The answer is whatever works with the least stress and notice for your dog. Whatever keeps you both calmest is best. Don't hold it up and drop it from great height into the hole in the ear. Usually warming in your hand and dropping from low or where he can't see it (slightly behind) is less scary and causes less sensation in the ear. The less they feel it the less they will notice it.
Don't descend upon ur dog face on from above with the medicine bottle and grab but maybe hide it in your pocket and sit down with some treats or a toy. Drop the drops in after some relaxing and gently fold the ear and rub which will distribute the drops and feel good. He'll think it's an ear rub. Mine almost always shake their heads which is a natural reaction to getting water or anything in their ears. Hotdogs make them forget instantly. Just make it a big non-issue and associate with pleasure and your results now and in the future if needed will be better.
I've read about a lot of dogs freaking about ear drops and it's all the way we humans do it. The vet does it rather matter of factly and the dog scarcely notices. My dogs don't mind lying on their sides to get drops b/c I make sure it's very low key. Even holding the bottle sometimes and petting them with it without doing drops so every bottle doesn't mean eek!!! So stay calm, give a massage, give yummy treats, get a helper to hold them in a fisted hand while pup tries to lick at it, put a smear of peanut butter on the floor, scratch the ear area a little vigorously if he likes that and he won't even feel it. Tricking nicely is legal. :doghappy:
