Can a collie's ears be fully pricked like a german shepherd?

This may sound like a strange question, but we had a dog who looked to be full blood(smooth)collie, but had pricked ears leading me to believe she wasn't a purebreed. We found her as a stray.Yes, it does matter...I've always wondered if she was purebreed or not :)! Don't worry, I believe in spaying/neutering.Thank you all for your great answers, I'm so excited to find out they can because it means it is possible to get another dog like her. She was the best dog in the world(to me) :).

Umm... I believe they can... But I'm not quite certain...

THEY CAN BUT YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT INFECTION, CALL YOUR VET AND ASK FOR A PLACE THAT MAY DO IT. DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF.

A purebred collie's ears are about 3/4 erect, with the tip breaking forward, but it is possible that your dog just had incorrect ears for the breed, no way to tell for sure.

Yes they can be, most breeders weight the ear tips so they will fold over, just like not all german shepherds ears stand totally up, doesn't mean they are not pure breeds. But does it matter? Love them for what they are, not what they look like. Please spay and neuter your pets.

yes.....is not acceptable for the conformation ring, but prick ears is not an uncommon fault in Collies/Shelties. Just thicker cartilage that prevent the ears from tipping.

Yes, it's very possible for the ears to be standing straight up even if she is a purebreed. Most collie breeders either weigh, tape or glue the tip of the ears over 1/4 at a very early age, so they "tip" as adults. This is ONLY needed if your planning to show the dog, it's an AKC requirement. But if it's a pet, who cares! God made her that way, so love her anyway.

Yes, they can be erect, but they aren't supposed to be. They are only to be "tipped" ....Ear carriage is very important in that breed as is expression.It's really no indication of whether the dog is purebred or not.

Absolutely, and there are numerous reasons why they may be standing completely "prick".As mentioned by another poster, thick cartiledge can certainly cause them to not tip, but the reverse is true to. Too thin cartiledge may not be heavy enough to cause the ear to tip. It can also be the set of the ears on the head and the shape of the ears themselves, regardless of cartiledge thickness, that can affect the proper tipping.Ears that sit too far off to the side (ears that haven't been "trained" to sit higher up) will sometimes cause the natural break of the ears to lean up and out during growth and thus cause the ear to to stand straight once fully mature.Poor or inappropriate nutrition during the growth stages can also affect the ears and their over all quality...just like it would affect any other part of the dog.The shape of the ear is also a huge factor. My current rough collie Tea (retired from the breed ring to be a mommy) has short, wide ears. Even though I "trained" her ears to stand and tip properly on the top of her head for the ring as a pup, by the time she was four, the natural break in her ear was not strong enough to go against the width of the ear pushing it up. Her 8 week old smooth son Cowan however, has absolutley gorgeous ears. They are long and slightly over tall in length and have a fabulous natural tip. http://pets.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/NothingButCollies/photos/view/cb35?b=1The thing to remember here if that straight ears are really no indicator as to the quality of a collie as even in the best lines and collie kennels a perfectly natural ear is not so common as it once was. Even when breeding for it, collie breeders will still take no chances and use special tapes or glues to "train" the ears of their show prospects...sometimes until the collie is a year old or more.And lets face it..."quality" is as subjective a term and "responsible breeder". If she was a joy to have in your home and the love and memories stand for a truly special friend, than I would say you had all the quality anyone could ever ask for.