The AKC breed standard for Chihuahua ears calls for prick (up) ears, but purebred Chihuahuas can still have floppy ears. Some people claim that “if they are not up by the time the chi is six months old, they will never go up”.
I don't agree with that statement; while it may hold true for some dogs, the photos on this page show how ear position progressed in one of my own Chi babies.
In the first photo Dandy was 2 months old, then 6 months, and finally both ears were up at 10 months.
Chihuahua ears can rise and fall throughout the teething period. While your Chihuahua puppy is teething, don't be surprised if their ears droop. You may notice the tip of one ear bend forward one day and the other ear the next day.
This is completely normal. Just as a human baby drools while teething, a Chihuahua puppy's ears reflect the teething stage.
I've also noticed that Long hair Chihuahua ears seem to take longer to stand than those of their Short haired litter mates; this photo was taken at 8 weeks old.
Several techniques may encourage the ears to stand, but they don't always work.
Some even say that "if they stand from intervention, they were probably going to stand anyway".
Methods you'll find listed elsewhere include taping the ears up for a while, adding extra calcium to help build cartilage, and massaging them.
If this is a major concern for you, research any method before you try it.
While it's true that some ears never go up (known as broken down ears), that doesn't make your droopy-eared Chihuahua any less purebred.
Yes, in the show ring they're supposed to be up....they're supposed to weigh under 6 lbs, they're supposed to be perfect.
To me, mine are perfectly loveable with ears up or down.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Chihuahua Ears
Do all Chihuahuas have prick (up) ears?
The AKC breed standard calls for prick (up) ears, but as this page explains, pure bred Chihuahuas can have floppy ears. A droopy-eared Chihuahua is still a purebred.
If my Chihuahua puppy's ears aren't up by six months, will they ever stand?
Not necessarily. Some people say ears that aren't up by six months never will be, but this page disagrees — the photos here show one of the author's own Chihuahuas with ears that were both up at 10 months.
Why do my Chihuahua puppy's ears go up and down?
Chihuahua ears can go up and down throughout the time they are teething. It is quite normal to see the tip of one ear bend forward one day and the other the next day.
Do Long hair Chihuahuas' ears take longer to stand than Short hair Chihuahuas'?
According to this page, the ears of a Long hair Chihuahua seem to take longer to stand than do their Short haired litter mates.
What does "broken down ears" mean?
It refers to ears that never go up. As this page notes, this does not make your droopy-eared Chihuahua any less purebred.
Are there ways to help a Chihuahua's ears stand up?
Some methods listed out there include taping them up for a while, extra calcium to help build the cartilage, and massaging them. They don't always work, and some say ears that stand from intervention were probably going to stand anyway. If this is a major concern for you, research any method before you try it.
I've also noticed that Long hair Chihuahua ears seem to take longer to stand than those of their Short haired litter mates; this photo was taken at 8 weeks old.