Folded ears vs Non Folded/Floppy ears & Character breeds

[LordSuragaha]

I've noticed a trend around Feral Heart but also with some other places... It seems like most people's canine fursonas/main characters have pointed ears rather than folded ears. (Not that there is anything wrong with this)... Most players seem to prefer canine characters that resemble wolves or wild dogs with pointed ears and I'm curious as to why I don't see more people creating floppy or folded ear canines. Why do so many people prefer pointed ears? Wouldn't it be pleasantly different and a little more unique to have some floppy earred beagles out there? Or any other kind of floppy/folded ear domestic pooches?

This also brings me to the question as to why huskies and German shepards are the most common dog breed seen played around here?

[BigSkippy]

Very good points to be raised and honestly something I have not really thought about.

As for the German Shepard's and Huskies being the most commonly used if you think about it they are the most commonly used movie dogs at least that is how I look at it.

[darkknight]

I've been pondering this for a while. My guess is that popular breeds like huskies, German Shepherds, and wolves are just appealing to people. However, then when you think about the other hundred breeds that are out there, you think "Why only those three are so common?" Probably because these breeds are more closely related to wolves themselves or simply people think they are cool, strong, breeds.

It's an interesting phenomenon with people and canines with pointed ears in general. Maybe people think that if you have pointed ears and have a large body, you are wild. Some people like to feel that their character is feral and not be messed with. Pointed ears seen to give an alertness and untamed nature, but I don't know why that would be the case.

Also, brings me to folded ears. I guess the reason people don't like folded ears that much is for the popular representation of a dog to the wild or a dog, period. People, most likely if they see you as a regular dog would assume you to be a weak character or dependent on humans. The domestication aspect is what holds folded ear characters back, I would think.

[TheFourLinks]

Hm.... maybe people just like wolf-resembling characters? ~Vio

[kiaz1st]

Well, I suppose when you look at FeralHeart, it has 'trends'. What's popular and what's not, and people end up following these trends as they want to fit in with every one else. People get afraid of being different, in case they are thought of as weird, or if they get unliked by people, or bullied.
Every one just wants to be what's 'cool'.

I really think FeralHeart is this sort of game. You have trends at different times.
At one point, wolves were all the rage, everyone was a big, tough, black, mean looking wolf. Then there was the flood of lions, where everyone was a lion off some sort. Then came the mass of Warrior cats. And you had a time when you have all these demons, neons, vampires and werewolves had taken over, and it was all in a span of time before the next trend came up.

At the moment I think everything is balancing itself out, where there is a relitivly equal amount of everything, and it seems to me this has coincided with the removal of General chat. I reckon all these adverts of groups had a major influence on what people were looking like aswell. As people saw more lion adverts, they created more lions, which created more lion adverts and so on. It just takes a little spark to get it going and then you have this 'What's popular and what's not' Going on.

That's my theory anyway o3o

[meeeea]

Oh yes, this is a good question Surabutt. My fursona is a Pitbull mix with floppy ears and I'm really happy how she turned out. People seem to play what's most appealing to them + Playing what seems to be 'in' at the moment. I like to be a bit original anyways.

[WhiskerWatcher]

Well, me being more into making felines. Don't get me wrong I do have canine characters to. But I believe that it is to do with that Feral-heart has the Husky and German Shepard markings. And others don't tend to use the other markings to create and/or represent another breed of dog. As often as German Shepards etc. And I also tend to think is that people can be scared of making mistakes. But, they shouldn't be. As if they wanted to make a different breed. But couldn't think on what markings to use. And so on and so on. Which is why I believe those two canines are most common.

[TurtlezSoup]

Mirror used to have folded ears but she didn't look alien enough so I changed it to back ears.

I think it is just a trend like the others have stated. Most of the time it's about the taste of the creator or the character design in it's self. My character Jackie is a mutt, and would have floppy ears but he has odd (one up one down) ears so I'm often actually switching between the two, but his markings fit better onto the pointy ears so I stick with them.

The downloadable markings (At least the markings I seem to use. owo) usually fit the pointy ears more then what they fit the floppy, back etc etc.

(I've probably just gone off and rambled again so this may be totally irrelevant or not make sense at all >.<)