answer:If it’s coughing, you need to get him in to the vet to be checked. Coughing can be a sign of heart failure, heartworm disease, collapsing trachea, or something as simple as kennel cough. The other possibility is that it’s not coughing, but rather a reverse sneeze (the ear-rubbing comment makes me suspicious of that). If it’s more of a drawing-in of air, more of a snorting, then it’s not a big concern. Take a look at the video in the link and see if that seems familiar.