Keeping your Standard Schnauzers Ears Clean and Hair Free

Did you know if you keep your Standard Schnauzer's ears free of hair and clean you can prevent most ear infections?  A Standard Schnauzer does not shed like other breeds they grow their "hair" similar to humans and require a reasonable amount of grooming.   Removing the hair that grows in their ear canals is an important aspect of preventing infections.  Over the years I have used several different products and methods but have developed a technique that is easy and works well.

• I first always use ear powder it gives just the right grip to pull ear hair by hand, you get a better idea of how you dog will tolerate this procedure and doing it by hand decreases the chance of injury.  Sprinkle a moderate amount of the ear powder into the ear canal and gently pull a few strands at a time this way you can clear quite a bit of the hair before you have to move to using tweezers.  Below is just one brand of ear powder there are several on the market.  

• Next I use my favorite tweezers that give the best control, you can usually find these in any drug store, I prefer the brands that have a slanted tip, it makes it easier to work with deep ear canals.  

• Next I use this bandaid antiseptic wound wash, it is "hurt free", and it gets the job done.

• Of course you will need a Standard Schnauzer ear.

Starting your puppy off with proper ear care will help condition him/her to the process.  This process should not hurt your puppy if it does then you are probably pulling too much hair at one time and need to decrease the amount you are trying to remove at one time.  Remember you should aim at removing all visible hair from the canal and surrounding outer portion of the ear. This can actually be a pleasant procedure, I will frequently lay a towel down on my lap while the puppy or dog rests their head down on the towel, it becomes a routine that they should not mind.