Train Your New Dog

Cleaning a dog’s ears is an important part of their care. Dog’s have L shaped ear canals that often accumulate debris and harbor bacteria that can cause an infection. Before starting to clean a dog’s ears you need to check them first. Look for swelling, redness or discharge and make a note any smell. Also record if dog is shaking their head or rubbing their ears.

If you notice anything abnormal you should take your dog to vet before you clean so that the underlying cause can be identified and appropriate treatments prescribed. It is important to wait until your vet has given the okay to clean because if your dog has a perforated ear drum, the cleaner can enter the middle and inner ear which, as well as being painful, can cause deafness and neurological problems.

Cleaning Steps:
1. Take a cotton ball and soak it in an ear cleaning solution formulated for dogs. Place it just into the ear canal and massage the ear canal well for 15-30 seconds, allowing the cleaner to run down the ear canal. Let dog shake head to loosen debris. You may want to do this step outdoors as liquid and waxy debris shaken out of the ear can travel a long way.

2. Using another cotton ball, wrap it round the end of one finger. Use this to remove as much debris as possible without causing bleeding or irritation. Remember to never use Q-Tips in the ear canal, as you risk perforating the ear drum. You can use them to remove debris from the pinna (ear flap).

3. Gently dry the ear with a dry cotton ball and repeat the process on the other ear.

4. Reward your dog when you have finished so that they see ear cleaning as a positive experience.

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Many dogs don’t like their feet being touched, let alone their nails being cut. If your dog isn’t used to nail trimming you may need to spend time just getting your dog used to you holding their feet, having your vet or groomer cut their nails. When you start, you may find you can only cut one or two nails at a time. As your dog gets used to the experience you increase the number until you can cut them all in one session.

Before starting, you will need clippers, styptic powder or silver nitrate sticks, and a nail file. Have your dog sit or lie down, whichever is more comfortable for them. If using guillotine style clippers, slide the ring over nail with screws facing towards the dog. Hold the clipper so the moving blade is perpendicular to the nail, and will cut from the bottom to the top. With scissor type clippers hold them so they also cut from the top to the bottom of the nail.

For dogs with light colored nails, cut close to where you see the pink vein. For black nails you should cut only small amounts at a time, looking at the cut edge as you go. When you see the color change from a gray/black to translucent, stop; this is the quick and the nail is as short as you can get it without causing bleeding.

If you do cut the nail too short and it bleeds, use either a silver nitrite stick (cauterises the vessel) or styptic powder (a clotting agent) placed on the end of the nail to stop the bleeding. If you have neither at home can use corn starch, however it will take longer for the bleeding to stop.

After cutting, use the nail file to round and smooth roughened edges.

Some dogs prefer having their nails sanded rather than clipped. You can use a tool specifically made for sanding dog nails, or you can use a grinding attachment on any hand held rotary tool. As with clipping, you may need to start gradually until your dog becomes accustomed to the sound and feel of the grinder.

Nails should be trimmed regularly as long nails can be uncomfortable for your dog and can increase the risk of toe injuries. A good guide is when you hear them tapping as your dog walks. With regular trimming, you should find that nails can be trimmed shorter as the quick recedes.

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