© Working Dog Chihuahuas by Midwest, 2007

Will my Chihuahuas ears stand up?

Information on why ears stand and sometimes why they don't

Many Chihuahua owners, or future Chihuahua owners have wondered why some Chihuahuas ears stand and some do not.  What makes this happen?  Why are some puppies ears up so early in their development and others not?  Is there anything that can be done to ensure that your puppy will have standing ears?  These are all good questions and we hope to touch base on them here.

**Please note that we are not veterinarians and always recommend having your puppy/dog seen regularly by a licensed vet.  The following information is based on our PERSONAL experience as Chihuahua owners and breeders.**

We at Midwest Chihuahuas are proud to say that we produce Chihuahuas whose ears proudly stand tall, the only exception to this is Gettysburg offspring as she is from C and D's and is drop eared. But why do ears generally stand?  Well, we feel it is for several reasons...allow us to explain:

Chihuahuas ears SHOULD stand.  When reviewing the breed standard for the Chihuahua (regardless of AKC/CKC or others) it is clear that they should have erect ears that are healthy and although they may seem a little large, should be proportionate to their body.

Chihuahua puppies are born without standing ears of course, but during the first several weeks of their life, they will start to stand erect and should do so WITHOUT assistance from the breeder.  **Under NO circumstance will Midwest Chihuahuas tape, glue or in other fashion force the ears to stand erect and do not recommend breeders who do.

Generally around age 5 weeks, our puppies ears are standing.  Sometimes this takes until the 6th week of life, but rarely.  We have excellent success with standing ears!


As stated earlier, our Gettysburg is primarily drop eared. Being that this can be genetically coded, some of her pups ears do not stand but that does not mean they are not loving, beautiful, companion pets that make awesome additions to families. She is the only Mom we will not guaratee ears on.

Below you will find some things that can affect the development of your puppies ears: 

Diet: A good diet is very important!  If your puppy is not eating a high quality diet, that may have an affect on whether or not the ears will stand.  Please do not purchase a Chihuahua from a breeder that does not feed only the best foods.  Would you want your beloved best friend eating a low quality diet?

Stress: Sometimes stress can affect a Chihuahuas ears standing.  This is rare, but does occur.  One of our Chihuahuas had the very tips of her ears (both) down.  Normally we would have not breed this girl, however, her ears used to stand erect.  During the stress of her first litter, her ear tips dropped and for reasons unclear to us, never stood back up. All of her offspring have continued to have early freestanding ears.  This mom has since been retired.

Teething: This is IMPORTANT!  As your Chihuahua puppy grows, they will start teething as they begin to have budding adult teeth and the release of baby teeth.  During these times, your Chihuahua puppies ears will oftentimes droop. This is completely normal! If your puppy had standing ears, over 99% of the time their ears will stand beautifully again after the teething process is complete.  Some days one will be down, other days the other one and some days they both will be.  It is actually fun to watch and a neat way to watch your puppy mature.

Genetics: It is important when considering a breeder to consider what is really important to the breeder.  Here at Midwest Chihuahuas we are proud to offer colorful, active, healthy, socialized babies who are genetically sound.  Even though we love our colors, HEALTH is our top concern followed by being well socialized. When the parents' ears did not stand, the odds go up dramatically that their offspring will not either.  Oftentimes, this is not the only fault.  Please only purchase your puppy from genetically sound parents.  Do your homework, this is a lifetime commitment!