Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey there guys, i have been kindof lurking on this site, enjoying the helpful info! I have a GSD that is just about 20 weeks old. He is an awesome companion, and best friend to my cats(odd as it sounds!) Anyhow. My question is this, well 2 fold, first off, my dog has a very strange selection of treats. He loves the normal bones and veggies, but his absolute favorite thing(found by accident) is jalapeno peppers. He will go nuts for them! My question is will these in any way harm him? Im hoping they wont, but i want to get the feedback from others on if the will or not, because he absolutely loves them. And my second question, his ears still wont stand, they stand when he goes to attention, but only 1/2 way, then when hes back relaxed they will just flop back over, i was just wondering how normal this is? i have read that not all GSDs ears jump up, im guessing my boy is one of those. anyhow, any feedback on those two questions would be much appreciated!

Congrats on your new puppy..Jalapeno peppers eh? LOL,,I don't think I'd want to give mine to many of those, one for the diarhea/stomache upset and two, not sure how "hot" they are that they could screw up his system..I'm sure one every once in awhile is ok,,but doubt I'd be giving them to my 10wk old puppy.

It sounds like he likes to eat "anything" which may not just be limited to jalapeno peppers.

As for his ears,,all my GSD's have had their ears up by 12 weeks old..Some can take a few months longer, and may drop when teething..I would be concerned if the puppy was 6mths old and his ears were not up, tho I know some may come up after that..Generally by about 6mths if they aren't up and standing strong, you've probably got a weak ear set,.

Soooo, I wouldn't start worrying just yet
diane

I think I would e gentle with the jalapenos, too, although many yrs. ago I tried to discourage our GSD pup frm chewing on wires by appluing tabasco sauce---- wroooong! Didn't bother her t all! I fact I watched her lick it all off! I wondered if they have the taste buds to react to the hot stuff and I still don't know! LOL! But I too would be concerned about the possible irritation they can cause to the entire GI system.
Try giving him some green or red bell peppers- maybe he will enjoy them as much.
GSD eats can take as long as 1 yr. to stand up, so don't panic- and there still may be a "lazy" ear. But, will that diminish your love for the dog? You might try feeding some raw hambuger or raw ground turkey. It is very good for the dog and may provide more nutrients to build the ear cartilege. I am good friends with a GSD breeder who feeds a competely raw diet. I see 3 of the pups from a litter of hers that is 4 mos. old very regularly. Those pups ears are pretty much up but not all the time and some of those ears are a bit "lazy" at times. I wouldn't worry about the ears at this point- they still need time to grow & strengthen. But that's just imo!
Nancy