smelly ears

Question
I have a 6 month old Yorkshire terrier.  We have had issues with him smelling bad and got him groomed.  he does smell  better however his ears still smell badly.  is there any way to fix this naturally?  or does he just have to grow out of his puppy coat before he naturally smells better.  the groomer said we're not supposed to bathe him.  we're also having a problem with getting him to not urinate in the house.  any suggestions?  Thanks!  

Answer
Hi Missy,

The presence of a sour, cheesy odor in a dog's ears is usually indicative of a problem, probably a yeast or bacterial infection.  Check for a dark, waxy secretion as well. Clean the ear gently daily until the ears no longer smell, and then clean them once a month after that. Here are ear cleaning directions:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2209_clean-dogs-ears.html

Clean your dog's ears out with 1/1 ratio of Peroxide and Betadine for one week, (it won't burn any open cuts like a alcohol based cleaner). You can also buy ear wash solutions at most larger pet stores. If that doesn't work, or if the smell returns after a while of being odor free, then it's contact the vet. This needs to be treated, it won't go away on it's own. Chronic ear infections could be a sign of allergies or other problems.

You didn't say where the other odor seemed to be coming from. Have you have his anal glands expressed? Also, you need to take special care to keep the hair around a Yorkie's anus clean. It is common for this hair to become matted with feces.

A healthy dog shouldn't smell so bad that it's offensive. Bathing might temporarily solve the problem, but it's treating the symptom, not the root cause. Over-bathing can dry your dog's skin, which can lead to a other problems. If your dog continues to have odor problems, your vet should examine him. When a dog smells bad, there may be an underlying problem.

Small dogs are harder to house-train than larger dogs, but given the fact your dog is a young male, it's possible the urinating in the home is "marking", and NOT a housebreaking issue. Having your dog neutered will help, but you must do it now, or the marking will become a habit, and be harder to break - even after neutering.
If you can't trust your dog not to urinate in your home, then he needs to be crated when you can't be supervising him.
Enrolling in an obedience class will also help, since marking is a dominance issue. Learning his place in the "pack" will help stop the marking problem.

Though you didn't ask about it, I'd like to mention that Yorkies, like other toy breeds are prone tooth decay, which can not only cause pain, and bad breath, but also cause heart disease and other systemic diseases later in life. At 6 months old, it's time to get your dog used to having his teeth brushed. Your dog's teeth should be brushed at least once a week, though daily tooth brushing is preferable (just like with your own teeth!). Here are directions on how to brush a dog's teeth:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1653&articleid=384

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti