Cf. the meme of the many times the cartoon Arthur similarly failed at putting earphones on its anthropomorphic animal characters.

I have to imagine there's some fanfic lore out there explaining how the Blueyverse is what comes about after humans destroy the world, and the dogs' top-ears are just vestigial remnants while their functional ears have moved down (though I know there were some scenes where the kids pulled down their ears because of loud sounds -- surely that could just be some leftover instinctual behavior)

That is indeed where their ear canals are.

Well now it's troubling me, too! Thanks for nothin', OP!

You're welcome! 🫵😉

Maybe pretend phones can be used on pretend ears?

Their eyebrows also float in free space so nothing needs to make sense.