ear cleaner with a jrt !!

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jaydawg
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 11:27 pm

ear cleaner with a jrt !!

Post by jaydawg »

i have a 10 1/2 month old male jack russell. his ears have looked pretty dirty lately and he's been scratching at them alot. no discoloration except for after he's been scratching (they get a little red). we picked up some ear cleaner from our pet supply store. putting these things in is pure hell :lol: . he fights and growls and nips the whole time. i walk him before i try to do anything like this with him. i sit on the floor with him, and try to give him treats or a chew bone and play with the tennis ball before and while i try to give him the drops. i try to make it as enjoyable and positive for him as possible, but this little guy just will not let me put these drops in. we have the same problem trying to trim his nails. any advice ?
passionate61
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:24 am

Post by passionate61 »

:D do you have an outside table, or if you don't place a towel on your dining table or bench, lift you wee chap up onto the area with a no mess attitude, place him on the table and administer the drops. If you act like you mean business, and with no fuss you should have no problem, standing up is easier than sitting down, where he may associate that with play. As for the nails, the same approach. If it helps you can treat him straight after you have done the ear, and after each nail and tell him what a good boy he is. He will get the picture that it's not so bad and he gets a treat. Be careful not to cut the quick on the nail, if you put a little baby oil on his nails first it helps to see the quick.
I have bulldogs and I cut my guys nails after they have had a shower in the shoer cubicle, that can't go anywhere and they just accept it as a matter of course now. If I try to cut their nails out of this environment, it won't happen. Good luck :D
passionate61
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:24 am

Post by passionate61 »

:D do you have an outside table, or if you don't place a towel on your dining table or bench, lift you wee chap up onto the area with a no mess attitude, place him on the table and administer the drops. If you act like you mean business, and with no fuss you should have no problem, standing up is easier than sitting down, where he may associate that with play. As for the nails, the same approach. If it helps you can treat him straight after you have done the ear, and after each nail and tell him what a good boy he is. He will get the picture that it's not so bad and he gets a treat. Be careful not to cut the quick on the nail, if you put a little baby oil on his nails first it helps to see the quick.
I have bulldogs and I cut my guys nails after they have had a shower in the shoer cubicle, that can't go anywhere and they just accept it as a matter of course now. If I try to cut their nails out of this environment, it won't happen. Good luck :D
jaydawg
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue May 06, 2008 11:27 pm

Post by jaydawg »

i've tried that approach, and it did'nt work. i tried holding him down, but gave up quickly because i dont want it to be a negative experience for him.

dont forget, i'm talkin about a JACK RUSSELL here :shock: . he's a stubbern excited, high strung, funny, bull headed, extreamely playful character.
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Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Post by Nettle »

Ideal subject for clicker training then :D Have a look at the pinned thread.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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Mattie
Posts: 5872
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:21 am

Post by Mattie »

It sounds like his ears may be infected, has they been checked by a vet? He may need antibiotics.

dont forget, i'm talkin about a JACK RUSSELL here . he's a stubbern excited, high strung, funny, bull headed, extreamely playful character.
He is a dog first then a Jack Russell, you do have to take into account what he was bred to do but also they are easy to train and handle as long as they are not in pain.
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cheesehawk
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:25 am
Location: Monterey Park, CA USA

Post by cheesehawk »

My English Bulldog didn't like his at first either. However, I made it a daily habit to wipe his face several times a day (to clean his wrinkles), and then started to clean his ears (with a warm damp towel) as an extension of his face wiping. After a few days of no fuss when I put the towel into his ear, I started adding the ear drops to a clean cotton ball. Now, I wipe his ears everyday (not very much, but just to keep a routine) and when I decide to add the ear drops for a thorough cleaning, he doesn't mind.
mlcmarine
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:11 pm

ear drops

Post by mlcmarine »

What is it about ear drops that drive dogs to nip? My dog hates them, even when his ears are not infected.
I finally managed to work them in during a bath. For some reason he's more submissive in the tub. But I still have to be quick while he's distracted by his water toy. And as one responder stated, using a cloth to clean the ears first helps. My dog doesn't mind that, for some strange reason, so while the ear is flipped back, in go the drops. He never notices. :wink:
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Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: ear drops

Post by Nettle »

mlcmarine wrote:What is it about ear drops that drive dogs to nip? My dog hates them, even when his ears are not infected.

Have you ever had ear drops? :shock: It's HORRIBLE!

I use a product called Thornit from Canine Natural Cures. It's a powder, and easy to apply with a teaspoon. If just the outer ear is mucky, wiping out gently with an aloe vera or lavender-based product is nicer than drops. Of course if the vet has diagnosed a problem that needs drops, then people should do what the vet says, but for ear mites and general mucky ears there are nicer products.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
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