Even the sweetest dog can become aggressive when someone tries to put ear drops in their ears, especially if an infection makes the ear even more sensitive than usual. We all know how bad it feels when something isn’t right with our ears.
The good news is that putting ear drops in an aggressive dog is actually a simple process when you learn the correct techniques.
Techniques To Place Ear Drops in your Dog
Certain techniques can be used to restrain a dog and prevent them from biting. These techniques will keep both you and the dog safe while you’re administering ear drops. Ideally we want to work to a point where you don’t have to restrain your dog as that creates a negative experience loop.
Make the Experience More Pleasant
If a dog isn’t generally aggressive, making the experience of administering ear drops more pleasant may be all that’s needed to keep him from snapping during the process. There are several ways to do this…
Remain calm
The more stressed you are about the process, the more stressed the dog will be. Dogs work off energy a lot. Once they sense you’re uptight they will be too. This is especially true if you try to restrain them using sudden movements.
Try sitting with your dog for a bit, calmly petting them before putting the drops in. Slowly work your way to the dog’s ear rather than going straight for it. Remember to remain calm and move slowly – this is a relaxing experience for your pup.
Use a Cotton Ball
Put the ear drops on a cotton ball. This is especially useful if your dog has already made a negative connection between the ear drop bottle or syringe. Using a cotton ball can be much easier than trying to direct a syringe in your dogs ear to place the drops.
Use a Syringe
A small syringe may offer better control than a bottle of ear drops. It will allow you to be more accurate when placing the drops which as you know can be difficult with aggressive dogs when they’re anxious about what you’re about to do.
Use Treats and Praise
Provide their favorite treats and lots of positive reinforcement. This will help your dog to associate the ear drops with a positive experience. Remember to rewards with lots of treats and love after successful administration. This will help your dog trust the experience.
Warm The Drops
If the drops are stored in the fridge or at room temperate it wil make for a very unpleasant experience when your dog feels the drops in their ear. Making the drops slightly warmer can make them less invasive to the dog. Please remember to test them on your arm first to make sure they’re not too hot, or you risk burning your dog.
Get help from a Friend
Ear drops can go more smoothly if you enlist the help of someone else. This person can either help you restrain the dog or can provide a distraction with a steady stream of treats while you administer the drops.
The treats will work well if your dog is hungry and you’re use their favorite food, whether it’s small bits of liver or a spread like peanut butter. Find what works well for your pup.
Limit the Dog’s Vision
If a dog is more on the aggressive side when their ears are touched but small enough that you feel confident handling them yourself, using a calming cap or towel to cover the dog’s eyes can help calm them. If the dog is unable to see the ear drops, it may be easier to restrain them long enough to get the drops in. Please bear in mind that this method may become more difficult with time as your dog asssociates this process to the drops.
Use a Lead
Tying your dog to a short leash may help avoid injury since their movement will be limited. This also prevents having to chase your pup if they breaks free. Make sure to tie the lead to something stationary and strong enough to hold your dog.
Secure the Mouth
With large or aggressive dogs, it might be a good idea to use a muzzle. If you don’t have a muzzle handy, using something like a bandana or strip of cloth to tie the mouth shut can work well but a muzzle would definitely be the preferred method here.
If you use the non-muzzle method, be sure the cloth is tight enough to be secure without being tight enough to hurt the dog.
Tie a knot that will hold when you need it to but is easy to remove when you’re finished.
Get Help From a Vet
If you’re struggling to get the drops in or your dog is too aggressive and you’re strugging. We recommend talking to your vet and see if they can either assist you with how to administer the drops or if they can just do it for you.
Vets have experience in dealing with aggressive animals and might be better equipped for handling an agressive dog.
Also, if your dog isn’t generally aggressive, but only when administering medication, your dog may be better behaved for a stranger like a vet than for their owner.
Last Resort: Sedation
If you’re unable to administer ear drops to your dog and he needs them for a long period of time, you might consider talking to your vet about getting a sedative to make the dog less aggressive during the process.
This is a last resort once you’ve tried everything else, but may be needed for a really problematic dog.
Training Your Dog To Accept Ear Drops
Dog’s ears are more sensitive than human ears, so if your dog isn’t feeling well and someone’s doing something they see as negative, it’s no surprise that your dog may snap or growl to get you to stop.
Except in the case of overly aggressive dogs, most dogs who become aggressive when someone manipulates their ears do so because of a previous unpleasant experience.
To prevent such a challenging experience the next time your dog needs ear drops, train them beforehand.
Get your Dog Used to Having their Ears Touched
When you’re petting your dog, make sure to occasionally rub their ears and manipulate them to the degree that they are comfortable with.
Slowly increase their comfort level by using positive reinforcement until you’re able to look inside his ears without them pulling away or flinching.
Get your Dog Used to the Ear Drop Bottle or Syringe
Dogs are fast learners. They’ll soon realise that the little white bottle or syringe means a bad experience is on its way, so keep a bottle handy once your dog’s treatment is over.
Slowly start introducing the bottle at treat time, first setting it near your dog, then giving the dog treats while holding the bottle or syringe, and eventually petting them while holding the bottle/syringe so they gets used to it. This should help your dog relax more and form a more positive experience with the bottle or syringe.
Preventing Ear Infections
Another step that will prevent future stressful ear situations is by trying to eliminate the need for ear drops in the first place.
Clean the Ears Regularly
Clean your dog’s ears about twice a month to keep ear mites, yeast, and bacteria at bay. You can use a cotton ball soaked in mineral oil or special wipes made for ear cleaning purposes, available at most pet stores.
Prevent Swimmer’s Ear
If your dog love the water then make sure their ears are dry after every swim. Water from grooming can also make its way into the ear canal, so use care when bathing the dog and don’t let water get inside their ear.
Remove Excess Hair
It’s completely normal for a dog to have some hair inside their ears, but an excessive amount can trap dirt and lead to an infection. If your dog has a lot of hair in their ears, have your groomer take care of it regularly to minimise the risk of ear infectons.
Keep Allergies in Check
Just like people, some dogs are prone to allergies. Allergies can contribute to chronic ear infections and can be caused by several things such dust mites, certain foods and pollen.
Try to keep your dog’s allergies to a minimum by determining and reducing allergens when possible, and giving allergy tablets as needed if your vet believes this may help. Please remember to talk to your vet before treating your dog.
Preventing an ear infection will ensure that you don’t have to give your dog ear drops more often than necessary which we’re sure you’ll agree is the best situation.
Wrapping things up
A combination of ear drop desensitization, training, and positive reinforcement will help to make the experience far less stressful for both you and the dog when it does need to happen. Even an aggressive dog can learn to take ear drops over time.
Remember: Be patient and calm.