When Do Blue Heeler Ears Stand Up? In-depth Explanations For Dog Owners

Blue Heelers, also called Australian Cattle Dogs (ACDs), are among the most gregarious, energetic dogs recognizable by their perky, upright ears.

Their thick waterproof coats come in blue mottled, blue, blue speckled, or sometimes red speckled with tan or dark markings. 

Their ears enable them to hear approaching strangers and predators thanks to their innate alertness.

These canines tend to be cautious, which makes them great security dogs.

While these dogs are famous for pointy ears, some still feature floppy ones. So, when do Blue Heeler ears stand up?

If you are curious about the answer, you’ve landed on the right site. Let’s scroll down this article to address this question!

When Do Heelers Ears Stand Up? 

At what age do heelers’ ears stand up? They will stand up when these dogs reach the age of roughly 6 months. 

At this time, their ear cartilage gets stronger. However, depending on the dog, only one or both of a Blue Heeler’s ears will permanently stand up.

The cartilage and muscle inside their ears must be sturdy enough to support this body part when it points upwards.

Usually, it takes about 6 months to notice a notable change in the ear’s stance. However, it can occasionally happen later.

When your puppies start teething, their ears may occasionally become upright relatively early before becoming floppy again.

That’s because the teething stage may take nutrients away from the cartilage that supports the ears’ erect stance.

Besides, the accumulation of calcium deposits will sometimes make these body parts excessively heavy to stay upright.

In this situation, many dog owners wonder: Will my Blue Heelers ears stand up? Luckily, yes!

Once all those teeth have fully grown, the nutrients can reroute, the calcium accumulation will diminish, and their ears will start to stand up again.

when do heelers ears stand up

Blue Heeler

Why Do Some ACD Ears Not Stand Up?

As shared earlier, most Blue Heelers will have upright ears when they reach the age of about 6 months.

On the other hand, ACD ears don’t stand up permanently. It doesn’t mean your dogs have health issues but don’t meet their breed standard. 

There are two primary reasons behind this phenomenon: floppy ears and genetics. Let’s see!

Floppy Ears 

It’s best to know the age of your dogs. If they are still puppies, their ears may be floppy. 

However, if your Blue Heelers reach the age of 6 months, these body parts may need extra support to stay upright. 

Locate the ears’ position on their heads. They that can stand up are often higher on their heads and stand closer together. 

If your dogs are over 6 months old and don’t show any signs of upright ears, it may be due to a lack of essential nutrients and muscles. 

Besides, the cartilage of your ACDs is too soft to hold their ears straight. Also, these body parts are too heavy and big to support. 

Genetics

The ears of your Blue Heelers are not upright because of genetics. If that’s the case, you can do nearly nothing to help them. 

It doesn’t mean your ACD dogs are not healthy. They are energetic and in good physical condition with their floppy ears. 

when do heeler puppies ears stand up

The reasons for floppy ears

What If The Blue Heeler’s Ears Never Stand Up? 

In this case, if the ears of your Blue Heelers are heavy and oversized while the muscles and cartilage are too weak to hold them, they will never stand up. 

However, their ears not standing up won’t affect their robustness. It’s just a matter of aesthetics.

If you keep these dogs as pets, it isn’t an issue. Nevertheless, these ears aren’t eligible when you want to breed these canines for standard.

How To Make A Blue Heeler’s Ears Stand Up?

As mentioned above, you don’t need to worry if your Blue Heelers don’t have upright ears. These body features don’t affect their health. 

However, you can apply many ways to make these floppy ones straighten if you prefer upright-ear dogs. Let’s look through the following tips!

When To Intervene

Before learning to stand the ears up, you should ask yourself: When should I intervene to shape these body parts?

If you intend to show your dogs, it’s best to intervene immediately after noticing these parts can’t stand themselves. 

That’s because the upright ears are Blue Heelers’ breed standard. A dog with floppy ones is not recognized as an ACD. 

Steps And Tips To Stand The Ears Up

If you want to show your ACDs, here are some guides to making their ears straighten. Keep reading!

Tip 1:

You can shape their ears by slowly moving them upward and downward to stimulate the strength required in muscles for this body part to straighten unaided.

Tip 2:

Give your dogs chew toys. Chewing will assist your dog’s jaw and head muscles, notably those responsible for holding the erect ear, for strengthening.

Tip 3:

Using medical tapes to keep the ears in position is also great. 

Most breeders recommend this method when dogs are around 2 to 3 months old. Ensure you consult with a veterinarian before taping your pets. 

Tips 4: 

Nutrient deficiency is a factor causing floppy ears. Thus, providing your dogs with high-quality food is essential to boost cartilage and muscle growth. 

If you don’t know what to feed your dogs, let’s watch this video:

when do blue heeler puppies ears stand up

Tips for making Blue Heelers ears erect

The Growth Stage Of Blue Heeler Dogs

This breed passes through several growth phases throughout these crucial life stages and changes its size and appearance.

If you plan to keep some, it’s better to pay attention to the critical milestone in the growth stage, as shown below:

0 To 8 Weeks

As we know, during this stage, the puppies rely on their moms for survival. It takes them about four weeks to begin opening their eyes.

They begin to interact with their siblings and explore things around by the time they are six weeks old.

So, they need to be entirely weaned when eight weeks old and be prepared for the new housing.

2 To 6 Months

At this stage, the breed should weigh 10 to 20 pounds. And they will be curious, playful, and affectionate toward the owners.

Besides, their ears will also start to erect. 

6 To 12 Months

These dogs should weigh 30 – 40 pounds, and their ears will straighten on their own. They should be social with other members and pets.  

1 To 2 Years

Your dogs are fully grown at this stage. They should weigh 50 – 60 pounds and obey your rules. 

when do blue heeler ears stand up

Growth stage of this breed

In A Nutshell

When do blue heeler ears stand up? Around 6 months old, these dogs will start to have upright ears. 

Remember that not all canines in this breed will have this body feature. Some may feature floppy ears, but it doesn’t affect their health. 

You can apply the above-mentioned methods if you want to support their ears to straighten. 

If you have further questions, please comment below. Thanks for taking the time to follow this post.

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