Dog ear hair is the hair which grows from the inside of the dog’s ear as seen from the photo. It is generally the small fluffy dogs or small designer cross breed dogs that have ear hair and is not generally found in larger breed dogs. If the hair growing out of the ear is thick it can sometimes cause problems inside the ear itself as explained below.
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What Are The Benefits In Plucking The Dog’s Ears
Plucking your dog’s ears can definitely be beneficial. This ear hair can prevent air flow into the ear canal so if a little moisture or yeast builds up inside the ear and there is no air flow then the dog’s ears can become infected. Plucking the ears regularly to keep the hair blocking the canal to a minimum can help prevent ear infections and moisture build-up. However, if your dog does have some ear hair it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to pluck this ear hair out. If your dog is prone to getting ear infections, then plucking the hair would allow air circulation and be better exposed to any treatment drops you may be using.
Plucking the ear hair out will also mean that it is more easily visible if there is any infection or problem in the ear canal. Foreign bodies, particularly grass seeds, can easily get caught up in the dog’s fur and if they get caught up in the ear hair without you noticing, they can travel down the ear canal and cause a major ear infection which could end up requiring an expensive operation.
Keeping your dog’s ears plucked simply keeps the dog looking neat and tidy as well, however this should not be the only reason for plucking them.
R-7 Ear Powder (24-Grams)
from: CherryBrook
The first step to healthy ears. Helps keep the ears dry and reduce odour. Helps remove hair from the ear canal prior to cleaning. Follow with R-7 ear cleaner
R7 Natural Ear Cleaner, 4oz bottle
from: CherryBrook
Excellent for routine cleaning and odor control and is suitable for both home and groomer use.
What Dog Grooming Equipment Is Needed To Pluck Your Dog’s Ears
Before attempting to pluck a dog’s ears it is recommended to get a special ear powder called Biogroom Ear Fresh Ear Powder which has gripping properties that make plucking easier. In Australia and the other worldwide regions you can purchase this product through Vet Products Direct; in the United States this product can be purchased through Cherrybrook.com. Or you can purchase Bio-Groom Ear Fresh Medicated Ear Powder through Amazon.com.
Alternatively, there are specially designed scissors to pluck ear hair out. The difference between using your fingers and using scissors is that you may not be able to hold as much hair with the scissors. By sprinkling in the grip powder, it enables you to firmly hold the ear hair between your fingers and a quick, sharp pull will easily remove a larger chunk of the hair at a time. If this is done swiftly, it should not hurt the dog at all and some dogs even enjoy having the hair pulled out!
Millers Forge Pet Hair Puller with Ratchet 5.5 inches Straight
from: CherryBrook
The Miller Forge, Kelly Style, five and half inch hair hemostat is perfect for hard to reach areas. Constructed of stainless steel with blunt tips for safety, it easily removes excess hair from the ear canal. These are available in Straight or Curved. The Curved hemostat makes hard to reach areas more easily accessible. Both styles easily remove excess hair from the ear canal and have blunt tips for safety. The locking handle prevents slipping and makes grasping and pulling easier.
Hairmostat by Aaronco – 5.5 inch Straight Non-Locking with Vinyl Coated Handles
from: CherryBrook
The Hairmostat is designed to pull hair from the ears of dogs less painfully than using a hemostat. Vinyl handles provide a secure grip which enables smaller amounts of hair to be removed at one time. No clamps so it cannot accidentally lock on the dogs ear leather or a large clump of hair. 5.5 inches long, Stainless Steel with Vinyl covered handles to prevent slipping. The Hairmostat is also excellent for removing ticks.
Bio-Groom Ear Fresh Ear Powder 85-Grams
from: CherryBrook
Bio-Groom Ear-Fresh Grooming Ear Powder contains 2% boric acid in an inert amorphous powder. An effective astringent ear powder for dogs:
Dries the ear canal; Reduces odor; Gripping properties make plucking easier; Excellent for hand stripping; Convenient funnel-tip dispenser; Made in the USA
How To Pluck Your Dog’s Ears
Before you start plucking your dog’s ear should look like the picture above with varying thicknesses of hair depending on the breed. 
By the time you have finished the ear should look like this one.
Tilt the dog’s head to the side and sprinkle some powder onto the ear hole opening area over the ear hair. Sprinkle enough powder so that when you take hold of the ear hair it doesn’t feel slippery but do not use too much. If you are using your fingers you should be able to maintain a firm grip without them slipping. If you do feel your fingers slipping then you may need to use a little more powder.
Then either use your fingers or the forceps to grip a small amount of hair at a time and give it a sharp pluck. The ear hair should come out fairly easily in bits and generally does not hurt the dog. However, if you accidentally pull the hair on the edge of the outside of the ear then that will pinch. Keep plucking little bits at a time until the ear is clear from fur. Then repeat for the other ear.
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If your dog wriggles during the process you may need to get someone else to help. Ask them to hold some treats for the dog to nibble on as you do the job. You may need to give the dog a rest in between every couple of plucks. Give him a treat for putting up with it and also give his ears a massage as you do it or once you have finished.
You might notice your dog shaking his head and ears after you’ve finished plucking out the hair. This should be nothing to worry about, it just feels different after having the ear hair plucking done.
If your dog does not have a lot of inner ear fluff you might like to trim back what there is with a pair of straight edged scissors. This will keep the ear canal clear and tidy.
This is a relatively easy procedure but if you don’t feel comfortable about plucking your dog’s ear hair out then a professional groomer or a vet can do this for you.
Finally, it is a good idea to give the dog’s ears a final wipe out with some specialized ear wipes or clean with some ear cleaning solution.
Shop for your dog’s ear care products at Chewy.com!
Happy Hoodie Black LARGE
from: CherryBrook
The Happy Hoodie is an expandable, safe, lightweight, soft and comfortable band that is placed over an animal’s ears to provide relief and protection from the noise of force drying. In addition to its benefit as a grooming aid, it is useful for pets that are frightened of loud noises such as blow drying, thunder, fireworks or the vacuum. Available in two sizes:
Large- Fits most breeds from smaller breeds, such as Shih Tzu and Westie, to extra large breeds
Small – Fits small/medium breeds, such as Miniature Schnauwe, Yorkie and toy breeds. Also works for cats!
