When I first brought Butch home years ago, I realized then that this was a life changing event for me, and that there was going to be a responsibility for me to care for him in many ways that were outside of my comfort zone. Pulling long, partially digested, unrecognizable remnants of some fiber or strand out of his rear end was not something that, in my wildest imagination, I thought I would ever be doing...and MY imagination is pretty wild! Waking up staring at the business end of a Boston terrier was also quite the experience and I thank God that it doesn't happen any more! None-the-less, the daily routine of feeding, playing with him, and making sure he was Ok while I am working is something that came pretty naturally and in a short time became just another part of our life together.
As he aged we established an almost automatic daily routine that you could set your watch to. I can tell you where Butch will be at specific times of the day...without fail. I think this quality about dogs, not just Butch..is what endears them to us humans on a constant basis.
...but I digress...
I mention the above to remind you how easy it can be to get your dog into a specific routine to make the occasional unpleasant task a little easier on you both. Ear infections are something that we pet owners should all be concerned with for both cats and dogs. Regular Ear cleaning (for your pet...and ok for us humans too!) is very important to help prevent yeast infections. I was always trying to clean Butch's ears, but it wasn't until a couple of years ago, when I had my Vet clean them properly and show me how to do it, that I realized that I was doing it wrong. My Vet Dave showed me inside Butch's ears with one of those lighted instruments that your doctor uses on you, and he said "you see those little white dots starting to show up in his ear canal? That is the beginning of a yeast infection." I told him I clean his ears all the time and I showed him how I

wrap my pinky finger in a Kleenex and clean out his ear. He said that is not going to remove the biggest part of the problem which is deeper in the canal. He explained that it is not advisable for people to just be sticking things (even swabs) in their pets ears without knowing what they are doing. He showed me how to properly use a swab with the ear drops he gave me for Butch's ears. He pulled out a big glob from both of Butch's ears that I never would have reached. In Butch's case, his ear canal bottoms out and then sharply turns into his head where the "working" parts are. Dave explained that it is not like this for all dogs but that if I am gentle I should have no problem using a swab to clean his ear canal to that point.

With his big ears on top of that flat noggin of his, Butch picks up things floating and or flying in the air at his level very easily. I've pulled small Locust Tree leaves, dandelion fuzzy seeds, mud, mulch, and of course grass clippings out of his ears almost every time he is playing ball, rolling in the fresh cut grass, or just lying on the lawn. He is like a little chainsaw, kicking up everything and grinding his face in the dirt.  His bath time usually comes on Friday or Saturday when we are outside during the warm months and about every 4 to 6 weeks during he winter. I try to get him cleaned up quickly in the warm months BEFORE the slobber/mud mixture has a chance to dry and I have to scrape it out of his ears and off his nose with a cloth. As you can imagine, I can't even let him in the house in his condition after being outside for a lengthy period of time.
Even though I have Butch used to ear cleaning when I give him a bath, I still have the Vet check his ears twice each year during check ups to make sure I am cleaning them ok. He usually has to do a bit of further cleaning, mainly because I still am leery about getting in there too deep, but he did say that I am preventing the dirt and wax from building up. There are many ways to prevent ear infections in your dog and keeping them clean is the best step you can take. I found a great Web site dedicated to this topic that will at least help you speak with your vet and ask specific questions. I'm embarrassed to say that I almost let Butch get an ear infection, but at that time I didn't know any better...now I have no excuse! Take care of your pet's ears!