Bat ears, blunt (round)-tipped ears, candle flame ears, cropped ears, hooded ears and prick ears are all different types of dog ears that stand upright, or erect. But which dog breed can claim to having the biggest erect ears? Well, the best answer depends on proportion to body size.
The Proud Papillon
The "biggest erect ears" distinction has to go to the papillon, a toy breed named specifically for his ears. Papillon means "butterfly" in French; the papillon's ears are said to resemble butterfly wings. Some might even say the papillon is a set of ears on a small body. Although small in stature -- the average height of the breed is 11 inches -- the breed moves gracefully with ears spread out wide like a butterfly's wings in movement.
And the Runners-Up...
Other canine "biggest ear" contenders include the German shepherd, with its wide and pointed ears, and the pharaoh hound, with its medium-high set and broad ears. Although the Guinness Book of World Records doesn't proclaim a dog with biggest erect ears, it does mention the dog with the longest ears (not erect): a bloodhound named Tigger from St. Joseph, Ill., whose right ear measures 13.75 inches and whose left ear is 13.5 inches.
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Writer Bio
Debra Levy has been writing for more than 30 years. She has had fiction and nonfiction published in various literary journals. Levy holds an M.A. in English from Indiana University and an M.F.A. in creative writing/fiction from the Bennington Writing Seminars.