Dog Ear Types: 12 Ear Shapes with Pictures & Breeds

Dogs have about a dozen recognized ear types: pricked (erect), semi-pricked, cropped, blunt, hooded, drop (pendant), folded, candle flame, button, rose, bat and filbert. Breed standards use these names to describe what a breed’s ears should look like. The table shows each type and the breeds known for it, and the sections below have pictures of every one.

Ear type	What it looks like	Example breeds
Pricked (erect)	Upright with pointed tips	German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, West Highland White Terrier
Semi-pricked (cocked)	Upright with the tip folded forward	Rough Collie, Shetland Sheepdog
Cropped	Trimmed surgically so they stand	Doberman Pinscher, Boxer, Cane Corso, Great Dane
Blunt (round-tipped)	Erect with a rounded tip	French Bulldog
Hooded	Erect, with edges curving forward like a hood	Basenji
Drop (pendant)	Hang down beside the head	Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Basset Hound, Beagle
Folded	Long and hanging in loose folds	Bloodhound
Candle flame	Tall, narrow and flame-shaped	English Toy Terrier
Button	Tip folds forward over the opening	Jack Russell Terrier, Fox Terrier
Rose	Small, folding backward to show the inner ear	Pug, Bulldog, Greyhound, Whippet
Bat	Large, erect and wide at the base	Chihuahua, Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Filbert	Shaped like a hazelnut leaf, with a tassel	Bedlington Terrier

Pricked Ears

Also referred to as erect ears, this is the most envied type of ears. Probably because it takes on the shape of a wolf that’s seen to be masculine and independent. The type of ear has upright standing ears with sharp and pointed tips. Hence also known as upright ears.

This kind is mostly seen on wild like breeds like the malamutes, Siberian huskies, german shepherds, Basenjis, and the Samoyed. Other Nordic breeds like the Belgian malinois, semi-domestic canids, and dingoes can also have such ear shapes.

As for smaller dog breeds, you will see an erect ear on multiple terriers. These include west highland white terrier, cairn terrier, Norwich terrier, and the Yorkshire terrier, among others.

Further Reading: Dog Breeds with stand-up Pointy Ears

Cocked or Semi-Pricked Ears

Next up is the type of ear that’s not completely upright nor dropped/ floppy. The cocked ear is an erect ear with the tip slightly bent over. It’s only seen to cover an inch of the ears. You will majorly see this ear type on the rough collie or border collie.

Other dog breeds with a tipped ear include the pitbull, fox terrier, and the Shetland sheepdog.

Cropped Ears

For years, dogs have had their ears cropped at a tender age. Some say its mechanisms to aid the dog head better, while others simply want the cosmetic benefit of it.

Cropped ears are pricked ears that have been tapered into different styles so as to expose the ear rather than hide it.

The cropped ears are prevalently seen with the Doberman Pinschers, but other breeds with cropped ears include the great dane, boxers,  cane Corso, the American pit bull terrier, among other breeds.

Further Reading:Doberman Ear Cropping Styles

Blunt or Round Ears

Another variation to the pricked ears is a blunt ear. Also called the round ear, its yet another variation to the pricked ear.

Mostly seen on the french bulldog, the ears are predominantly erect but have a smooth curve at the tip, that’s where the name comes in.

Hooded Ear

As the name suggests, this ear type has the ear of the dog looking like a hood or a cowl; the priest’s headcover. From the pricked ears of the wolf, these ears are medium shaped and the ears curve on both sides.

A breed prevalently seen with this type of ears is the basenji. However, other Basenjis have longer ears leaving them under the pricked ear category.

Pendant or Drop Ears

Pendant ears hang over the dog’s head completely covering the hearing section. Seen in many hound breeds, the drop ears have the tips folding over to the sides coating the opening to the ear with a v-shape design.

Examples of dog breeds with drop ears include the Basset Hound and a variety of retrievers such ad the Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and Chesapeake Bay retrievers.

Since these dogs are hunting dogs, one theory holds that the drop ear is a helpful characteristic. The dog’s ear will block out sound to some degree using that skin covering the ear opening to the ear canal. In return, the dog can now focus on hunting by using their sense of smell. 

Further Reading: Dog with Huge and Long Floppy Ears

Folded Ear

This is the extended version of the pendant ear. The ears drop down like curtains lying flat on their face. It’s very common on the hound breed, most especially the bloodhound and also seen on the field spaniel.

The long ears hang low as the dog works a scent trail, which suits the breed’s tracking job.

Candle Flame Ear

Known to have this particular ear shape is the English Toy Terrier for most terriers, they have a button ear, but this one is unique.

The ears appear to be slightly curved inwards at the base section with a slight opening around the edges.

Therefore, the inner ear has a brighter and lighter ear color. Its erect ears are however long and narrow.

Button Ears

Common to many terriers, the button ears have tipped ears facing forward. About three-quarter of its ears is folded to the front as a way of protecting the breed from insects getting in their ear canal while hunting in the tunnels.

Common breeds with the button ears include the Jack Russell terrier, fox terrier, some Shetland sheepdogs, and a couple of others in the terrier hunting family.

While ears grow naturally for these dogs, other breeds like the Shetlands have to be trained from puppyhood so the ears tip forward. Otherwise, the ears remain pricked.

The flapped ear is a very helpful feature because such breeds do an excellent job in tracking and picking of sounds even long distance, in the process, you wouldn’t want dirt, bugs, and insects getting inside their ears.

Further Reading: Button-Eared Dog Breeds, Names + Pictures

Rose Ears

Very similar to the button ears is the rose ear shape. A unique style found in bulldogs and pugs. This is also another variation of the drop ears, however, this style has the ears folding inwards along the back edge.

A rose shape is formed when the tip of its pinna curves over and back to the ears opening like when a bud grows into a flower.

Rose ears are small drop ears: the ear folds backward, showing part of the inner ear, and falls slightly to the side.

Other breeds you would see with the rose ears include whippets, greyhounds, and bull terriers. For all these breeds, this ear shape played a crucial role in their roles.

Further Reading: Rose-eared Dog Breeds

For example, the greyhound’s ear shape was a way to aid the dog move faster, the shape would streamline its head giving them faster speeds and momentum.

For the terriers, the ears have that shape to aid them during the fighting. As you know biting of ears is very common in fights. In this case, the rose shape gives the ears a hidden shape, therefore, protecting them in the long run.

Bat Ears

The ears are upright and they are large in size as compared to its head, hence the name bat ears. With a v shape similar to when the bat unveils its wings, the ears are actually quite large.

There is a space in between the ears causing the tip to include outwards in the direction of the face. You will see bat ears on Corgis and Chihuahuas.

Filbert Ear

Last, but not least, is the filbert ear type. As unique as the name is, so is the breed itself. Derived from the filbert tree, the ear is shaped liked the leaf of a hazelnut. It’s triangular and has rounded tips like those with blunt ears above.

The ear is also smooth to touch with velvet to silk texture, most especially at the tassel found at its tip. The one breed with the filbert ear is none other than the sheep-like looking Bedlington Terrier.

Dogs with Large and Long Ears

You now know the different shapes and styles that a dog’s ears can have. Now take a look at the different lengths they can have ranging from small to large.

• Basset hound – a very unique dog breed that’s well known for its smelling abilities. It has one of the largest ears but also one of the smallest bodies. Because their ears are long, they would drag on the floor every time.
• Beagle – what’s commonly known as the Queen’s favorite as it originates from the UK. It’s a medium-sized dog with short legs and very long ears as well. They are excellent at hunting and retrievals.
• American cocker spaniel –  its ears are very large probably because they are also very hairy.
• Bloodhounds – these are the guru hunters who are said to have the most impeccable sense of smell; they can follow a trail for up to 15 days. The large ears that fall to their sides also help them to focus on tracking.
• Great Danes –  these are the apollo dogs from Germany. Very huge and tall dogs with equally long and large ears. In the past, however, many had their ears cropped.

Small Eared Dog Breeds

Many small animals will have small ears like the chihuahua, Shih Pooh, Shih Tzu, and the likes. Other dog breeds with small ears include;

• Pugs
• Jack Russell terrier
• Shiba Inu – a Japanese breed with short and rounded ears.
• Greyhounds
• Whippets
• Scottish deerhound
• Airedale terrier
• Smooth fox terrier
• Border terrier

Dog ear FAQs

What are the main types of dog ears?

The three broad groups are erect (pricked, bat, blunt, hooded, candle flame), semi-erect (semi-pricked, button, rose) and drop (pendant, folded, filbert). Cropped ears are erect ears created by surgery rather than genetics.

Why does my puppy have one ear up and one down?

Puppy ears often change while the cartilage firms up and during teething, roughly between 3 and 7 months. Most settle into their adult shape by the time the adult teeth are in. If one ear still droops well after that, ask your vet.

Is ear cropping legal?

Cosmetic ear cropping is banned in the UK and much of Europe and is still legal in most US states. The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes cropping done only for looks. Read more in our guide to Doberman ear cropping.

Do dogs with floppy ears get more ear infections?

Drop ears trap warmth and moisture, which makes infections more likely. Check and clean floppy ears weekly and dry them after swimming or baths.

More dog ear guides: dogs with pointy ears, dogs with floppy ears, button-eared dogs and rose-eared dogs.