You must check your dog's ears regularly. Drop-eared and/or very hairy breeds like the poodle, maltese and bichon frise, among others, are prone to hair buildup in the ear canal, which can prevent air flow and trap moisture in the skin folds, leading to increased growth of bacteria or fungi and causing irritation and infection.
Look for any signs of infection or dark brown discharge. You also want to verify that the ear smells sweet with no bad odors. If the ear smells very bad or you see any discharge, call the vet right away and have it checked.
Some dogs seem to have very little ear canal hair, while others seem to have a lot. Some dogs do just fine with ear plucking. Other dogs, however, have ears too sensitive to withstand regular plucking, and may suffer chronic ear problems as the result of plucking, instead of the plucking being a benefit.
Also, if the dog has a significant amount of hair, pull out a small portion of the hair in several sessions over the period of a week, skipping a day or two between sessions. Heavy pulling of hair in a single session can cause inflammation of the ear canal. This creates an ideal environment for bacterial or fungal growth.
Source: Anatomy of the dog ear
This is a very helpful video about how to clean your dog`s ears - in detail:
Source: Youtube
Source: Youtube
Remember: Always ask your vet if this needs to be done, every dog is individual. Some need it and some do not.
