Happy Belated New year

I made it! I got the January newsletter published in January just in the nick of time. I was traveling early in the month and then there was a scary technical problem on the website to deal with. But I love happy endings and everything worked out perfectly.

I'm looking forward to another year of Coton connections.

How to deal with Coton grooming nightmares

The dreaded grooming nightmare. It's happened to all of us at one time or another, whether it's simply a bad haircut (maybe your Coton ends up looking like a poodle like Luc did) or a more drastic problem like severe matting leading to being shaved, or even worse, a grooming injury. Then, of course, there's the emotional trauma (for you and your Coton). Does your dog get anxious at the groomer? Do you get stressed?

Injuries aside, almost all grooming problems are temporary. So, relax and know that everything will be okay. You're not alone. We've all been there.

How to deal with your grooming nightmare:

• Relax. Cotons are sensitive and will pick up on your guilt, anger, or anxiety. If you're stressed at the grooming salon, chances are your dog will also become agitated. This one bad experience could lead to a lifetime of stressful grooming appointments. You'll find the best solutions from a calm state; not one of anger or worry.

• Decide if there's anything you can do NOW to change the situation. Agonizing about your dog's shaved body or lousy haircut won't change anything. BUT, you can make sure it never happens again, right?

• So, how can you prevent future bad haircuts or shaving incidents? How can you stop matting from becoming so serious that shaving becomes the best option? Sometimes it's a matter of changing your grooming routine or finding great products to make bathing and brushing easier. Other times it's having better communication with your groomer, helping them to understand the Coton coat and what you expect. And unfortunately, there are horrible groomers out there, and you might need to find another one. Some of our visitors have started self-grooming because of awful salon experiences.

  -You can hear from other visitors who have experienced the dreaded shaving here.
  

  -You can also find solutions to common grooming issues in order prevent this from happening again.
  
  -You might even decide a puppy cut is right for your Coton. I have Luc in a puppy cut most of the time because his allergies can lead to scratching which can lead to matting. And as you can see from the photos on this page, Cotons look adorable with puppy cuts.
  

• Let it go. It's not your fault. The Coton coat isn't always easy, especially during the blowing coat phase. According to a poll on our website, matting is the most common grooming problem for our visitors. So leave the guilt and worry behind. You're not alone.

You can also find more help at this general Coton grooming page.

Celebrations and Shoutouts

Happy Birthday Wishes:

Happy Birthday to all our Coton friends who celebrate birthdays in January.

January

Name	Gender	Home Town	Birth date
Seminole	Female	Pensacola, FL	1/1/11
Bevo	Male	Woodlands, TX	1/3/12
Bailey	Male	Grayslake, IL	1/5/11
Theodore	Male	Canada	1/5/11
Qtip	Male	Union, NJ	1/5/13
Kyra	Female	Rocklin, CA	1/7/12
Cassi	Female		1/8/10
Olivia	Female	Leominster, MA	1/9/09
Eleana	Female	Leominster, MA	1/9/09
Angelique	Female	San Diego, CA	1/9
Truffle	Female	Las Vegas, NV	1/10/10
Naya	Female	Santa Rosa, CA	1/10/10
Emma	Female		1/11/11
Dottie	Female	Plainwell, MI	1/12/14
Arlo		Brighton, Co	1/14/16
Athena	Female		1/15/10
Wishes	Female	Tumwater, WA	1/16/12
Mirabella	Female	Columbus, OH	1/17/05
Barney	Male	Point Pleasant Beach, NJ	1/18/11
Gleason	Male	Centereach, NY	1/18/13
Barkley	Male		1/23/10
Quinn		Westland, MI	1/23/13
Candy	Female	Kirkwood, MO	1/26/11
Coco	Female		1/27/08

Want your Coton to get special birthday attention? It's easy; just join our Birthday Club.