Dog Breed Ear Care Guides
Some dogs are built for ear trouble: long drop ears, hair in the canal, a love of water or allergy-prone skin. Find your breed below for the signs to watch, the usual causes, when to see your vet and an ear-care routine that fits its coat and lifestyle.
Jump to: Spaniels · Retrievers and water dogs · Pointers and setters · Hounds · Doodles and designer mixes · Small and toy breeds · Terriers and bully breeds · Large and giant breeds · Herding and northern breeds
Spaniels
Long, feathered drop ears that hang over the canal and hold moisture.
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Cocker Spaniel
- English Cocker Spaniel
- English Springer Spaniel
- Welsh Springer Spaniel
- Boykin Spaniel
- Clumber Spaniel
- Sussex Spaniel
- Field Spaniel
- American Water Spaniel
- Irish Water Spaniel
- Brittany
Retrievers and water dogs
Swimmers whose ears stay wet long after the coat looks dry.
- Labrador Retriever
- Golden Retriever
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Flat-Coated Retriever
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Newfoundland
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Lagotto Romagnolo
- Spanish Water Dog
Pointers and setters
Bird dogs that work through grass, brush and water.
Hounds
Heavy ears carried close to the ground.
Doodles and designer mixes
Hair that grows into the ear canal plus floppy ears from both parents.
- Poodle
- Goldendoodle
- Labradoodle
- Cockapoo
- Bernedoodle
- Cavapoo
- Maltipoo
- Aussiedoodle
- Sheepadoodle
- Schnoodle
- Cavachon
- Puggle
Small and toy breeds
Hairy ears, narrow canals and coats that need regular grooming.
- Bichon Frise
- Maltese
- Shih Tzu
- Lhasa Apso
- Havanese
- Coton de Tulear
- Pekingese
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Chihuahua
- Pug
- Tibetan Terrier
Terriers and bully breeds
Allergy-prone skin that often shows up first in the ears.
- West Highland White Terrier
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
- Schnauzer
- Boston Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Pit Bull
- American Bulldog
- French Bulldog
- English Bulldog
- Boxer
- Shar-Pei
Large and giant breeds
Big drop ears, skin folds and dense coats.
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Great Pyrenees
- Leonberger
- Saint Bernard
- Mastiff
- Bullmastiff
- Dogue de Bordeaux
- Cane Corso
- Great Dane
- Rottweiler
- Doberman Pinscher
Herding and northern breeds
Thick double coats that trap warmth and moisture around the ears.
Ear care basics for every breed
Whatever the breed, check the ears weekly, dry them after swimming or bathing and see your vet if an ear is red, painful, smelly or has discharge. Our guide on how to clean your dog's ears walks through each step, and high-risk breeds for ear infections explains why some dogs are more prone than others.
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