How to clean my dog's ears

If your dog is prone to ear problems, and some breeds like cocker spaniels are, then you should consider cleaning their ears. Otherwise, leave their ears alone.

You can purchase a solution from your veterinarian that you can gently squeeze into their ears, rub their ears gently, and allow them to shake their heads. This can be done every 2-6 weeks, depending on what your veterinarian suggests.

If your dog is acting like they have an ear infection (constantly shaking their head, rubbing at their ears, foul smell coming from their ears, etc.) then you need to take your pooch to a veterinarian. They could have an infection or foreign material in their ears.

If you have a dog that's acting like they have an ear problem and you decide to take care of it yourself you can make it worse or push any foreign material further down into their ears, potentially puncturing their ear drums and causing major problems.

I wouldn't use q-tips inside the ear because your dog can move at just the right moment and the q-tip can accidentally bust the eardrum or push foreign matter deeper into the ear. Using q-tips on the outside of the ear, however, is typically safe.