How to Remove the Hair From the Ears of Puppies

Removing the hair from a dog's ears is not a necessary procedure with all breeds, but for the dogs that do require this grooming practice, it is essential. Hair build up in a dog's ears is an open invitation for bacteria, uncomfortable itching and inner ear infection. While teaching puppies to endure necessary grooming procedures can be frustrating and stressful for you and your new dog, using the proper grooming and training techniques can make the chore easier.

Instructions

    • 1

      Wrap your puppy in a towel, confining all four of its legs. This will help comfort and confine the young dog.

    • 2

      Lay your dog's head in your lap and use calming words and body scratching. Once your dog is calm, quietly praise him. Any excitement from you will trigger his "play" mode, so remain calm.

    • 3

      Rub the inside of your dog's ears for the first few sessions.This will feel good and the young dog will begin to equate this place and procedure with something positive. Quietly release your puppy and give him a puppy treat. Repeat this process until your puppy understands to lay still.

    • 4

      Hold your puppy's head in your lap, keeping him quiet and calm. Taking just a pinch of baby powder, sprinkle it into the puppy's ear. Rub the ear to distribute the powder. The rubbing prior to pulling also helps calm your puppy. The baby powder loosens the hair follicles and minimizes any discomfort.

    • 5

      Pluck the hair from your puppy's ears. Initially, some hair can be removed using your fingers, but to get the hair that is farther down in the ear, use tweezers.

    • 6

      Pluck the hair from the puppy's ear until it is gone and you can easily see the clean and cleared ear canal. Never reach into your puppy's ears beyond where you can see, as this can damage the internal ear and cause the dog pain.

    • 7

      Swab the inside of the ear that is visible with a Q Tip dipped in baby oil. Once the inside of the puppy's ear is coated in baby oil, rub again from the outside. This with soothe your puppy, eliminate any associated irritation and re-confirm the procedure as being pleasant.

    • 8

      Offer your dog a treat when you are finished and take him to another part of the house for some play time. This will reinforce the positive association to the grooming procedure. Your young dog will eventually know that grooming processes, such as ear hair removal, mean attention, treats and play time.