My dog is scared of having her ears cleaned, what should I do?

O
Orkiln Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice. I have a 4-month-old Border Collie puppy and, since our first visit to the vet, I’ve been making an effort to clean her eyes, ears, and teeth using the proper solutions. Everything was going fine until now (cleaning her about every fortnight), but yesterday when I brought the bottle of ear cleaner near her, she really kicked off. I tried to restrain her by holding her muzzle (which I realise now was a bad idea) to keep her head to the side, but she resisted even more and showed her teeth. Looking back, I also raised my voice because I was getting frustrated, which was also a big mistake.

I’m not sure if her aggression was directed at the bottle because she was frightened or at me, but she ran away afterwards and tried to hide.

I’m hoping you can give me some tips to find a solution that works for her without having to give up on ear care entirely. Can anyone help?

P.S. Just to clarify, to clean the ear canal, the solution has to be poured inside, which is why I have to get the bottle so close to her ear. If I just put the cleaner on a cotton pad to wipe the outer ear, she isn't scared at all.

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    • ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Sorry to keep on about this (maybe I should start a separate thread?), but do I really need to clean my dog’s ears that often? Does it depend on the breed?
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Don't hesitate to warm the solution up to about 30°C! Having cold liquid poured into their ear is really unpleasant for them, just as it would be for us. At the right temperature, it can actually be quite a nice experience. Make sure to pair the cleaning with a reward by giving them a treat. Don't squirt it in too forcefully either; use plenty of solution, but pour it in gently!
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    This might be a daft question! Just following on from @Orkiln's post... is cleaning their ears every fortnight really necessary? 🤦
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    O
    Orkiln Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks Kikaah for your reply =)

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    Kikaah
    Kikaah Icon representing the flag French
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    You're right, if you lose your temper and try to force her, it’s only going to put her off even more. This sort of thing needs her cooperation; it shouldn't be done under duress. The ear cleaner must feel quite unpleasant for her, which is likely why she’s been acting up. If using cotton wool is working well, then stick with that. In the meantime, you can try to get her to associate the bottle with something positive, like treats or a good fuss. You need to take it in stages if she’s scared: show her the bottle and praise her, move the bottle closer and praise her, pretend to pour it and praise her... if it’s going too fast and she seems uncomfortable, just go back to the previous step.
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