I can hear you! 14 types of dog ears

When you were younger, you most likely drew a dog with floppy ears. But nowadays, you'll see dogs with floppy ears, pointy ears, or even ears where one is up and one is down! This leads us to wonder exactly what ear types dogs can have. Unlike humans who have one, dogs have 14 different ear shapes, due to thousands of years of breeding and evolution.

1: Prick

Prick ears, also called erect, pointy, and upright, is commonly seen in Shepherd dogs and spitz-type dogs such as this Samoyed. It is said that dogs with erect ears have better hearing. The erect ear stands tall with a sharp 'v' shape.

2: Candle Flame

Candle Flame ears are ears that are erect but taper of at the top with a curve, resembling a candle flame. This Toy Fox Terrier shows this nicely.

3: Blunt-tipped

Blunt-tipped ears are ears that are erect but with a blunt tip where the ear appears rounded instead of pointy. French Bulldogs such as this dog are a clear example of this.

4: Bat

Bat ears are similar in appearance to Blunt-tipped ears, but are angled more to the front. Pembroke Welsh Corgi's show this ear type.

5: Hooded

Hooded ears are erect ears that curve inwards, as shown on this Basenji.

6: Cocked

Cocked ears, also called semi-erect, are ears that are erect that tend to fall over halfway. Herding breeds such as the Border Collie are prone to this ear type.

7: Butterfly

Butterfly ears are ears that are erect with a long amount of feathering. Papillons are the representative of this breed.

8: Button

Button ears are ears that have bases that point the ear upwards, but the top of the ear, called the pinna, folds down over the base. This ear type is shown in a lot of terriers, such as this Smooth Fox Terrier.

9: V-shaped

V-shaped ears are ears that lays flat in a triangle shape. The end of the end is blunt. This ear is seen in a lot of sporting breeds such as this Viszla.

10: Pendant

Pendant ears, also called folded ears and drop ears, are ears that are flat but hang low past the dogs jaw. These ears are shown in a lot of hounds such as this Basset Hound. It is said that pendant ears help move scents upwards towards the dogs nose as the ears move along the ground.

11: Rose

Rose ears are ears that have erect bases but the ear itself falls to the back, giving a rose-like appearance. The ears are normally short. Dogs such as Greyhounds feature these ears.

12: Filbert

Filbert ears are ears that are exclusive to only the Bedlington Terrier. These dogs have v-shaped ears but with a pom-pom of fur on the end.

13: Lop-side

Dogs that have lop-sided ears have an ear that is erect and an ear that is either semi-pricked or drop. Dogs such as shepherds and collies, like this Basque Shepherd Dog, tend to have ears like this.

14: Cropped

A dog with cropped ears has ears that was altered from their natural shape into a look that pleases humans. Dogs such as American Pit Bull Terriers and Doberman Pinscher's such as this one, are born with floppy ears, but humans decide to alter them and make them look pointy. Cropped ears can have many different looks.

Despite having many different ear shapes, a dog can hear far better than humans. We humans can hear about 20 feet away, while a dog can hear about 80 feet away! Wonder why we can't hear dog whistles but you dog seems to cock his head when you blow it? The dog whistle does make noise, but our ears can't pick it up because it is to high. Maybe take considerations when you play loud music as this can hurt your dogs ears. Happy reading, and of course, Canine Good.