Why Ears Fall After Posting, and What to Do Next

If your dog's ears fell after being posted, don't panic, and don't wait. This is one of the most common questions we get from ear posting clients, and there's a clear, biological reason it happens.

Why Ears Actually Fall

Most people assume a fallen ear means something went wrong with the posting itself. Most of the time, that's not it. The real cause usually comes down to calcium.

During certain growth stages, especially when puppy teeth are falling out and adult teeth are coming in, your dog's body redirects calcium toward tooth development. That means less calcium is available to strengthen the ear cartilage, which is exactly what's needed to hold the ears upright. Weaker cartilage during this stage is why ears are more likely to fall, even with a proper post.

This is a normal, temporary phase, not a sign that the posting process failed.

What You Should NOT Do

One of the most common mistakes we see is owners being told to leave the ears unposted for a day or two to "let them air out." This advice is false, and it can genuinely set your dog back.

Every hour your dog's ears go without a proper post is time the cartilage isn't being trained to stand. There is no benefit to airing ears out for an extended period. Doing this only delays progress and can make it harder to get the ears standing correctly.

What You Should Actually Do

The moment you notice an ear has fallen, the fix is simple: re-post it as soon as possible. The ears should only be out of post for as long as it takes to properly clean, sanitize, and check for cuts, scabs, or signs of infection, followed by backing the post again. That process should take about 10 to 15 minutes, not a full day.

During re-posting, make sure to:

• Clean the ear thoroughly before reposting

• Sanitize to prevent infection

• Check for any cuts, scabs, or irritation

• Repost as soon as the ear is clean and dry

The faster and more consistently you repost, the faster the cartilage gets the support it needs to stand naturally.

When to Get Help

If ears are consistently falling, if you're seeing signs of infection, or if you're just not confident doing it yourself, that's exactly when working with someone experienced matters. Ear posting isn't something that should be figured out through trial and error, small mistakes early on can lead to bigger setbacks later.

At Alpha Mentality Dog Training, we handle the full ear posting process for owners in Downey, Norwalk, Bellflower, Paramount, Whittier, Lakewood, and Pico Rivera, from initial posting through the entire healing process, so your dog's ears stand naturally and correctly the first time.