baby shampoo is best. it gets the animal clean, kills the fleas & ticks and, it will not cause his/her eyes to burn if soap gets in the eyes. dish soap will burn like crazy. anything other than baby shampoo will burn the eyes... now, about the ears: someone said to have the vet check & clean the ears. i think this is an excellent idea. matter of fact, it would not hurt to have the dog checked at least 2 times a year by the vet. get the dog a routine check up, clean the ears if needed, & by doing this, if he/she begins to develop an illness 