I love dogs with floppy ears, but if I remember correctly, the shape of ears redirects sonic waves into the ear canal and while I can imagine that if I look at a wolf or a German Shepherd, I’m confused how that works for dogs with floppy ears – or *do* they hear worse than dogs with more “classic” ear shapes?
In: Biology
Dogs breeds have been selectively bred for thousands of years. You can count that their physical adaptations are in line with their jobs. You’ll notice that the sort of dogs with long floppy ears are also the sort of dogs that are bred for their scent ability and in many cases the longer and floppier the ear, the more specialized for scent the breed (q.v Bloodhound). Although it’s very difficult to conclusively prove it, it’s likely that long floppy ears improve scenting abilities. Possibly when the dog has its head lowered to a track, the ears flopping down around the nose increase the scent directed into the nostrils.
Latest Answers