Owing to genetics, dogs feature various types of attributes including different shapes of dog ears. Doggy ear-types range from pointed, dropping, folded, button, rose, cropped among others. The pointed variety have been known to best survive the wild since they can pick up on sounds of just about anything.
Stick up ears vary from bat, prick, rounded, candle flames to butterfly ears. Dog breeds with these ears can be black, white or any other color or combination. The pointees were best kept for protection and survival, especially in a wild environment. Following is a list with names
Black Dogs with Pointy Ears That stand Up
Following are dogs with stick up ears that are black coat or coat that the features black with other colors such as white tan and more.
Schipperke
Schipperke is a rare dog breed of Belgium origin. It is a small, thickset, cobby, black, tailless dog, with a fox-like face that features pointy ears.
According to ACK, the dog is square in profile and possesses a distinctive coat, which includes stand-out ruff, cape and culottes.
The breed is built to work and very energetic with extremely playful personalities.
English Toy Terrier
This small dog breed comes in black with defined tan markings on the legs, chest, and face. The English Toy Terrier has almond-shaped eyes and erect ‘candle-flame’ ears.
Alopekis Dog
Originating from Greece, the Alopekis is a small also called Alopecis, Alepouditsa, Bouboudi, Moropa, Venetaki and nicknamed Bobis.
Its name is Greek for fox like or small fox referring to its appearance. It comes in pure black, white and other color. The ears are pointy and triangular in shape.
There are three types the short haired, wiry and medium haired with the wire-haired being the most rare.
Keeshond
With pointy ears often described as prick, the Keeshond is a medium-sized dog with a plush, two-layer coat of silver and black fur with a ruff and a curled tail. It originated in Holland, and its closest relatives are the German spitzes
Norwegian Buhund
Once known as the “Dutch barge dog,” the Norwegian buhund has a wedge-shaped fox-like face with pointy ears.
It is a herding dog. It is small to medium size and squarely built, with a tightly curled tail carried over the back.
As the American Kennel Club puts it, this dog breed is extremely smart and easily trainable, and can do well in pretty much any size of home.
Norwhich Terrier
The Norwich Terrier’s prick ears are a distinguishing feature.It is a small dog breed that comes in black and other colors. It is mischievous and intelligent dog that loves being with its owners.
Papillon
Papillon is small long-haired dog breed with distinctive big upright ears.In fact, it is these huge butterfly-like ears that give it the name papillon (French word for butterfly).
They come in a number of colors. Papillons are extremely loving and super active
Pomeranian
Pomerian is small sized dog breed that comes in white cream among other color. It has tiny pointy ears that are normally hidden under lots of its fluffy fur.
Corgi
Corgi is a small to medium-sized herding dog of short stature and sturdy build. Known for its low-set body, large erect ears, and stubby tail, the Pembroke also makes a wonderful companion. They feature many colors including black and white.
Corgis are very intelligent, active, and loyal. They’re easy to train and make great watch dogs, thanks to their big dog mentality.
Rat Terrier
The Rat Terrier is a rare American short smooth-coated dog breed with a background as a farm dog and hunting companion. The name comes from the fact that they were bred to kill rats.
Coming in a number of colors including black, they have ears that point out of their small heads. They are strong and are said have enough energy to work all day.
Scottish Terrier
Widely known to be independent and stubborn, Scottish Terrier is the black colored dog that features stick up ears.
They are good at keeping rodents away from your yard and appreciate being with the owners especially during outdoor activities.
Small Dog Breeds with Pointy & Bat Ears
In addition to the Alopekis, English toy terrier, Norwhich Terrier, papillon, Pomeranian, Rat terrier and Schipperke which feature black color with erect ears following are more small breeds with pointy ears
French Bulldog
The French Bulldog is one of the world’s most popular small-dog breeds, especially among city dwellers.
One of the features that make small dog breeds stand out are their large bat ears erect from their heads. They come in almost all colors and color combinations. The Frenchies are playful, alert, adaptable, and completely irresistible.
West Highland Terrier
It’s small, robust, and agile. Also referred to as the westies, these are very mischievous creatures that love staying active. They lead a free lifestyle full of activities, which if not well trained can cause wreck at home. However, they have hunting abilities just like any other terrier.
The earth dog west terrier has very inquisitive and investigative traits that warrant then as very cunning and stubborn. Unfortunately, they also bark a lot and have a habit of digging holes. The westies have pyramids like ears that stand on top of its head giving them a wider base and a shorter spec than the german shepherd.
The ears are big enough for the dog to hear prickling sounds that rodents make.
Chihuahua
These fancy and adorable dogs are one of the most loyal dogs among many other breeds.
They have very tiny upright ears erect to be the perfect owner’s companion. Some breeds of chihuahuas also have feathers in their ears that fan out to add to the dog’s cute appearance.
Swedish Vallhund
Yet another wee dog breed with erect ears is the Swedish Vallhund. It’s like a small version of the german shepherd with pointy ears just above the head. They are great herding dogs that tame the farm animals as well as great family dogs. What’s more, they’re very sociable and energetic.
This ancient breed from Sweden, Vastergotland region can also be used for watching over and guarding homes. Despite its small body’s minute and stubby legs, it’s great at hunting for mice. Their prickly ears also match their oval eyes and their wedge-shaped head.
Bull Terrier
Many assume that the bull terrier can only be large, going after the snakes and coyotes. However, they can exist as smaller breeds just like many other breeds in the terrier family. This pooch also called the “Frankenweenie”, this is another pooch that has very upright and prickled ears perfect for following commands.
They’re great at home since they’re very obedient and loyal, may be aggressive to strangers, however. Besides that, this muscle dog is actually very loving and affectionate. One last fascinating feature about this dog is the shape of its head. It’s egg-shaped with no break between the head and the muzzle.
It actually has a more natural muzzle look that’s slightly curved away from the head. The eyes are similarly small and deep-set like other terriers.
Portuguese Podengo
Lastly, it’s the very active pooch is the Portuguese Podengo that can either be small or large in size.
They have short fur, pointed ears, and temperament to admire. Very playful, friendly, and independent too. This, however, makes it harder to train as it’s used to playing by itself.
As adventurous as they are, they are excellent at hunting, many thanks to its pointed ears that allow them to hear their prey before they can attack.
Medium to Large Dog Breeds with Pointed Ears
Siberian Husky
The top spot goes to the Siberian husky, a medium to a large sized dog that’s very loving, friendly, are a perfect addition to the family. They have upright pointed ears which is great since they’re very fast to jump to action, at least then, the ears can aid them to listen for danger.
These affectionate fellows are also very active in nature in that they enjoy rounds of exercising, running among other agility sports. These nordic racers enjoy expeditions and adventure due to their uncanny resilience.
This breed has been very lucky to retain its erect ears as other similar breeds are crossbreeding. Fortunately, they aren’t selective breeding with those with floppy ears leaving their genes still standing.
German Shepherd
Another big dog with large pointy ears is the German shepherd. Known as the police dog, it does excellent work in terms of offering military services and other police works. This large breed is not only energetic but also, intelligent and obedient to its homeowner.
Unfortunately this pooch is very territorial as it doesn’t resonate well with strangers. In fact, its very aggressive and unfriendly to people it doesn’t know, even if it’s a trained dog.
Akita Inu
With triangular ears that stand at attention, the Akita Inu has a very big head and a fluffy body. Comes from a family of equally huge breeds. But that doesn’t hinder it from playing its hunting, watching, and guarding duties. It’s an excellent family protector.
Originating from Japan, they have an interesting body seeing that besides the tiny pointy ears, they have and an equally small upwards curling tail that’s meant to even out its shape. From a similar family as the two former dogs above, Akita is also very independent, loyal, and affectionate.
Samoyed
This large dog breed looks like one huge puffball from first sight. It’s from the herding family as it features great watching abilities as well as playful habits. They are very similar to the German shepherd in terms of its character as you’ll notice it loves daily exercises.
This calm canine, however, has a sweet smile and doesn’t quite resemble a wolf as its long snout would insinuate. The breed only has white fur and curly tail, a wide base in contrast to its short height. Even so, it’s not unlikely to see some samoyed with brown tints on its fur.
Do note that even if they are great at watching over, they are very poor at guarding.
Belgian Malinois
Last, but not least, the Belgian malinois from Germany is one of the top herding dogs there are. They’re fast, obedient, and loyal like any other herding dog. They’re also very clever but require stern training to get them to a good place mentally and physically.
The Belgian Malinois has black erect ears and black muzzle that distinguishes it from other breeds. They also have short fur with a mahogany coating and black markings. Thanks to their huge body, they require much more space at home than most breeds. Some would say just as much as you would need to house a sheepdog.
Australian Cattle Dog
The Australian Cattle Dog (ACD), also called Blue Heeler, Queensland Heeler or simply Cattle Dog, is a medium-sized breed of cattle herding dog originally developed in Australia.
Compact but muscular, the ACD has bat-style ears that stick up ears similar to those of the corgi. It is a short-coated dog that occurs in two main colour forms: it is born with a white coat that turns blue-gray or red. Both coat varieties feature distinctive mottling or specking patterns.
History and Facts about Big Pointy Standing Up Ears?
For centuries, people loved dogs with ears that are upright and pointy because they are said to have the best survival instincts among other dog breeds. But that’s just a basic explanation. Every dog family had its own reasons and assumptions as to why the dog had ears that stood at attention. Let’s have a look at some of these reasons.
The Herding Family
The likes of the Corgi, Australian cattle dogs, Portuguese Podengo, the Swedish Vallhund, among many other breeds. They are mostly bred in farms and ranches where they protect barnyard animals like sheep and cattle. Their pointed ears are to allow them to listen for signals from owners as well as sounds from escapees.
The Toy Family
The ever jolly chihuahua mostly seen as companion dogs are also bred for working purposes. They catch tuna rodents in the hide as their wee upright eats aids them to hear any noises from these rodents, like the pitter-patter of mice feet. Their erect ears are a hunting tactic that allows them to catch dinner.
The Terrier Family
This family has over 30 variations from the bull terrier, white terrier, Scottish terrier, Norwich terrier, rat terrier, among many others. From small to medium-sized pumps, they are also bred to be hunters. Smaller breeds like the west highland would pick on raccoons, possums, and mice, while the bull terrier picks on coyotes, badgers, and foxes. Their upright ears allow them to hear commands, sneak attacks, and small paws from their prey.
The Working Family
This includes the likes of the Siberian husky. Very similar to the herding family in terms of intelligence and hard work.
This breed has one of the largest dog breeds including the samoyed which many people would breed for protection.
Their ears, therefore, are mostly for spotting predators or trespassers, hearing of commands and hunting for food if it’s a wild one.
Other Families
For some dog breeds like the Akita Inu with no defined family, its seen as a crossbreed between two families from above which gives them the pointed ears. Their faux pointed or semi pointed ears have the same purpose as the ones above.
Further Reading
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Very good article. I love the list..