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Smelly Ears and Strange Behavoir

Hi. My puppy is 4 months old and is in very good health according to her vet. She's a Cocker Spaniel mix (a mutt, lol). In the last week or two, I've noticed a strange smell coming from her ears. Not nice at all. I checked in her ears and she has a lot of gunk in them. I found online that cleaning them with a little vinegar on a cotton ball can get rid of it and clean them at the same time. I did that, but it hasn't seemed to make any difference. My friend said to warm up some olive oil and put it in her ears and mush it around a bit and it would loosen anything that is in her ears, but I'm nervous about putting anything in her ears. I cant afford to take her to the vet as I'm on disability with barely enough money to but us food. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do.

She's also doing a few strange things that I wanted to ask about. I am trying to start a small business on the side and am on the computer off and on during the day. Every time I sit to the computer which is right next to the couch, she will jump up on the couch then paw at me and wine till I pick her up. She then cuddles into my neck and will fall asleep there. It was easy to do before when she was smaller, but now she weighs about 15 pounds and its hard on the arms. She's always been a very affectionate dog. If I lay on the couch, she will jump up also and lay on my back, which I find a little comforting also. She use to sleep in a box at night, which she loved. Around 10:30 she would come to me and wine to go to bed. I'd get up to put her in and she would jump up on the side of the box, looking at me, wagging her tail for me to pick her up and put her in. We took away the box a few weeks ago and she has been doing really good without it as she sleeps in the bed with me. Why does she want to be in my arms every time I get on the computer?

She's a very smart dog and had the house training conquered by the time she was 7 or 8 weeks old, with a few little accidents her and there and has learned tricks very easily. She's been completely trained for a few months and goes to the door when she wants to go out. BUT, when I bring her to my parents house she will poo and pee on the floor without even thinking twice about it. No matter what we have done, she still does it. I haven't brought her to anyone else's house, cause I'm afraid she will do the same thing. Does anyone have any ideas on why she might be doing this and how I can stop it?

One more thing. She is a VERY excitable dog. The second ANYONE comes in the door, she is all over them. If they sit on the couch she is instantly up on the couch and right in their face licking them and biting them and well, just very very excited. She will not listen at all, so I usually end up having to put her in her kennel until the person leaves. I don't like having to do that, but its the only solution Ive been able to figure out. Does anyone have any ideas?

I'm so excited I found this forum and look forward to anyone's answers.
6 Responses
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82861 tn?1333453911
Everyone else has dealt very well with the ear problems - I agree it's likely yeast and perhaps a secondary bacterial infection - so I'll go on to the behavioral issues.

You have trained your dog to be your boss.  :-)  Everything you describe is a perfect picture of a spoiled dog who gets attention whenever SHE asks for it, and also feels it necessary to be the number one guard of the territory.  Not to worry, you can change this behavior fairly easily if you apply yourself.

The first priority is to make certain she is exercised enough.  A tired dog is a good dog.  You mention you are disabled - if you're in a motorized wheelchair you can train your dog to walk alongside the chair.  You may need to hire help or at least check out some books at the library for proper training techniques as to how to get her to walk calmly at your side.

Remember never to reward unwanted behavior.  When she whines and begs you cannot allow yourself to give in and pick her up.  Do some work on the "settle" command.  That's similar to "down-stay" but the dog can be relaxed on her side and even go to sleep.  Work on "settle" any time you're just hanging out watching TV or something.  Put her in the settle position with the leash on.  Correct her with a leash pop if she tries to get up.  Gradually increase the settle time from 5 minutes up to 20 or 30 minutes.  Once she understands the command, you can ask her to settle once you sit down at the computer.

As for trying to protect you from visitors (and that IS what she's doing!) you'll need to set her up for that behavior in order to correct it.  Have someone come to the door and knock or ring like usual.  You need to be ready with the leash on your dog.  Correct her the moment you see her eyes go to the door.  If you wait until she gets there and starts barking, it's too late for the correction.  You have to correct the moment the thought crosses her mind.

That's another great time to use the settle command.  Have her settle several feet from the door and stay put while you answer the door.  You'll probably need another person to help you out in the initial stages of training.

Use the settle command again when you and your visitors land in a spot to visit.  You'll have to take the time to correct your dog's behavior, so let your visitors know that you aren't being rude by dealing with her - you're trying to make their lives more pleasant too.  

The walk is the most important part of training.  That is a great opportunity to establish yourself as the pack leader if done properly.  You don't want the dog running ahead of you on a 25 foot flex leash.  If you can't manage the walk yourself, think about hiring a responsible teenager for a few bucks a day to take her for a spin.  It's better than nothing!

I agree with the person above who recommended Cesar Millan's techniques.  You should be able to get his books and DVDs at the library.  If you have access to the National Geographic Channel, his show airs Friday evenings and includes several episodes lasting most of the evening.

Dog training is really pretty simple once you understand how to communicate with your dog and recognize her body language.  Timing is everything when you correct unwanted behavior and reward good behavior.  Any time you pet your dog and give her attention, you are rewarding her, so think before you pet her.  Any dog will take on dominant traits if he perceives a leadership vacuum from his humans, and that's what happening with you two.  You'll be pleasantly surprised how fast they give up that role once you know what to do.

Keep in touch and let us know how you both progress!  :-)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My lab has this problem in the summer because he plays in the hose and his ears dont dry out all the way. it is a yeast/bacteria infection. my vet gave me Gentamicin spray for him. You spray it in his ears 2x a day for a week. it works great! You will probobly have to wash his collar in bleach too, the stink is awful from  the infection.ha ha
Helpful - 0
1291386 tn?1272139383
I am 90% positive your dog has a ear/yeast infection. I have a doberman/blk lab mix whose ears are not cropped to stand up. He had a nasty odor coming from his ear, and kept shaking his head, and itching his ear.
I understand you can't afford to take him to the vet. I suggest calling your vet, and tell them you would like to clean your dogs ears, and what they suggest to use.
I was told never put anything in a dogs ear, unless your vet tells you it is okay. Our vet said warm water and cotton balls will do the trick.
When we went for our dog's ears, they gave us the Mometamax, and cleaned his ears, all for just a low price of $129! You could also look up Dog Ear infections online, and if thats what you think it is, you may be able to order the Mometamax off xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Good Luck, I hope this helps.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks guys. I didn't even realize that I had some answers. I thought I would get a notification when someone answered.

I will definitely do what you both advised. Lindapalm, she doesn't pee as soon as she goes in their house. Sometimes it could be 5 or 10 minutes, sometimes an hour. I always make sure she does her pee and poop before we go in there (would you believe she pees and poops when I tell her too. Sometimes she just squats and nothing comes out, lol, but at least I know she tried. lol) Also, we've tried the not looking at her or paying attention to her, but when she is right in someones face licking them and scratching them, you have to do something. Ahd she will really just keep doing it. She is a very stubborn dog! VERY!!

Chasha33, yes her ears are REALLY smelly. Sort of like Nacho Doritos gone bad, lol. Take your breath away kind of bad. She doesnt seem to be scratching at them. No more then she normally did. She doesnt seem to be in pain either and will lean hard into my hand when I rub or scratch them.

Thanks so much for your responses!
Helpful - 0
942557 tn?1272694819
It sounds as i she has yeast in her ears.Is there anyway that your vet might give you something for them.Trizeta flush is really good for helping with a problem like that.I use it on my bulldogs ears.He has problems with yeast in his ears.Does her ears have a real foul smell? Sometimes they will mix some Baytril in with an ear wash.You could try and call your vet and explain to them about her ears and see if they would give you something without an exam.But if she starts actig as if her ears are painful and shakes her head alot then you would need to get her seen.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I  would say that if she whines when your on the computer, its because she does not have your attention, and she wants it.  She likes being held, and knows you will do it if she whines enough.  Does she pee right away when she goes to someone elses house?  If she does, I would say shes nervous. I watch The Dog Whisperer show with Cesar Milan, and he tells owners that when people come over to totally ignore the dog, not to even look at her.  If she calms down, you can pet her, but not till shes calm and totally quiet.  Cocker Spaniels have a lot of ear problems, I've heard you have to keep the hair trimmed out of the opening of their ears.  I don't know what you should clean them with, but if you go to the top of this page, and click on  Forums, then scroll down on the next page till you find ASK A VET, you can post the question of what to put in her ears, and a vet will answer
Helpful - 0
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