When can you tell how a BC's ears will end up? I know ears go crazy when they are teething, but can you tell before the teething or do you have to wait until after teething? I read that the ear set is genetic (is it?) so can you tell, roughly, by going with the parents ear set?
From what I have seen you cant tell at all Bens ears did everything - and still do My friends got a pup, both parents were floppy eared, all the siblings are floppy eared - but their boy is seriously prick eared
Thanks Jake's ears did some crazy stuff when he was teething and then set odd! One of Arrows ears is starting to slowly stick out a bit more (well, they both are but one is more sticky outy than the other ) so it just got me wondering
one trick is to gently turn a puppy over on it's back - the ears will fall into their natural set ( i.e position on the skull ) - but of course this won't tell you if they will be tipped or prick ears !
If they are going to be pricked ears you can usually tell sooner as sometimes they go up and stay up early (rips did by 4 months I think). Raves were touch and go for a couple of weeks around 3/4 months, but I was fairly confident they would be tipped...which they are. I'm not that sure on how genetics works for ear set in collies, sire of the litter had tipped ears and dam(rip) has pricked ears....all of the litter has tipped ears.
Border Collies shouldn't have"tipped"ears they should be erect/prick or semi-erect. Rough/Smooth Collies & Shetland Sheepdogs should have tipped ears 3 of mine have semi-erect ears & one has one ear almost erect & the other semi-erect Tipped Erect/Pricked Will they ?? Semi-erect
Star's ears were pricked at 15 weeks old, this was her the 1st time I saw them both pricked and they didn't go down again after this.
I would think you could call them whatever you like - as working bred border collies don't have a breed standard anyway
Thanks everyone Arrow's mum had pricked, and his dad had semi-erect (a bit sticky out though...). His ears were like this when I brought him home... And are now like this... So, I just got a bit interested His ears are different from each other now too...
If they continue the way they are going, I think they will be one of each ... His left one looks more likely to stand than the right... but who knows That is one of the fun parts about BCs... you don't know exactly how they will look!
Thank you He is a right character... such an utter dafty, and a terrible clutz Love him to bits already though...
Thank you. Teagan and RJJ (the dog in the last pic of Joedee's post) are actually half sister and brother, they have the same dad.
