Too early to clean ears?... And a much needed vent.

[Nikki & Charlie]

Charlie currently has an ear infection but he's coming to the end of the medication and I'm pretty sure it's clearing up. At what age did you begin cleaning your pups ears? He's 10 weeks old. His ears are dirty, they get cleaned out a bit from rubbing the medication in them but they need a cleaning. Plus the hair in his ears... Seems like there's a lot.

What do you use to clean them?



Now for my rant...

His biting is driving me nuts! He's the worst with me, he purposely nips at my ankles, legs, clothes, etc especially when he's really worked up. He's always trying to bit my hands when I get near his face - UNLESS he's tired or scared, he won't nip at me. He's not doing it in a vicious way and I know it's normal puppy behaviour but it feels like he's never going to stop and he's getting worse and more stubborn as he gets older. Will it ever end? Ugh!!! He's such a good puppy otherwise... His biting is just driving me crazy. He has so many toys and I always try to replace my hands with a good chew toy so he gets the idea of what he can and cannot chew. I've resorted to tugging on his ear a bit whenever he bites because it hurts him, so maybe he'll associate that pain with bad biting. (I don't pull very hard) and I also say no very sternly.

[Marilyn and Sherlock]

Puppy teeth should do a grizzly bear proud..... I even tried spraying bitter apple on my toes....worked for about 3 minutes......next I tried a spray waterbottle.....within about an hour, he was trying to get the water spray in his mouth.... his aim was amazing....finally I just put on socks..... he didn't seem to do that when he couldn't actually see my toes..... as for ear cleaning, I started cleaning immediately, once a week..... he hated every minute of it but he never had an ear infection....

[Malenie Piscetelli]

Your puppy is teething. Lucy is now 7 mos old and she is less biting. Just keep putting his toys or bone in his mouth. It does work. Be patient!!! Good luck!!!

[Susan Dingess]

Hi,

I use DermaPet MalAcetic Otic (Ear/Skin Cleanser for Pets) and a cotton ball. Squirt some in ear and then with the cotton ball rub the ear canal.

As far as the biting, mine has finally quit nipping at my ankles and licking my toes; she is 8 months. I did read online to yelp when they are biting; well, I really don't know what a yelp sounds like, but I let out a loud yell and she will quit. She does bite  at me to let me know she needs to go out. Bitter apple and an alternate toy did not work for me.

Best wishes.

[Judi Kilpatrick]

Hi Nikki, one of my pups had an ear infection when he wasn't much older than your little guy, our vet prescribed the antibiotic drops but also gave us an ear wash to use once a day to flush all of the gunk out of his ear. We use the same rinse periodically to rinse out their ears, especially after they have been groomed and had hair pulled from their ears. His ear infection appeared about a week after his first mini groom. Maybe check with your vet to see if they have an ear wash you could pick up. It might also be a good time to get him acquainted with a groomer to get his ear hair removed, nails clipped, etc. As for your little biting pup, this is by far, the most annoying part of 'puppyhood', it does get better but try to find him things he'd rather chew on than you (lol), the split elk antlers are awesome, our vet recommended the Virbac dental chews which worked wonders, nonetheless, you will end up with a drawer full of torn t-shirts, shredded hands and ankles until he loses his puppy teeth. Good luck and be patient, it gets much better.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

My trainer said once my lil guy respects me, and I have established leadership hierarchy, he will nip less and less. So, as soon as he attempts to nip, I put him into sit, lead him around by leash, etc. Also, I really don't sit on floor with him - it puts me as easy target. So, I stand to play. That way they associate standing with play and sitting with rest. Also, a good serious growl goes a long way, lol! That's what his doggie friends do... Tone says a lot! Good luck!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I am assuming you took him to the vet for the ear infection since you have meds.  I would follow their instructions and then take him back for re-exam.  Have them show you how to clean the ears properly. 

IMO - it is never positive training if you are pinching him in any way because he is biting.  Cindy gave you some good tips in how to redirect him to do something positive like walking around on a leash, or chasing a ball - the goal is to redirect his attention to something other than your hands or feet!   If he keeps coming back to bite you growl or say ouch loud and then calmly & gently pick him up and put him in a crate or gated area for a time out.  They learn quickly that if they are naughty they will get a time out.  A time out can be 5 - 10 minutes or until he calms down.  Biting is puppy behavior and some bite longer than others.  Your little guy will get up, but always treat him kindly and lovingly (even when you would like to strangler the little monster!)  LOL   He will probably progress from biting you hands and feet to chewing up your shoes, etc., so be prepared and get him something safe to chew on.  Hang in there.

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

I don't know if this will help you but it worked for me.   When Hurley starting nipping at my heels, legs, hands I would gently take his nose/mouth in my hands holding it closed, look him in the eyes and say a few times very quietly 'gentle, gentle, gentle".  Then let him go.  It took persistence but it did work.  

[Nikki & Charlie]

I've tried that but he thinks it's a game when I close his mouth and he status doing it even more!! Lol. But thank you for your suggestion!!

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

I inspect Yarrow's ears regularly and clean them only when there's dirt, which is rarely. I use Essentials Ear Cleaner on a cotton ball.
About the nipping: I still have a scar on one finger. Yarrow is 9 months old now and the nipping seems eons ago. I just sold the kennel she outgrew. The woman who bought it had cuts on her fingers from her new puppy. I assured her that it does stop.

He wants to play with you the way pups want to play with each other. He's too young to know better. Stay off the floor and keep your fingers away from his face. I lived in three holey pairs of sweatpants in the kitchen until she stopped. You have to have a lot of patience. He needs to trust you and your hands whenever they are near him. So it's not a good idea IMHO to pull on his ear. You will only sabotage other training if he doesn't trust you.

There's a learning curve and he'll outgrow it in a few weeks. What worked best for me was yelping when she hurt me and then I'd leave the room for 20 or 30 seconds... Not too long or she'd forget what happened that made me leave her alone. She quickly learned that if she was too rough the game would end. When I'd come back to the room I would not make eye contact with her and then I would go crouch down in a corner of the room and pretend to like my wound. sure enough, Yarrow would come over with a curious look and want to interact with me. I would praise her quietly for being gentle.

Good luck and don't even think about wearing anything nice that you value around him for a few months. I do remember the happy morning I was brave enough to wear my lovely, warm housecoat into the kitchen and Yarrow did not bite and tug on it. I think it was maybe 3 months that I didn't dare wear it around my pup.

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

I'm a firm believer I Cesar Millan's method of being a calm-assertive pack leader. This has helped me, my husband, and my boys keep Chewy's nipping to a bare minimum. We all use the word "off!" in a very firm voice, using confident energy and gesturing that our legs are "our space". This has helped tremendously. Cesar Millan's show and his books have been a godsend for us as new dog owners.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Totally on board too, Kristen! Working really well. And Jan Fennell, too! Her five min ignore rule has totally improved his greeting manners! Exercise, rules/boundaries, affection, lol!

[Nikki & Charlie]

Yeah he's on some sort of liquid for his infection. He goes back next week so I'll ask him.

I thought that putting him in his crate for a time out wasn't good because the crate is supposed to be a posted thing?

Thank you for your reply!! I feel better with everyone's suggestions.