No matter what shape your dog's ears are long and droopy, or short and catlike, they require attention to make sure that they stay clean and free of problems. Dogs ears produce wax, trap dirt, grow hair, retain moisture, and can easily develop infections when they are neglected.  One need to check your dog's ears daily.  lf your dog is used to you handling there ears then they will be more comfortable with it when a professional groomer or vet has to examine them.  In addition, spend more time making sure the ears are clean during grooming sessions.

Our Ear Care Regime:
Examine the dog's ears. We check the outside for tangles and parasites, which often gravitate toward the ears. We check the insides for dirt and excessive wax buildup. Dog’s ears should be clean. A little ear wax is normal, but large amounts of ear wax that looks reddish brown or streaky or smells funny should be consulted with the vet.

We look  for hair inside the ear. Ear tiny hair can trap dirt, bacteria, and moisture inside the ear canal, causing infection.  We pluck the hair inside the ears for a neater appearance.  (We will NOT do this to an infected ear!)

For dog ears that contain long ear hair, wenpluck out each hairs with a hemostat. We don't pluck out more than a few hairs at one time because this could be painful for your dog.

We can dust the ears with medicated ear powder if they are prone to infection.  Most powders sold in pet stores will do just fine and will not cause any adverse reactions.

If your dogs  ears are very dirty, we gently pull the ear out away from the skull to open up the ear canal and place a few drops of ear wash or mineral oil inside.  Then we massage the base of the ear to work the cleanser down the canal.  Next we hold the ear down for a minute to let the fluid enter the ear canal, then release your dog and let him shake his head a few times to loosen the ear wax.  We then check ears again and clear out loosened wax with a cotton ball or cotton swab dipped in ear wash or mineral oil.

For Drop ear dogs, remember to keep all hair under the ear opening and on the inside flap of the ear trimmed short. This will increase air flow to the ear and reduce the chance of infections.