Visiting one of my grandsons today I tried to caress his dog and as I held one of his ears in my hand he howled in pain. I was flabbergasted as I had held his ear very softly. I took a close look but couldn't see anything wrong with it. When I asked my grandson he said that both his ears have always been sore even as a puppy and that the vets could not explain the reason for it. Rey is a rather big dog about 5 years old (no particular race), very sweet and affectionate and looks quite happy and healthy. My great grandsons (4 and 2 years old) know about it and never touch his ears.
Has anyone heard of such a condition in a dog?
Gladys

Thanks Ed, Brad and Cyreen. I have read all the links provided but I'm inclined to disregard the possibility of an infection in Rey's ears since the vets never found anything wrong and I cannot imagine the dog could go all those years with infected ears without any treatment whatsoever!!!! Could he?
No, he doesn't scratch his ears at all and I don't see how he could if the flapping part of his ears are so painful to the touch. There is no redness or any other suspicious signs. Ed's story about his dog seems the closer situation to that of Rey's. Perhaps both these dogs have had a painful experience with their ears and now they howl in fear when someone attempts to touch them?
When I was young we had a dog who liked to bite one of my mother's favourite cushions. After she gave hime. a hiding he would howl very loudly if my mother ever caught him making a go for that cushion even if she was several meters away from him. This brought us children running to his rescue. The cushion finished locked away in a wardrobe. I had forgotten this story until Ed told his own story.
I passed your comments and links to my grandson but he refuses to take the dog to the vet again as this has been going for so long and the vets do not seem to know better than he does.
Thanks again for your help.
Gladys