# Chihuahua ears....Is this normal???



## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

I want to know if something is wrong with my Sophie, the following pictures were taken over the past month and I don't understand why she changed and thought maybe you guys might have an opinion.

This was taken in early July.......




This was a couple of weeks ago.....



And this was this past weekend....



Why suddenly are her ears down? Could she be sick? I know the cartilidge is not broken, because she still holds them up when she hears a noise or is sleeping, but the last week they have been down. I just think it's weird.

Anyone have any opinions on this? She is almost 7 months old just in case you guys need to know that.


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## Jessicashield (Feb 13, 2015)

maybe it's that her ears are maturing faster that her head hence the reason they are flopping over since she is only 7 months old. The weight/size of the ear may not of been getting enough support and so flopped down. 
When Millie was just a few month old one of her ears did this but it only lasted a week and it pointed up again. 
Hope this helps


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Is she teething? Often ears will flop when they are losing their teeth and return to being erect once all the adult teeth are in.


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

She got fixed on August 6th and they said all of her adult teeth were in except for 2 and they extracted those, so no she has all her adult teeth now.

I just think it's strange that in a month her ears went from completely erect to both of them down!!! I mean they could go back up, but I just don't understand it.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

If they extracted two baby teeth, her adult teeth coming down may be causing the flopping


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

I had to take Sophie to the vet yesterday because she has an ear infection and had a rash all over her so she had an allergic reaction to something, but we don't know what. 

Anyway that's not really the point. The vet said she didn't think her ears were going to go back up. I don't know why they started that way and then ended up flopping, but that seems to be what's happened. She's cute either way, I just thought it was weird. She said it might be hereditary. 

She was also only 1 pound when I got her at 7 weeks and now at 6 1/2 months she's 6 pounds!!!!!

I thought she was going to be a little 4 pound chihuahua and she's not even done growing and she's 6 pounds!!!!

I guess you just never know!!!!


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## Dorothy's Mom (Apr 8, 2015)

Jwm14 said:


> She was also only 1 pound when I got her at 7 weeks and now at 6 1/2 months she's 6 pounds!!!!!
> 
> I thought she was going to be a little 4 pound chihuahua and she's not even done growing and she's 6 pounds!!!!
> 
> I guess you just never know!!!!


Is there any chance she's not a full Chi? I only ask because of the growth combined with the ears falling.

I hope she's feeling better, poor soul.


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

I don't think so. We saw pictures of the parents and the dad was a smooth coat Apple head and the mom was a long haired Deer head. 

She's a deer head, that's why I think she's bigger than the average chi. Is 6 pounds bigger than average at 7 months? I don't really know. 

I mean if you look at the pictures that I first posted in this thread her ears are straight up and they were like that until this past week, so like I said I don't know what it is other than genetics. The vet told me that with chi's everything is in the genes. 

If she's not full chi I can't imagine what she's mixed with because she doesn't look like any other breed to me.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

An ear infection could also cause her ears to droop.
6lbs is not big at all, the ideal size for showing/breeding is 4-6lbs, so she isn't going to be a big dog. She could definitely be mixed, there is never any guarantee that the parents you are shown (especially if just pictures) are the actual parents of the puppy you buy. She could have some terrier or Italian Greyhound in her maybe. Floppy ears are hereditary, but can also be caused by weakness or damage to the cartilage.


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

Well she holds them up when she feels like it, I'll look at her sometimes and they are up, but then when she's just chillin they flop down so I don't think there's any damage. 

She looks like a Chi to me, not a mix, but I guess there's always that chance that the people we got her from lied and sent us fake pictures, but I don't think so. 

It doesn't really matter if she wants them down. That's her thing, I just wanted to make sure something wasn't wrong. I googled it and some chi's ears don't stand up, it's up to the dog. She's adorable either way!!!


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

Love her markings. She's adorable! I don't see purebred chi. I can see some terrier in there for sure. Or even Italian greyhound like Stella said. Whatever the case, she's adorable.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I wasn't implying that they lied to you. I have seen too many cases where people have paid lots of money for pedigree puppies from carefully planned matings and the pups have still turned out to be mixed. Just because you have taken your pedigree bitch to a very well bred stud dog doesn't mean she won't entertain the neighbourhood lothario lol (or any other male dog in the household) A bitch will mate more than one dog during her season if she has the opportunity so litters with more than one father are not uncommon.


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

Well we got her from some people down the street from us, and they barely charged us anything for her because the guy had just lost his job and needed money. Both parents looked like chihuahuas, but again we only saw pictures because we met him somewhere to pick her up. 

I just think it's strange that her ears have stood up this entire time and the at 7 months she decided she doesn't want to hold them up anymore. It's her choice though.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

It could simply be that as she has grown, the proportions of her ears (overall size to thickness) has changed, and they are too big to be held upright now. I am a huge fan of the floppy ear on a Chi, it makes them look like pups their whole lives.


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

Yeah she does look really adorable!!!

Here is a month ago....



And here she is now.......




Interesting is all!!!


On another notes do y'all's dogs hump anything? Sophie has been fixed, but she humps the side of her bed like crazy!!!! Nothing else except the side of the bed, I mean she really goes at it!!!!


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## Bexasaurus (Aug 7, 2015)

From what I have read about it, the muscles they use to hold up their ears are associated with chewing, so when they are teething the muscles get tired and don't stand up. So that might explain why they do down when she's relaxing... Maybe she just doesn't want to put in the effort! Rook's still flop up and down, they were both folded when I got him, then started standing up, and now are up and down again. That said, if the vet thinks it's okay there is no need to worry! She is such a beautiful dog. Hope she is feeling better!


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

She is better, she is not a fan of the ear drops though!! She hates that part!!


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## Jenna&JoJo (Aug 30, 2015)

I've currently got Jo's ear up with Breathe Right strips and wearing an e-collar until he gets used to it for a bit. I'm a stickler for matching ears and he has soft ears that like to change on sometimes a daily basis but his right ear started hardcore flopping over 24/7 last week, so I'm going to try giving them some support for a week or two and see how they do. I don't think it's cruel at all, I mean at how many other breeds have to tape ears...


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

I don't care enough to tape them, it's not that big of a deal to me, but I do think she is a full blooded deer headed chihuahua. Some in here don't agree with me, but I looked up the Italian greyhound chihuahua mix and she looks nothing like that. I then look up deer headed chihuahua and she looks exactly like that. I want to get her DNA tested now though, because I never questioned it before and now I'm curious!!!!!


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

The Deer head is not bred to a standard, the standard for a Chihuahua requires an apple domed skull, moderately short muzzle etc, it is the opposite of a Deer headed Chi. So when people are breeding Deer heads they are breeding whatever they like, hence the huge variation in type.
She could also have just a dash of another breed in her rather than a 50/50 straight cross. Many three quarter bred dogs look a lot like purebred dogs.


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## Corona Pup (Jan 27, 2015)

I may be opening a whole can of worms here, but, if you don't plan to show or breed your chi, what does it matter if they are pure bred or not? Granted in this case Sophie is a little bigger than you expected but she is beautiful and I'm sure you love her emensely! I don't know, this is coming from a rescue mom, so maybe I am missing something! All I knew was Corona was listed a "possible chi mix" and I rhink I ended up with a pure bred, although not to standard as she is definitely a deer head. Anyway not wanting to offend anyone either way, just curious?


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## Jenna&JoJo (Aug 30, 2015)

I dunno Corona, I think it's just wanting to get "what was on the label"... ya know? 
If you wanted a new dress but got given a beautiful skirt, well, there's nothing wrong with it but it's not "what you ordered" lol

I think it's natural to idealize what kind of dog you want and go to lengths to pick and choose color and coat and look at pictures and fantasize and then be a little concerned or even ruffled if the pup doesn't turn out the way "it should".

There are so many reasons one might be passionate over having a pure bred even if they don't ever plan to breed or show. For one thing, when you purchase a purebred from a reputable breeder what you're buying is predictability of lineage which tells you a set of standards that you know that that pup will grow develop into; height, weight, coat, temperament, breed personality, some health things, etc. Some people want to know exactly what they're going to get and don't want a dash of terrier personality in their Chi for random example.
For some other people, it could be purely a status symbol. People like to show off their purebreds just like cars or jewelry, I can't say if that's right or wrong, I don't judge, but I've seen it.

For me, I have 3 Chi's from backyard breeders. They are all purebred, I'm intimately familiar with the genetics of two of my 3 Chi's enough that I know they're pure and my other came from two dogs from show breeders but they were not show dogs themselves, etc. So, basically backyard breeders. But they were not bred to standard at all. They were bred loosely with no preference for the traits that fit the breed standard. I love my dogs to death but it's frustrating for me personally. My bitch has a HORRID under-bite and rosebud ears and she's a whopper at about 9lbs. My dog is large as well at about 8lbs, and he's got fiddle front legs which drive me nuts to look at. My pup is 7 monthsish now and while I'm overall very happy with him, I'm peeved about his ears being flopped... Part of the breed look is to have pricked ears. 

It's all about personal preference! Nothing wrong with it one way or another. But I can say for CERTAIN that my 4th Chi, whenever that happens... will be from a 100% reputable breeder. I don't care if I have to sit years on a waitlist, I'll wait for something more predictable.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

Jenna&JoJo said:


> I dunno Corona, I think it's just wanting to get "what was on the label"... ya know?
> 
> If you wanted a new dress but got given a beautiful skirt, well, there's nothing wrong with it but it's not "what you ordered" lol
> 
> ...



Perfectly said Jenna! I'm one of those ones that don't like to be "duped" in any way! It literally infuriates me. Off topic but I am an avid Chanel bag collector. And although there are some good...actually fantastic imposters out there. I prefer the real deal. Both vintage and new. 

With my first two chi's, I had no clue what to look for. Though I did extensive research for local breeders. I knew nothing about backyard breeders. I just knew I wanted a cute chi. I was told my chi's would be in the 5 lbs range. They exceeded that at 7.6 lbs currently. Kendall is a great looking sable long coat deer head with an amazing personality. Bailey is gorgeous but poorly bred. He has the "roach" back, one of his ears folds backwards and one lip constantly gets stuck on his tooth lol. I actually love all of his quirks though. 

I kinda got it right with my last two chi's. Braxton is 4.4 lbs, gorgeous long coat and not too typey. She is an apple head but not extreme. Her parents were apple heads but there are deer heads in her background. She has a nice domed skull, close to 90 degree stop and relatively short muzzle that is more narrow. Drawback: she's extremely shy and a loner. Otherwise very sweet and excellent temperament, almost never barks. Ava is nearly perfect. She is the best bred of her parents according to her breeder. Perfectly round dome, short muzzle, large round luminous eyes, excellent stature and weighs 3.6 lbs. drawback: she's temperamental ( I'm currently working on that) I think if I ever got another I'd want one similar to Ava in looks and size but with a double coat.


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## Corona Pup (Jan 27, 2015)

Jenna&JoJo said:


> I dunno Corona, I think it's just wanting to get "what was on the label"... ya know?
> If you wanted a new dress but got given a beautiful skirt, well, there's nothing wrong with it but it's not "what you ordered" lol
> 
> I think it's natural to idealize what kind of dog you want and go to lengths to pick and choose color and coat and look at pictures and fantasize and then be a little concerned or even ruffled if the pup doesn't turn out the way "it should".
> ...


Thank you ! This really makes a lot of sense! And be certain I wasn't judging either, at all! It really was a curiosity question and you answered it splendidly! I often wonder how I got so very lucky with my pound puppy, she was certainly a gamble! I also had no idea what I wanted and just fell upon being a chi owner! I walked in and this little princess needed a home. So tiny, nothing I never thought I would own! So yeah, I now get that if I wanted specific, I'd be mad wirh something else! Your "dress/skirt"
Comparison was spot on!!!


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## Corona Pup (Jan 27, 2015)

Chiluv04 said:


> Jenna&JoJo said:
> 
> 
> > I dunno Corona, I think it's just wanting to get "what was on the label"... ya know?
> ...


Again, not judging it was just curiosity! It all makes sense now! It would be like me sending my daughter jeans with sparkle on the butt and tell her to pass them
Off as "Miss Me"s! She wouldn't have it!!!! Lol!


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

You guys, I don't really care if she is a full chi, I'm just curious. The pictures I saw were here Apple headed dad and deer headed mom. I didn't go to a breeder either because I could care less about that kind of stuff, my husband saw this puppy and her siblings on Facebook on a resale site and the guys girlfriend had 2 chihuahuas that had sex and had the babies. He wanted to surprise me with a small breed dog because I can't have a big breed because I'm handicapped and can't walk them properly. Anyway he brought me home my sweet Sophie for our anniversary and surprised the heck out of me!!!! So I love her whatever she is, but like has already been discussed the guy sold us a chihuahua and nobody has ever questioned that she was a chi until her ears flopped and I asked you guys about it. I don't see Italian greyhound or terrier in her so I'm just curious now!!!!! You are all correct though she might not be 50/50 chi at all!! She could have 20% of something in her. Who knows!!! It would be cool to know though. That's all.


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## Jwm14 (Apr 21, 2015)

Also if I had a fenced in backyard and didn't have this dumb handicap I would have rescued a dog from a shelter in a heartbeat. 

My husband tried 3 different shelters before happening upon Sophie on Facebook and they all immediately said no because our backyard isn't fenced in, so he did try to rescue, but they wouldn't let us. 

Sophie is so sweet though. I'm glad none of that worked out.


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