by Sasha Riess | 02.03.26. | Coat Care
Cleaning a Dog’s Ears: Why It Is Not as Simple as It Looks
One of the most common questions owners ask is: “How should I clean my dog’s ears. Can I put shampoo in them and rinse with water?”
At first glance, it sounds logical. You apply shampoo, rinse with water, the dog shakes his head, and it is done. However, the problem occurs much deeper inside the ear canal, exactly where water should never end up. Cleaning a dog’s ears requires a more careful approach than just basic washing.
Why Water in the Ears Can Cause Problems
Dogs have a natural mechanism for cleaning their ears. Anything that stays in the shallow part of the ear canal can usually be expelled by shaking the head.
The problem arises when:
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water penetrates below the cerumen layer (ear wax),
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dirt softens and becomes trapped,
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moisture remains locked inside the ear.
Under these conditions, the ear becomes an ideal environment for inflammation, fungal infections, bacterial growth, and unpleasant odor from the ears.
Shaking the head helps a dog expel excess fluid and keep ears dry.
Is Shampoo Safe for Dog Ears?
Shampoo itself is not the problem. The problem is how it is used. When shampoo comes into contact with dirt, it no longer behaves as shampoo but as foam. Foam has an excellent ability to break down grease, remove impurities, and clean surfaces.
This is why foam can be useful, but only if:
How to Properly Clean a Dog’s Ears
A safe approach to cleaning a dog’s ears includes the following steps:
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Use products specifically designed for cleaning dog ears.
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Do not pour water directly deep into the ear.
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Clean only the outer ear and the visible part of the canal.
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Rinse gently, without pressure.
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Allow the dog to shake thoroughly.
Dogs are naturally capable of expelling excess fluid from their ears, but only if the water has not become trapped beneath layers of ear wax.
The Most Common Owner Mistake
The biggest mistake is not cleaning itself, but overcleaning. Ears are not meant to be washed frequently, nor should they be cleaned “thoroughly” like skin.
Too much intervention:
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disrupts the ear’s natural protective barrier,
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increases the risk of infections,
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creates chronic ear problems.
For a healthy dog, minimal and proper hygiene is the best hygiene.
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by Sasha Riess | 02.03.26. | Wellbeing
More and more often, I hear from owners who describe their dogs as anxious, reactive, fearful, or overly sensitive — and no one seems to know why. Behind these behaviors often lies a hidden mineral imbalance: too much copper and not enough magnesium. This delicate relationship profoundly affects both the health and behavior of dogs, yet it’s rarely discussed.
The Link Between Copper Toxicity and Magnesium Deficiency
Over the years, I’ve seen how excess copper can deplete magnesium — in both humans and dogs. You can give your dog the best supplements, but if the body is overloaded with copper, magnesium simply won’t stay. That’s why copper detoxification is the first step — but it must be done slowly and safely, never abruptly. Copper toxicity in dogs acts as a silent saboteur of mineral balance.
Estrogen Imbalance and the Role of the Adrenal Glands
In spayed female dogs, the adrenal glands take over a small part of hormone production — estrogen in females, testosterone in males. However, when the body is burdened with copper, hormones can’t function properly. The result is a dog that appears nervous, fearful, or reactive — and owners often misinterpret this as a behavior issue, when in fact it’s biochemical.
Behavioral Changes Caused by Excess Copper
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) shows that hyper-reactive dogs often have elevated copper and low levels of magnesium and zinc. These dogs are not simply ‘difficult’ — they are struggling with a physiological imbalance that affects their nervous system, heart, and energy levels.
There’s no magic pill that fixes this overnight. What we can do is gradually help the dog eliminate excess copper through lifestyle changes and natural nutrition. Only when that balance is restored can the body retain minerals where they’re needed.
The Hidden Epidemic of Copper Overload
Scientists now speak of a silent epidemic — copper toxicity in dogs and magnesium deficiency. Copper is everywhere: in water, food, and even supplements. Deficiency is almost impossible today, but overload is very real and dangerous.
Excess copper pushes magnesium out of the body, directly affecting heart function, the nervous system, and energy. This imbalance is linked to increased cardiovascular problems, fatigue, and hyperreactivity.
The diagram shows how minerals interconnect and impact a dog’s health and behavior.
How to Help Your Dog — A Step-by-Step Approach
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Never remove copper abruptly: Copper is essential, but too much creates imbalance. It works in partnership with zinc to regulate brain function. The goal is balance, not elimination.
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Avoid food enriched with copper: Most dry kibble contains added copper, increasing the toxic load.
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Include natural mineral sources: To neutralize copper toxicity in dogs, use zinc, magnesium, manganese, and vitamin A. These are best from whole foods: red meat, egg yolks, pumpkin seeds, and leafy greens. Note: Avoid liver for reactive dogs as it is very high in copper.
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Support the liver: Herbs like milk thistle (silymarin), dandelion root, and artichoke root support the liver’s detox process.
Balance Is the Key to Health
Copper isn’t the enemy — it’s vital for life. But when it builds up, it becomes a silent saboteur. Balance between copper, zinc, and magnesium is essential. If your dog seems reactive, anxious, or restless, the issue may not be behavioral — it may be biochemical. With proper nutrition, a calm environment, and patience, the body can restore its natural balance.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care. Learn more about our Holistic Approach.
by Sasha Riess | 13.02.26. | Emotions
Dogs may live in the present moment, but their reactions often reveal something much deeper: our anxiety, our fears, and the tension we suppress. When a dog looks worried, unsettled, or reacts without an obvious reason, it is often a reflection of negative projections coming from us, not from the dog.
Can Dogs Project Negative Outcomes?
Anxiety in dogs functions like the projection of a negative scenario into the future, even though a dog is not naturally a being that thinks ahead the way humans do. This leads to an essential question: How can a dog have a “negative future” in its mind if it does not think the way we do?
The answer is simple: A dog does not project its own future; a dog projects ours.
Dogs absorb our emotional tone, our tension, our unspoken fear, and every subtle shift in our energy. If the owner is worried, under pressure, internally chaotic, or carrying repressed anxiety, the dog feels it as if its own future is threatened. This is a primary driver of anxiety in dogs.
Why a Dog Carries the Emotion We Suppress
What is especially interesting is this: the more we believe we are calm while actually suppressing anxiety, the more the dog becomes tense.
Why? Because a dog has no filter. What is repressed in a human is active in a dog.
A dog reacts to what we try to hide:
While we rationalize, the dog feels. This is why it can seem as if a dog “thinks negatively,” when in reality, it is simply manifesting our inner world.
Dogs feel every unspoken emotion and tension within the family.
How to Recognize When a Dog Is Carrying Your Anxiety
The most common signs of anxiety in dogs that mirror human stress are:
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Restlessness without reason
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Stress twitches, sighing, trembling
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Avoiding contact or becoming overly attached
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Aggression that appears “out of nowhere”
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Hypervigilance, constantly scanning the environment
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Behaviors that resemble “fear of the future”
This is not the dog’s burden. It is the burden the dog has taken from us.
How to Help the Dog and Yourself
For a dog to be truly stable and free from anxiety in dogs, the owner must:
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Slow down their pace.
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Allow themselves to feel instead of suppressing.
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Lower expectations of the dog.
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Recognize their own stress.
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Restore emotional presence.
A dog does not need a perfect owner, only a present one. When a person returns to their authentic emotional state, the dog responds with immediate relief.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care. Learn more about our Holistic Approach.
by Sasha Riess | 11.02.26. | Behaviour
Chronic Stress in Dogs Is Not a Momentary Fear
Chronic stress in dogs is not just a momentary fear or short term discomfort. It is a condition that quietly builds through our everyday actions. What surprises owners the most is that stress rarely comes from major events. It most often arises from small, repeated inconsistencies in human behavior around the dog.
When one family member allows something and another forbids the same behavior, the dog enters a state of constant confusion. Over time, this confusion turns into chronic stress in dogs, which can lead to serious physical and emotional disorders.
How Chronic Stress Develops in Dogs
Chronic stress most often develops when a dog cannot predict the consequences of its behavior. If the dog is sometimes punished and sometimes rewarded for the same action, it enters a state of insecurity.
A dog does not understand the difference between “mom allows it” and “dad does not allow it”. The dog only experiences that the same stimulus leads to completely different reactions. For the dog, this becomes an alarm that never turns off.
Inconsistent rules, shouting, unfair punishment, and sudden changes in owner behavior directly activate stress hormones. When this repeats day after day, the dog loses its sense of stability, and the body shifts into a state of constant tension. This is the physiological foundation of chronic stress in dogs.
Confusion as a Trigger for Serious Problems
A dog can appear obedient, calm, and affectionate, while still being deeply confused. Confusion is one of the most dangerous forms of emotional pressure in dogs because dogs do not have the ability to rationalize situations the way humans do.
If a dog is allowed on the bed one day and forbidden the next, if one family member feeds the dog from the table while another punishes it for the same behavior, the dog’s nervous system enters a chaotic survival mode.
This state can lead to:
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loss of energy and lethargy
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withdrawal and depressive behavior
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sudden aggressive outbursts
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psychosomatic illnesses
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weakened immunity and digestive problems
For a dog, confusion is not just discomfort. It is a state in which the body remains in constant physiological defense, as if danger is present at all times.
Chronic stress in dogs leads to both emotional and physical health issues.
How Family Disharmony Affects a Dog
Dogs live in the present moment. They do not process the past the way humans do, nor do they imagine the future. Their perception of the world exists entirely in the here and now. Even small inconsistencies within the family create inner chaos for the dog:
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one owner shouts, another stays calm
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one allows the dog on the bed, another forbids it
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one punishes a mistake, another rewards the same mistake with attention
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children allow behaviors that parents forbid
In such conditions, the dog no longer knows what is right and what is wrong. And when a dog does not know, it prepares itself for the worst-case scenario. This leads to constant activation of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. As a result, the dog may begin to behave unpredictably, becoming withdrawn, tense, fearful, or aggressive. Even sudden reactions in public spaces, such as snapping or rough play, are often rooted in accumulated confusion and chronic stress in dogs.
What Owners Can Do Immediately
To reduce chronic stress in dogs, the family must function as one clear voice. Not as several individuals with different rules, but as a unified structure the dog can understand.
The most important steps are:
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Agree on clear rules within the family
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Follow those rules consistently
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Avoid shouting and confusing punishment
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Provide routine and predictability
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Build the relationship through calmness and consistency
A dog does not seek perfect owners. It seeks consistency. Consistency creates safety, stability, and a healthy life without unnecessary stress.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care. Learn more about our Holistic Approach.
by Sasha Riess | 11.02.26. | Nutrition
Sardines can be an excellent choice for dogs. They are easy to digest, rich in omega fatty acids, and full of nutrients that support skin, coat and the immune system. However, the key is that a dog should eat food that naturally exists in the diet of its owner. If sardines are part of your own table, then you can occasionally include them in your dog’s menu as well, but always in reasonable amounts and in a way that is safe for their digestive system.
Why Is Food We Eat Recommended for Dogs?
Dogs easily pick up the energy, rhythm and eating routine of their owner. The food you enjoy usually suits the dog too because it is part of the shared living environment. If your home often includes sardines, fruit or light meats, your dog will naturally gravitate toward those foods on an energetic level. The most important rule is simple: Do not buy anything for your dog that you would not eat yourself.
Can Dogs Eat Sardines Without Any Risk?
In most cases, yes. Can dogs eat sardines without harm? Generally, sardines are safe for dogs, especially when cleaned and free of salt and spices. Cooked or lightly prepared sardines are the best choice. There are very few foods that can harm dogs, and fish generally does not belong to that category. Still, it is important to avoid overly fatty or seasoned foods, as well as industrial fish products that contain too much salt.
Sardines can be a tasty and healthy addition to a dog’s diet.
How to Occasionally Add Sardines to a Dog’s Diet
Sardines can be added to the main meal, especially if the dog eats homemade food. You can chop them and mix them into the meal, combine them with vegetables or add them as an occasional protein source instead of meat. On days when you prepare fish for yourself, you can set aside a small portion for your dog so that their diet remains natural, balanced and energetically aligned with you. This answers the frequent question, „can dogs eat sardines as a regular treat?“ — yes, as long as it aligns with your shared rhythm.
Can a Dog Be Vegetarian or Vegan?
Theoretically yes. Practically, only if the owner knows exactly what they are doing. Dogs can live on a plant based diet, but only if the meals are prepared carefully and with proper fermentation of carbohydrates so that insulin does not rise. Unfermented rice, quinoa or other carbohydrates can cause long term problems with the pancreas, thyroid gland and insulin resistance. Therefore, if you are considering a plant based diet for your dog, you must be very responsible and well informed.
At Integrative and Holistic Grooming Education, we believe that every physical symptom is a message. Understanding these signals and addressing them through a holistic lens is at the heart of everything we teach to ensure the well-being of every dog in our care. Learn more about our Holistic Approach.
