Re: Prick ears

In Reply to: Prick ears
Posted by:  Sara
Posted on:  November 28, 2001 at 21:44:09

: Hi!

: I wrote in a few nights ago with a couple of unrelated questions... Thanks for your quick and helpful response!

: I was wondering, if a pup was going to end up with prick ears, when would they become noticeable? Our 7-week old's mom has prick ears, but the father does not. Maggie (our puppy) has one ear that is definitely not going anywhere, but the other ear looks like it could go either way.

: Just curious...

: Thanks a lot for your help.

: Sara

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Hi, Sara,

If your puppy is only 7 weeks old, there's no telling what her ears will do. Since one of her parents has prick ears, she stands a pretty good chance of having prick ears herself. You won't know until she's an adult. One of my terriers has what I would call "funky ears." They aren't pricked, but they aren't quite right, either. His ears looked perfectly fine though for about 80% of his puppyhood, but when they finished out, they were "funky."

I'd just like to add that your best assurance of getting a puppy that adheres to the Jack Russell Breed standard is to buy one from a breeder who has signed the JRTCA Breeders Code of Ethics. I'd definitely question a breeder who is breeding a prick eared bitch, not to mention the fact that selling a puppy before it is 8 weeks old is illegal in many states, and the JRTCA Breeders Code of Ethics specifically requires breeders to wait until pups are 8 weeks. Many serious breeders will wait even longer than that, after all, it's not about making the sale... it's about preserving and protecting this wonderful dog.