jaw And Head Muscles
The other effective way is to make your Akita puppy’s head and jaw muscles strong. Because muscles from these facial areas help to hold dogs’ ears. And know that weak muscles will always end up making floppy ears.
So to strengthen your Akita’s pup’s muscles, let him chew on chew toys as many times as possible in a day. It will make his head and jaw muscles stronger enough to make the ears standing up in a couple of weeks.
Trim His Ear Hair
Thick hair on your Akita puppy’s ear can cause saggy ears. Because it puts pressure on his ears and ears can’t stand up. So, all you need to do is take out a trimmer and trim the hair on his ears to reduce the burden on his ears.
Trimming will also allow your pup to get the correct erect structure.
Don’t Scratch His Ears
You must control yourself from scrubbing your beloved Akita’s ears. Because to quite a lot of extent scratching can make your puppy’s would be pointy ears become droopy.
Avoid Giving Too Much Calcium
Calcium is certainly a needed element for your Akita puppy during the teething phase but too much calcium can bring misery only. So avoid giving him too much calcium supplement as it can cause your growing puppy bone spurts, joint problems, or arthritis as well.
Why Don’t My Akita Dogs Ears Stand Up?
A few possible reasons might not be letting your Akita dog’s ears stand up.
The very first possible reason is, perhaps your Akita’s ear muscles are not strong enough yet to support the ears to stand up by themselves at the usual time.
Another probable reason is the lack of calcium during the teething/chewing phase. In this phase, all the essential nutrients and calcium are used for making your Akita’s gum strong.
And the other two possible reasons are thick hair on his ear and you scratching his head/ears. Excessive hair on the ears are like a burden to him and scratching can make his ears droopy.
Why Do Some Dogs Ears Stand Up?
Genetics and ancestry play the biggest role in determining why some dog’s ears stand up. Generally, dog breeds that have similarities with wolves are seen with standing ears.
As these dog breeds have inherited quite some qualities of wolves such as double-coat, upright ears, wolf-like like look, etc.
Therefore, most of the puppies of German Shepherd, Alaskan Malamute, Akita, and others dog breeds that have similarities with wolves have standing ears. Because standing ears legacy was passed to them genetically.
Why Tape A Dog’s Ears?
Dog owners or breeders tape a dog’s ears because of two evident reasons.
The first one, if their dog’s ears are supposed to stand up naturally but are not standing up at the usual time, they use the taping method to make their dog’s ears stand up.
Another reason is, some owners and breeders perform taking methods on their dogs in early puppyhood so that their dogs can have standing pointy ears on time.
The second reason is some owners like dogs with floppy ears. Also, less erect ears can avoid injuries. So they tape their dog’s ears down to keep them droopy. It’s performed especially on working dogs.
Is It Cruel To Tape A Dog’s Ears?
Taping a dog’s ears is certainly cruel as it causes pain. It only should be performed in special circumstances when a dog’s ears are not standing up on time or cartilage is weak.
Also, taping down is cruel too. Because it makes the dogs experience traumatic and painful experiences. It also causes a high level of discomfort.
Therefore, dogs should be allowed to make their ears stand up naturally rather than applying the taping process.
Akita dog’s ears will stand up naturally when the cartilage of ears is strong enough to hold the ears standing permanently. So at the right time, you will notice your Akita having standing ears.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why does my Akita follow me everywhere?