Puppy ears are so cute and floppy. Some are too big for puppies who still need to grow into them. Others are small, even into adulthood. But ears are not just cute; they are very important and thus must be well taken care of. It is essential that you teach your puppy to accept ear cleaning. But many adult dogs don’t like having their ears cleaned. This dislike can be fixed, but it is best to work on this when your puppy is young, adding ear cleaning to early training. But there is one thing that I have found really helps with getting puppies used to ear care: training with a damp towel.
Damp Towel
When people teach their puppies to accept ear cleaning, they often get them used to having their ears handled; then they move right into cleaning ears. But I have found, and many other clicker trainers will tell you, that adding in more steps can help things go smoother. Specifically, the steps that introduce your puppy to having a damp towel rubbed just inside its ear (ask your vet how to do this safely before you try it yourself). These steps help your puppy learn that sometimes there will be cold things in its ear, and that is okay. It will learn to expect that sometimes what you put in its ear will feel different than your fingers, and maybe even change in temperature. Once your puppy is comfortable with this, they will be much more receptive to having their ears cleaned, and the process can go much faster.
How to Do It?
Step 1 – Once your puppy is used to you rubbing its ears with your fingers, get a dry towel and cover your hand with it. Gently massage your puppy’s ears like you would normally, reinforcing it during the process.
Step 2 – Once your puppy is used to the sensation of a dry town, use a damp towel and repeat the process.
Step 3 – Once your puppy is used to the damp town, switch back to the dry one. Begin to randomly alternate between dry and damp towels until your puppy is comfortable with the temperature change.
Step 4 – Add the occasional ear cleaning pads or solution to the process, making sure to feed treats to your puppy each time you add something new to the process.
Note: Please check with your vet before you put anything in your puppy’s ear, as they will be able to help you do so safely so your puppy’s ear does not get damaged or infected.
Closing Thoughts
It is always nice to know what to expect. The more we can do this for our puppies, the easier it will be for them to accept things they might find strange, but we might find normal. Learning to expect the unexpected or expect things to feel different from time to time is an important skill for puppies and adult dogs alike and should be added to your training.