{"id":2499,"date":"2022-02-21T17:42:16","date_gmt":"2022-02-21T17:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/?p=2499"},"modified":"2022-02-21T17:42:18","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T17:42:18","slug":"do-american-pit-bull-terriers-have-pointed-ears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitbulltribe.com\/do-american-pit-bull-terriers-have-pointed-ears\/","title":{"rendered":"Do American Pit Bull Terriers Have Pointed Ears?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The American Pit Bull Terrier is a well-known pitbull-type dog breed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many owners choose to crop their dog\u2019s ears, leading to the assumption that most American Pit Bull Terriers have naturally erect ears \u2014 but that is not the case. In fact, this dog has many different ear shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do American Pit Bull Terriers Have Pointed Ears?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Pit Bull Terriers do not all have pointed ears. Puppies have drop or rosebud ears. Adult ears become more proportionate and, based on the pinna structure, may stand at a natural full-prick, half-prick, or in a rosebud curl. Some have cropped ears, resulting in a small, erect, pointed ear.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the American Pit Bull Terrier and other pitbull-type breeds have been bred and changed for hundreds of years, there\u2019s quite a bit of variation in their appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I\u2019ll discuss the different ear shapes of the breed and the breed standard regarding the ears of the American Pit Bull Terrier. I\u2019ll also touch on ear cropping and how ears are important to canine communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Pit Bull Terrier and Ear Shapes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The American Pit Bull Terrier doesn\u2019t have one single acceptable look \u2014 some are lean, others are more muscular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same applies to the breed\u2019s ears, as they can differ in both size and shape. In fact, the main defining feature of a pit bull is not its ears, but its wide, powerful jaw<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Pit Bull Terrier Puppy Ears<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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As puppies, the American Pit Bull Terrier often has drop ears, similar to that of a young Labrador Retriever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drop ears appear as soft, folded flaps of skin that gently fold over. This ear shape is also referred to as \u201crosebud.\u201d On young puppies, it sometimes creates a curious, confused, or inquisitive look to the pooch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the American Pit Bull Terrier puppy\u2019s ears often appear disproportionate to their head size. No worries, however, as the dog will eventually grow into them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adult American Pit Bull Terrier Ear Types<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The American Pit Bull Terrier\u2019s ears as an adult come in a few different styles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cropped<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This ear type is the result of surgical alteration. The ears appear smaller than normal and stand erect. These ears appear pointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"well<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Half-Prick Ears<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"american<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

These ears are natural and look like pricked ears with a small skin flap folded over at the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rosebud Ears <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rose ears are similar to half-prick ears, except they fold slightly backward, revealing part of the fleshy inner area of the ear.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"american<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Full Prick Ears<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These natural ears stand erect on their own without surgical intervention. They often appear pointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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No matter which type of ear your adult American Pit Bull Terrier has, they\u2019re likely to be of small to medium size and set high atop the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether or not a dog\u2019s ears stand erect on their own depends on the ear structure, particularly the structure of the \u201cpinna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canine Ear Structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"canine<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve likely noticed that some canines have floppy ears, while others have erect, pointed ears \u2014 think a Basset Hound compared to an Alaskan Malamute. The ears among pitbull-type breeds vary, even in the same breed. This is due to the structure of the ear<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pinna is the part of the ear that\u2019s composed of cartilage. It\u2019s the \u201cflap\u201d part of the ear that you lift to look inside or clean your dog\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pinna differs from breed to breed. Using my earlier example, the Basset Hound has a long, flexible pinna, causing floppy, drop ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in Alaskan Malamutes, the pinna is short and rigid, creating rigid, erect ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the American Pit Bull Terrier contains genes from a few different breeds, they can look quite different from one another due to variations in the pinna.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As puppies, the pinna is soft and flexible, which is why American Pit Bull Terrier puppies have drop or rosebud ears while they\u2019re young. As they grow \u2014 roughly around ten weeks of age \u2014 the pinna becomes more firm and rigid, thus the ears begin to stand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, this is not the same in all cases \u2014 some pitbull-type breeds retain the floppy-eared look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cropped Ears vs. Full Prick Ears<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Much of the general public (particularly those unfamiliar with the pitbull-type breeds) see an American Pit Bull Terrier with natural, full prick ears and assume that the dog\u2019s ears have been surgically altered. That is not always the case.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full prick ears and cropped ears look significantly different, particularly in size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full prick ears stand naturally erect without surgical intervention \u2014 think German Shepherd and Siberian Husky ears, albeit a bit smaller. Cropped ears, however, tend to be much smaller than natural, full prick ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American Pit Bull Terrier Breed Standard Regarding Ears<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are no rigid standards for how the ears should look when it comes to the American Pit Bull Terrier\u2019s ears. With that said, the United Kennel Club\u2019s breed standard<\/a> for the American Pit Bull Terrier recommends that ears be set high \u2014 natural or<\/em> cropped. There is no ideal preference, although there are some ear shapes that are undesirable in the breed, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n