Help - My Coton de Tulear Ziggy doesn't like water

by Karey Ann

I have a Coton de Tulear who is a year old. Since the beginning he hasn't liked getting a bath; he doesn't like the water. If I mention the word water - he runs.

If I go into the bathroom he's skittish until he realizes he's not getting a bath. I love him dearly and have tried everything from buying an expensive spray to making it easier on him and me by putting him in the shower with me or my son getting in the tub with him.

He doesn't like to be combed or brushed either. I have bought several types of combs and brushes and he fights me every step of the way!

As much as I hate to say it, it's almost as easy for me to pay the groomer....

I'd love some answers or suggestions. Thank you.

Comments for Help - My Coton de Tulear Ziggy doesn't like water

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Feb 18, 2012
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Assertive and rewards
by: Connie

I wouldn't say that Connie likes being bathed, but tolerates it if the following are done. Whether being showered in the sink, or taken into the shower cubicle, keeping water off her head/face seemed best approach. We shampoo her feet and muzzle, and then remove her from the shower spray, if in shower. Adjacent to our sink is a workbench, and we cover with towels and place Connie on this. We return to sink for rinsing and remove for lathering. Finally we rinse head and provide Connie with toy rewards immediately afterwards. When talking to Connie we use a firm authorative, confident voice to prevent her thinking we a reassuring her about a perceived threat/worry.
Hope this helps.

Mar 07, 2011
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Thanks So Very Much!
by: Anonymous

Thanks for all the advice! I'm thinking of giving them all a try! (although not all at once LoL) Maybe a tranquilizer for Ziggs, and a nerve pill for me...(LoL) I just want to make him happy, and give him the best care & most love I possibly can.
He's done so much for me... My grand daughter passed this past may after only 3 1/2 weeks, and now my other children are growing up & moving out... Ziggy~Doodles has helped tremendously with the "empty nest"...

Mar 06, 2011
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Kevin
by: Anonymous

Kevin doesn't also like bathing. What we do is we put him on a table at our laundry area and we do the bathing there. Since we are in a tropical country, we normally give him a bath as long as it is necessary. The weather here is humid and coton's coat are very thick.I am hoping that someday Kevin will look forward on his bathing day.

Mar 06, 2011
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bath time
by: Iris Miller

Tuffy is not a fan of bathing and only tolerates me grooming him because I capture him, carry him under my arm to the bathroom, stand him on a towel on the vanity counter top, and close the door. I have to continually reassure him, and tell him to stay, stand, wait, and good boy! All the while, washing his eye goop off with warm water on coton pads, brushing and combing his hair. He doesn't like it, but has no where to go,though he'd like to escape my clutches, and even so, he still turns from side to side for me to brush him. I tell him to look at that puppy Tuffy in the mirror, what a handsome boy he is, (he also watch dogs on TV).

Tuffy does not like his rear end touched or trimmed, nor his paws, so I save those for last. I take him to the pet supply store Vet monthly to cut his nails. I do not bathe him often, he gets brushed every other day and stays pretty clean. He never has a bad odor, When I took him to the Groomers they insisted the dog must be bathed before they would cut the hair. I now groom him myself, except for emergency matted situations,(which I hope never happens again!) and don't need to bathe him before his haircut.

When he gets filthy smelly rolling in something dead and stinky, or rainy weather walks on muddy days that makes it absolutely necessary,he gets either a partial bath ( dirty feet and face) or a full bath. I put a dishpan in the bathtub with warm water and stand him in it and wash him with puppy shampoo and a sponge, then I use the hand held lukewarm shower to rinse him, while he is frantically trying to get away from me and trying to climb out of the tub. I keep the water away from his ears and eyes.

I keep reassuring him and by the time we are done rinsing, both of us are soaked. I use a chamois cloth to squeegee most of the water off him, then wrap a big bath towel around him and lift him out of the tub. I snuggle him and tell him while I am hugging and drying him,what a good boy he is and how good he smells and that he is going to get a big treat very soon. LOL Truly, my Coton is a lovable stubborn little boy.

Mar 06, 2011
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Bathing frequency
by: Gale

What I have learned about the frequency of bathing a Coton de Tulear is that there isn't one right or wrong answer - every dog is different.

I love the quote from the Wolfgang Knorr book that says to bathe "as rarely as possible, but as often as necessary". He goes on to say that every 6 to 8 weeks is probably sufficient. But once again, that's just a general rule and not every Coton is the same.

Over the years I've had 2 or 3 Coton owners tell me that their dogs only required bathing once or twice a year. This is definitely the exception. Our polls indicate that every 4 to 8 weeks is the norm.

Mar 06, 2011
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BATHS
by: LISA

Hi,

Cotons should be bathed only about 2 times a year (unless they get extremely dirty) My Coton is 11 months old and has only gone to the groomer once for a bath {monthly for nail cuts} Please don't over bathe.

Lisa

Mar 06, 2011
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Bath time blues
by: Gale

Karey Ann, sounds like you've really got your hands full. You said things were easier when you went to the groomer so I'm wondering if you've asked them what they're doing differently to calm Ziggy.

Here's something that worked for me when I was trying to calm Luc about his fear of driving in the car as a puppy. I would take him into the car every day and we'd just sit there for a few minutes. I'd pet him and give him a treat and then we'd go inside. After a few days I'd drive just around the block and then when he was comfortable we'd go a little further until his fear went away completely.

What if you did the same thing at bath time? Take him into the tub without running the water. Just be calm and upbeat and play with him. Do that every day until he starts looking forward to going in the tub. You can gradually start adding things - one day use a wash cloth, another day just turn on the water, etc.

You may want to talk to your Vet about a mild tranquilizer - for Ziggy, not you:)

Let's see what others have to say... Ziggy isn't the only Coton with the bath time blues; according to our poll, 44% of Cotons are not a fan of grooming and bathing.

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