My daughter worked for a couple of professional groomers and they always used powder to give a dry grip and plucked the hairs, much like plucking eyebrows. It keeps the ear wax down, the odor of the ears, and helps the dog hear (so I hear -- no pun intended). Yes, hairy ears can get gummed up and infected and smell really bad. It doesn't seem to hurt as much as you would think.