aggression

Question
We have a 5 year old cocker spaniel.  He has had many baths throughout his life, but he has come to hate them.  His ears will smell and bother him every once in awhile. The vet said that whenever he gets them wet, we are supposed to put this ear solution in his ears.  He has also come to HATE the ear solution.  It has come to a point that whenever he needs to take a bath or get the ear solution he snarls and snaps at my husband or me. In the past he has trusted me more than my husband.  We have started to muzzle him in order to do these things.  Yesterday I was trying to put the muzzle on him, and he snapped at me.  Then later on I went and sat by him to show him I was still his friend, and he bit at me when he thought I was going for his jaw. Now, he doesn't trust me and hangs his tail and is ready to be defensive when I go near him. I have two young kids and he has never shown any aggression towards them, but I don't want him to start either. How do I regain my dogs trust?  How do I get him to take baths and do his ear treatment?  Should my husband and I stop trying to do these things together and take him to the groomer every time?  He has never shown any aggression towards them. I bought some treats and a new ball to play with him but he still doesn't trust me. What can I do?

Answer
I would do a number of things differently.  Start with cutting out the baths.  Any odor problem likely is coming from the ears.  Clean them as needed, and have the vet clear up any infections.  Brush him for at least 5 minutes every day with a soft bristled brush.  

The snarling and snapping clearly show he thinks he is in charge.  To teach him otherwise, he needs obedience training including plenty of walking in a proper heel position, plus living by the rules at http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm