[greenkouki]

Everyone has a little bit different way of posting ears. This is the method I use and I'm posting my 4 month old puppy as an example. This should work on younger as well as older puppies, although you may need to adjust the backer rod size 3/8, 1/2, or 5/8" depending on your pup's age. I recommend starting with a tired or sleepy puppy so you have less squirming. You can have someone hold the puppy in a sitting position between their knees facing you while you tape or put him up on a grooming table with a slip lead. After a few post jobs your puppy will enjoy having his ears posted and he will just sit there for you.

Before your start posting your puppy's ears the stitches should be removed and the cut edges of the ears should be fully healed with NO SCABS.

You will need to re-post your puppy's ears every 4 or 5 days or as soon as possible if they are to get wet and you need to continue posting your puppy's ears through the teething stage at the minimum (approximately 6 months old). If your posts pop out of the ears after posting it's likely 2 things- the backer rod is too big or you didn't push it down in far enough. In either case they need to be re-posted immediately when this happens. The down time between postings when you let your puppy's ears air out should only be about 30 minutes.

To post ears you will need the following:

Foam backer rod from the hardware store. I am using 1/2" here

Duct tape, Gorilla tape, Or T-rex tape

Johnson and Johnson's Zonas tape

Medicated powder in a ziploc back and in a bottle. I like Neo-Predef from my vet

Zip ties

Scissors

gauze

Scotch double sided tape (not pictured until later)

To start, cut a piece of backer rod several inches longer than each ear. 8 or 9 inches is usually plenty.

Cut a section of duct tape and with it laying face up stick it to the edge of the backer rod, leaving about 1/4 or 1/2" of foam exposed at the bottom. Cut the zip ends off of two zip ties and lay them approximately 3/4" apart from eachother on the tape. They can start about 1/2" up from the bottom edge where the duct tape starts.

Tightly roll the tape onto the post

Cut off the excess from the zip ties.

Roll on one more layer of duct tape or until it's the desired stiffness.

Put a strip of double sided tape onto each post

Get your roll of zonas tape with the sticky side facing OUT stick it to the double sided tape at the bottom, just above the exposed foam.

Continue rolling the Zonas tape, sticky side out, overlapping slightly, up to the end of each post.

This next step is optional, and I will explain. If you notice that your puppy's ears are "overstanding", so they tip inward, even just slightly, I recommend adding a "bumper" to your posts. It is hard to see, but the left ear on my puppy is just slightly tilting in at the base of his head so I will use bumpers on each ear post to help correct this.

To make the bumpers, cut about a 1" section of backer rod and slice it in half length wise.

Stick it to the already back taped post.

Wrap it on tightly with Zonas tape, again, with the tape facing sticky side outwards.

Next, cut two small strips of gauze and overlap them in an X pattern. Also cut a 2" long piece of Zonas tape, and cut it lengthwise in two thin strips.

Set the end of the post down on the middle of the gauze X

Pull each end up over and stick it to the post, covering the exposed foam.

Use the small strip of zonas tape and tape the gauze where it meets the post. The sticky side faces IN here.

Here are your two posts at this point.

Dip the end of each post into your ziploc bag and coat the gauze with powder.

 

[greenkouki]

With your puppy on your work surface put a small amount of powder in the base of each ear. The Neo-Predef bottle is great for this as it only has one tiny hole and you can just squeeze it in there. Massage the ear a little bit to distribute the powder.

Cut 6 strips of zonas tape, 2 longer, 4 shorter and have them in a handy spot to grab.

This step is very important to have a successful posting job. You need to really stick the post down in the ear and stretch the ear on to the ear post, sticking it to the ear leather. If you do not stretch enough the post WILL pop out. If you added the bumpers like I did, rotate the post so that the bumper is pushing out on the weak spot (sometimes called a pocket when it's very severe). This is towards the inside of the ear near the front.

While still holding your puppy's post in his ear, grab a long section of zonas tape that you already cut. Stick the tape to the POST with the extra tape going towards the front of his head. Put the tape down low, at an upward angle.

gently lay (do not "pull") the tape around the front of the base of the ear making sure that the natural fold in the ear lays back on itself the way it wants to, which is, "naturally" :wink2: I can't stress how important it is not to pull the tape but "lay" it on. Taping too tightly will cause sores, or worse.

Bring the tape all the way around and "scrunch" it around so the post is secure at the base.

Now, move to the top of the post. With one of the smaller sections of tape, gently lay the tape around the ear tip making sure to cover all the way to the tip and slightly past it. It is good practice to go the same direction as you did on the base of the ear so the natural fold goes the way it wants to although it is not as important on the very tip here.

For the middle section use another smaller piece of tape that you've already cut. Start the tape on the post, and again, bring it around so that the natural fold of the ear lays back on itself. Again, don't pull, just lay the tape around and scrunch it on so it's secure.

You're all done with one side!

Just snap your fingers and like that the other side is done too :wink2:

This photo shows where to cut the post. VERY carefully cut the excess off at the purple line. The green line is where the ear tip ends. Be extremely careful to not cut the ear. Feel with your fingernail where the ear ends.

Admire your new "pro" posting job

 

[greenkouki]

To take down the ear posts please follow these instructions on this page:

http://www.dobermantalk.com/ear-cropping-posting/302298-how-gently-remove-ear-posts.html

 

[4x4bike ped]

Absolutely stellar tutorial!

But then you had a stellar "model"! LOL

John
Portland OR

 

[Dobe_Mom]

Very thorough and this is the exact method that we use.

 

[JoeM18]

Thank you so much for this extremely thorough tutorial. My little girl goes in for cropping in two weeks and this help tremendously in her after care.

 

[Artemis]

I find all you long show-crop eared owners so brave and dedicated
But this is very close to the method I used, with the very clever addition of the zip ties! Will definitely refer this page to new pup owners, thanks for the thread greenkouki

 

[Aerissa]

Love this walk-through!
Thank you so much!
I do have one ?, is there an alternative to Neo-Predef that ppl use? I have to go the vet on Saturday for Spocks Vaccines and can ask, just curious if anyone uses anything else? Thank you for brilliant write up again

 

[melbrod]

HOW TO PREVENT POSTS FROM POPPING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE EAR
Posting tips from dobebug--

Most newcomers to posting have trouble with the posts popping out of the bottom of the ear, sometimes just a minute or two after they have finished a new taping job. The puppy may even manage to remove the entire post from his ear. It can be extremely frustrating to have to keep redoing your posting job because a post pops out.

But when a post pops out at the base, you must take the ear down--even if you can't put it back up immediately. When the post is out of the base it tends to push the ear in toward the center of the head and you definitely don't want that. You can't fix a posting job after the base has popped out by merely applying more tape--it happened because the posting just wasn't quite right. You will need to remove the post and tape, and start over.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Prepare all of your materials and have them close enough to reach as you post. Back-wrap the posts until the entire post is covered using Zonas, Sport or Coach's Tape (all made by Johnson and Johnson) with the sticky side out. Pre-cut several strips of tape--I usually stick them on a table edge with the end dangling down so I can reach them easily.

2. Make sure the post material (backer rod or pipe insulation) is small enough to go all the way to the bottom of the ear canal. If you are using backer rod with a very young pup, you may need to use a smaller size (3/8 inch, generally) and then move up to a larger diameter as he grows and his ears get heavier and need stiffer support. Taper the post into a blunt point with scissors and use a little bit of cotton to pad the very end of the post.

3. Rotate and twist the post back and forth a little as you push it into the ear. At the same time, pull up on the ear flap so that it is stretched up as high on the post as possible. Don't let go! It's time to start your taping.

4. Once you have pushed the post all the way down into the ear canal (you can't push it too far--the ear canal take a right angle turn before it gets to the ear drum) press the taped post to the ear. While still holding it in place start your first wrap of tape as far down on the post as you can--angle it up to where the ear joins the top of the skull, then bring the tape around the back of the ear and angle it down to meet the spot where you started taping. That will fold the little flap of skin where the ear attaches to the top of the head back against the rest of the ear the way it should be.

5. An extra trick to keep the post from popping out:
When you wrap the first strip of tape around the ear, use one finger to press the back of the ear TOWARD the front of the ear--you can see that this reduces the gap between the front and back of the ear and generally keeps the post from popping out of the ear canal. With the post more secure this way, the puppy is not nearly as likely to shake or scratch at his ears either.

That's the first wrap.

6. Put two or three more wraps on this way--each a little higher than the previous strip but still overlapping it. When you have the base securely taped this way you can continue the process until the entire ear is taped, or you can just wrap a strip or two of tape around the top tip of the ear and then a strip or two in the middle. Make sure your posts are long enough to extend beyond the tip of the ear so that the tip is securely taped. Always just lay the tape loosely around the ear and then use your hand to 'scrunch' the tape so that it firmly holds the post in place.

When you are done with your posting job, the ears should tip out at 10 and 2 o'clock
\ _ / or at least stand vertically | _ |
You never want them to tip inward /_\ If they do, the ears will sag, creating pockets where the ear joins the top of the head. Ears with pockets will not stand properly.

 

[buddydobe]

Amazing tutorial, wish I had this when I got my 1st Dobe ages ago!