14 week old Goldendoodle, how do I clean his ears? just notices some black gunk in there.

[Ollie's Mom]

Do I need a special solution or can I just use a damp washcloth?  Vinegar? tips please! 

[Laura and Angus]

We have this with our 14 week old doodle guy (and I had it with my standard poodle). It's pretty common with the floppy-eared dogs. You can get the cleaning solution from the vet - not sure about other options out there for cleaning. What you do is squirt the solution in the ear and massage a little at the base to get it in there. Then you put a cotton ball in and kinda massage it while in there gently (dogs don't love this usually, but when they're bothered by their ears they end up kinda moving their leg like if you find a good scratchy spot). Then take out the cotton ball and do one or so more to make sure you get out all the liquid. It's important to get all the liquid!

Also, if you haven't done this with your pup yet, I'd recommend doing it with someone else as a spotter. My boyfriend held our puppy on his lap with a treat for the pup to chew on as a distraction. They get super duper wiggly and it's hard to really get in there for cleaning...

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Ollie's Mom ~ you could have your vet show you how when you are at a puppy appointment.  You do need to be careful to not put anything down in the ear canal other than the solution.  Is your puppy scratching at his ears?  If so, he probably needs to be checked for possible ear mites.  Good luck, Ollie is a cutie.

[Marilyn and Sherlock]

I had a springer for years and they are prone to ear infection but I took a dry Kleenex and wiped out his ear canals at least twice a week and he never had a bad ear in all the years I had him...

[Bev and Tess]

Our vet just showed us the Kleenex method too. Just cover the end of your pointer finger with a couple layers of it and gentle rub back and forth in circles. Works perfect!

[Sheree Small]

I do this with a paper towel. After the solution squirt and massage. I use Zymox ear cleanser. Our vet said with these floppy ears, cleaning once or twice a week as preventative is a good idea.