Hello,
It’s worth noting that for dogs with ***** ears, they generally start standing up between 2 and 6 months old.
However, a puppy’s ears might not stand up at the same time, or they might even flop back down before popping up again a bit later. For some pups, it can happen quite late—sometimes as late as ten months. Until they reach that age, there’s no need to worry if your puppy’s ears still seem a bit floppy.
There are several reasons why your dog’s ears might not be standing up yet:
It could simply be late development, and you just need to be patient and wait for them to lift on their own.
Their ears might be too heavy: This often happens with breeds that have large ears, which is the case with your Malamute. Their size makes them heavy, which can prevent them from standing up by themselves.
The cartilage might have been weakened: While playing, a puppy might bump themselves and damage the cartilage in their ears, which interferes with them standing up. This can also happen if their ears are handled or stroked too much, for example.
The puppy might be a bit run down: If a puppy has been ill and is feeling weak, they might lack muscle tone, which can delay the ears standing up.
It could be down to genetics: Generally, a purebred dog won't have any trouble getting its ears to stand up. It’s more common in crossbreeds. Occasionally, it can be a genetic fluke in a purebred dog, and in those cases, there isn't much you can do.
To help the process along, try to avoid touching your puppy's ears and make sure they are on a good quality diet. It’s also important to remember that if their ears never stand up, it won’t have any impact on their health later in life.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Best regards,
Laurine
