Cleaning Ears

[Alibear]

I have been told I need to clean my boys ears. He HATES it! He squirms, yelps, and wiggles and carries on a real treat. He even does this when the vet has hold of him ans she struggles some times. Treats etc don't help.

Any suggestions on how I can get hold of him to get this done. I don't want him to get ear infections

[Guest Tess32]

A lot of dogs hate it. How is he at being groomed?

You're going too fast I think, trying to look in his ear and treating him and so on. -Go slower - touch his ear, give him a treat. Hold his ear, let him play ball for a second and so on.

Associate you touching him with all positive things

Nat

[Alibear]

I do all his grooming. He hates a bath, but is definatly getting better with the use of treats. I can brush him and he doesn't mind, he is more interested in trying to chew the brush

I can touch his feet and his nails, although I haven't had to clip them yet. I have been told it is because he walks on the cement and wears them down and I may never have to do that - depending on how much and quick they grow.

[Guest Tess32]

Yep - I've never clipped my dog's nails as he walks on cement during the day.

Nat

[Christina77]

Some time back there was a suggestion on DOL from one of the members to put Peanut Butter on your fridge and while the dog is busy cleaning it up , you do the ears.

It works

Dont forget to clean the fridge door after

for nails , it takes 2 of us sitting on the floor , 1 to distract the dog with a treat and the other quickly clips a nail, this can take a few days but in the end we get them done

friends have a dog who howls as soon as you go near him with clippers , only way to do his are at the vets where he sits patiently while the vet clips them ;)

[Mum 2 Bailey n Chelsea]

I would get him used to you touching his ears......Bailey is a cocker spaniel cross so I clean his ears everyday for him. I started just by playing with his ears and now he is fine.

When clipping Baileys nails I give him treats, not just any treats it must be the chicken and rice tucker time roll!!

Is there anything that he absolutely loves?

The peanut butter on the wall thing works as well, if he doesn't like peanut butter try vegemite or pate!

Mel

[Erny]

Peanut butter/Vegemite on the fridge - great tip, guys. Thank you!

[ellz]

I think from what you are saying at the moment is that whilst you're trying hard NOT to hassle your boy, you are in fact rewarding him for struggling about having his ears cleaned by giving in and not persisting with what YOU want to achieve. So in effect, he is winning every time. Kind of reverse psychology is in order.

Does he allow you to play with and caress his ears when you're cuddling?

I'd be trying approach and retreat when you're both calm and relaxed and cuddling. Play with his ears, if he objects, retreat. Play with them some more, retreat. Play some more, retreat, etc etc. After a while you will probably find that he enjoys having his ears massaged. From there you could progress to having a Chux or facewasher stashed within easy reach and putting it over your finger and gently wiping around what you can reach without "digging". Again, approach and retreat.

Lots of treats in between and smooches and "gooooood dooooooooogs" of course to reinforce the good behaviours.

Then, I would also consider using an alcohol based ear cleaner which can be safely left in the ears because it is self-drying. Once you've got the smooch and ear rub technique down pat, you can clean out any residue very simply.

It will take time of course. Sometimes it seems to take twice as long to correct a bad behaviour as it does to instill it in the first place. Persevere, be friendly and firm (but not aggressive or rough) and I'm sure you'll get there in the end.

[Erny]

I think from what you are saying at the moment is that whilst you're trying hard NOT to hassle your boy, you are in fact rewarding him for struggling about having his ears cleaned  by giving in and not persisting with what YOU want to achieve.  So in effect, he is winning every time.  Kind of reverse psychology is in order.

Does he allow you to play with and caress his ears when you're cuddling?

I'd be trying approach and retreat when you're both calm and relaxed and cuddling.  Play with his ears, if he objects, retreat.  Play with them some more, retreat.  Play some more, retreat, etc etc.  After a while you will probably find that he enjoys having his ears massaged.  From there you could progress to having a Chux or facewasher stashed within easy reach and putting it over your finger and gently wiping around what you can reach without "digging".  Again, approach and retreat.

Lots of treats in between and smooches and "gooooood dooooooooogs" of course to reinforce the good behaviours.

Then, I would also consider using an alcohol based ear cleaner which can be safely left in the ears because it is self-drying.  Once you've got the smooch and ear rub technique down pat, you can clean out any residue very simply.

It will take time of course.  Sometimes it seems to take twice as long to correct a bad behaviour as it does to instill it in the first place.  Persevere, be friendly and firm  (but not aggressive or rough) and I'm sure you'll get there in the end.

True, Ellz ... but I guess it depends on the dog and the issues. I imagine using it as a tip for my clients when they have a dog that is only mildly frightened of having its ears handled (maybe through lack of early socialisation/handling, or through a previous bad experience). If the dog starts licking the peanut butter on the fridge, for example, and that keeps him occupied/distracted enough to allow his ears to be handled with minimum/no fuss, then I'd say we're on our way to building a positive association with ear cleaning.

I would find the "peanut butter on fridge" method useful as when I clean my girl's ears (which she hates) the worst she does is lower her head to the ground, until I'm nearly doing it standing on my own head!!! Not a big deal - I can handle it, but the peanut butter on the fridge might get her to keep her head up.

If the dog is so crazy at ear cleaning time that he can't be handled, then I agree with the earlier suggestion posted here, I think, that positive association training be dealt with in smaller increments. IE Touch ear/near ear - food treat. Hold ear flap between two fingers - food treat. etc. etc. (oops that was you, Ellz, who mentioned this process).

Edited to add: oops again! didn't mean to include your whole answer as a quote, Ellz. Good points you raise, though.

Edited June 3, 2005 by Erny

[Alibear]

Thank you for all your advice.

Bear doesn't mind his ears being played with - I have done this since the day I got him home. I love touching his ears. It is when I start getting in his ears he isn't impressed.

I haven't tried the fridge thing, but I will give it a go on the weekend. I dread doing this as I know how much he hates it, but I also know you are correct by saying he is winning and "being Rewarded" by me giving up.

I didn't realise it would be so hard. I love him so much and I hate him being sad.

I have decided, no more Mrs Nice Guy! I am going to clean his ears whether he likes it or not

[ellz]

I have decided, no more Mrs Nice Guy! I am going to clean his ears whether he likes it or not

Actually, at the risk of offending you...this could be a HUGE mistake! You are far better off doing what I suggested in my prior post and take the softly softly approach or you are STILL reinforcing his fear and in fact, giving him even MORE reason to resent it.

You say he likes you playing with his ears...so do that....wearing cotton gloves with ear cleaner on the fingers. Just caress them as you normally would and just get deeper and deeper into his ear without actually making it obvious that you are cleaning them.

It could well be that your body language is giving him the signals that it is time to start acting up. Or by whatever you do when you collect your ear cleaning paraphernalia. It's a bit like dogs with separation anxiety who start to show their behaviours the minute their human starts the hunt for the car keys. Because they can't understand what we say to them verbally, they are SO in tune with our body language and emotions that often they know what we are doing even before we are aware we are giving off the signals.

But please, don't FORCE him to submit...there are better ways!

[Christina77]

Alibear even if you only get a bit done at a time , just be very calm and while he busy licking off the yummies fiddle with an ear , then try an dclean it , don't let him see or smell the cotton wool .

sometimes it takes me a few goes before I get both ears done but force will turn him off even more .

The cotton glove idea ellz suggested sounds very good , you can get them at the supermarket where the normal washing up gloves are

[bommy]

we do our dogs ears with baby wipes - huggies no scent works best.

I start of with them laying out on the lounge beside & rubbing their head/ ear area after they are in all out relax mode i start gently rubbing inside the earflap changing this to my knuckle (bent) at the openings at first they didnt like this but then for some reason they started smooching into it, then i get the balled up wipe & work on the inside of the ear...

Clean ears, happy mum & happy dog

Jacqui

[ellz]

I start of with them laying out on the lounge beside & rubbing their head/ ear area after they are in all out relax mode i start gently rubbing inside the earflap changing this to my knuckle (bent) at the openings at first they didnt like this but then for some reason they started smooching into it, then i get the balled up wipe & work on the inside of the ear...

SEE!!! It works!!!

[Brian_Newcastle]

I had a look at my dogs ears and they have a slight smell with a black discharge but I read on some Internet pages that a small black discharge is normal.

How often should one clean their dogs ears?

[Anna H]

I've found that wrapping my finger up with a baby wipe the easiest way to get the ears done too... and pretending she is getting ear rubs works wonders, then just gradually going further intot he ear. They are usually just so blissed out by then they couldn't care less.

But if I even so much as pick up the bottle of ear cleaner, both my dogs will run a mile.

[pebbles]

One time when I wish I still had BIG dogs - ear cleaning time!!!!!!

[Vehs]

LOL Pebbles! :rolleyes:

That is actually why I don't like big dogs - big ears to clean.

I do my two little cats regularly - one has ear problems and the other is just plain filthy. Every so often I'll do D's as well -- takes so long, I feel I'm losing a hand instead of finger cleanins his big muffins

[pebbles]

Can't even get the little pinky in the Mins' ears - give me an ear I can stick my fist in any day :rolleyes: lol.

[Alibear]

Hi guys,

Thanks again for the advice, but I think I may of given some of you the wrong idea.

I would never force my pup to do anything, I just meant I was going to find a way to do it no matter what. I know it needs to be done, but I would never force it. :rolleyes:

I like the idea about baby wipes - is there a certain type that is best?