Welsh Pembroke Corgis are among the most popular dogs in the United States, and for a good reason. Corgis are affectionate, intelligent, playful, and lovable and make wonderful pets. One thing about Corgis that you might be wondering about if you have a Corgi puppy (or plan to adopt one) is when their ears will stand up like they typically do. Most Corgi puppies will see their ears stand up between 2 and 6 months. Interestingly, many dog experts believe that if a Corgi’s ears don’t stand up by 6 months, they never will, although according to others, that’s not 100% true. They say some Corgis’ ears will eventually rise, so be patient.

You might have other questions about your Corgi’s ears, such as why does your Corgi have one floppy ear, how can you help them stand up, and how can you tell if your Corgi’s ears will stay floppy?  For the answers to these intriguing Corgi questions, read on!

Do All Corgis Have Pointed Ears?

While you might be under the impression that all Corgis have pointed ears, that’s not 100% true. For example, some Corgis will have floppy ears, and some will have one ear that stands up and one that stays floppy. There are also Corgis with round ears (similar to a particular famous mouse) which is an interesting (and rather hilarious) adaptation to their ears that’s becoming more popular because it’s so incredibly cute!

Why Do Corgis Have Such Big Ears?

Their large ears make it easier for Corgis to communicate and hear their owners, dogs, and other animals. Also, since they were initially bred as herding dogs, having big ears allowed Corgis to hear commands when out in the field or pasture herding sheep and cattle. Lastly, large ears may give visual clues to other dogs and help a Corgi express its emotions more fully.

How Can You Tell if a Corgi’s Ears Will Stay Floppy?

When they’re born, their ears are floppy and only begin to open about 2 to 3 weeks after they’re born. At that point, their pinnae, the big, floppy parts of their ears, will begin to become stiff and stand thanks to the cartilage inside. This change, however, isn’t guaranteed to happen. As we mentioned earlier, there’s a chance your Welsh Pembroke Corgi’s ears will stay floppy throughout its life.

One way to tell if your Corgi’s ears will stand up eventually is to make a sound from a few feet away that attracts their attention. Saying a word like “food” or a phrase like “want a snack?” might be all you need. When you say the word or phrase, watch your Corgi’s ears. If they’re still floppy but stand up when you use the word or phrase, the chance that your Corgi’s ears will stand up someday is high. If their ears stay low even if they hear and pay attention to what you’re saying, the chance their ears will stand up is much lower.

Should You Give Your Corgi Calcium to Help Its Ears Stand Up?

Low levels of calcium, which is one of the main minerals in cartilage, are often thought to be the cause of floppy ears. Calcium levels can be low in your Corgi if they’ve just gone through teething, and some pet parents give them calcium supplements to help. Veterinarians, however, recommend against this as too much calcium can negatively affect your Corgi’s skeletal system and cause deformities. For that reason, giving your Corgi foods with plenty of natural calcium, like high-quality yogurt or a spoonful of cottage cheese, is better.

Which Supplements Can You Give a Corgi to Help Its Ears Stand Up?

Although we’ve seen that you shouldn’t give a Corgi calcium supplement, there are a few you can give them safely to help their ears stand up straight; they include:

Why Do Some Corgis Have One Floppy Ear?

Very few rules about Corgi ears are written in stone, which is why it’s genuinely difficult to say if and when your Corgi’s ears will finally stand up. Many factors can interfere with a Corgi’s ears, including their genetics, parents, injuries they’ve suffered, their diet, and whether they have any other breed of dog in their blood. Some Corgi puppies sleep in unusual positions, which could also affect one ear and not the other.

The only person who might be able to tell you why your Corgi has one ear that stands up and one that flops is your veterinarian. Some vets, though, might still be unable to tell why your Corgi has one floppy ear because the signs and reasons might be so subtle.

Does Massaging Them Help a Corgi’s Ears to Stand Up?

Some dog owners believe that you’ll help them eventually stand up straight if you massage your Corgi’s ears. That’s not what some vets and dog experts think, however. The reason is that massaging your Corgi’s ears likely won’t do anything with no direct blood flow in the ear cartilage. On the other hand, some believe that the skin around the ear cartilage, which does have blood flow, can be massaged to help the cartilage get stronger.

Some Corgi experts believe that the cartilage is broken down when you massage your dog’s ears. Since cartilage takes a long time to grow and develop, massaging increases the time it takes for a Corgi’s ears to stand up. In other words, the jury seems to be out on whether massaging their ears will help your Corgi’s ears to stand up.

Can Taping a Corgis’ Ears Help Them Stand Up?

You may have seen dogs with tape on their ears, which is usually there to help their ears stand up and make nice, attractive points. You can do that with Corgis also, and many Corgi owners use this method. However, after about 6 months of age, it likely won’t have any effect. That’s because, at 6 months (usually when they stop teething), your Corgi’s cartilage will be fully grown and stay the way it is for the rest of their life.

Taping does work by giving the cartilage in your Corgi’s ears time to strengthen and harden. Unfortunately, taping can also be very uncomfortable for your Corgi and has to be done for about 2 to 4 weeks.

Conclusion

In most cases, a Corgi’s ears will stand up when it’s 2 to 4 months old, give or take a few days. However, a few Corgis will never have ears that stand up, and some will have one ear that stands and one that flops. Also, some Corgis have rounded ears that will never have the points that so many dog owners love.

They will, however, still be just as lovable, affectionate, agile, energetic, and fun. We hope the information we’ve provided has been helpful and answered all of your most pressing questions. Remember, whether standing up or flopping all over their face, your Corgi loves you!

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Featured Image Credit: Alvan Nee, Unsplash