Homesick Coton de Tulear

by marisol beas moreno
(stuttgart germany)

Hi I just adopted a coton de tulear, he recently turned 3 months. I got him this past thursday, and it's now saturday.

He has been what I would call homesick. I got him from a breeder that had more puppies, including his brothers and sisters, and I believe mom and dad as well. I have two cats in the house that have been with us for seven years. My cats have been quiet with him, they come and sniff him and they go away.

My coton seems like he is potty trained already. But he doesn't want to eat or drink anything. I have to make him eat, I have to take him to the feeding bowls. I have to open his mouth and put a pebble of food and then he savors it, and then he eats about 4 teaspoons of food, he drinks and walks away to hide in a corner, or to lie on his bed.

Sometimes he just lies on his bed all day, so I grab him and sit him on my lap and watch tv together and I pet him, he seems to enjoy it, sometimes he even falls asleep.

He does like it when he goes outside in our front yard or sometimes he just lies down, while I work in the yard. What can I do to help him get more warmed up to the family?

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Apr 22, 2011
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Not big eaters
by: Anonymous

My boss and I have cotons - brother and sister - and we both agree they are not big eaters. We worry that we have the right food and that they don't eat every day but in the end, they both eat when they're hungry. My coton does munch down a small bowl of food when she's hungry, which is not often or consistent. The good part is that they don't overeat and don't easily get overweight.

They seem to love a certain kind of food for a few days and then get indifferent to it, prompting us to wonder if we should try a new food.

If you switch to another food, do it gradually as a fast switch can upset your coton's tummy. I would not get a huge bag of whatever because they just don't go through their food that fast. Blue Buffalo seems to be a favorite.

Apr 20, 2011
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HOMESICK COTON
by: Anonymous

I got my coton from this couple that had purchased two cotons (bro and sister ) but they had a bull dog that was trying to sit on them. So they had to sell them asap, before these two little puppies got crushed. So I separated duchess from her brother, and the first few days she really did not want anything to do with us. My pit bull was also very weird about sharing a house with another dog. Duchess would go under the bed, under anything that she felt private, I would get her out of there because I didn’t want duchess to become one of those dogs that lives under a bed. I would hug her kiss her, baby her and slowly mocha (pit) and her became like a mother daughter team. Mocha protects duchess like no one’s business and a few weeks later duchess was out and about and friendly like the dog I hoped I would have. I also made sure I would socialize duchess with all kinds of people, kids, adults, elderly people. Duchess is soo good with everyone. I would def. get her checked out but also continued love and patience was the key for me.

Apr 16, 2011
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bonding with your Coton
by: Iris Miller

I agree,get the puppy checked out, it might be worms or some other medical problem. I got Tuffy from a Coton breeder and they had a big family and lots of kids to play with him. The very first day I took him to a Vet, I brought a stool sample from the puppy,got the shot boosters, the implant, and monthly meds for preventing heartworm and parasites, and flea applications.He got a good check up and a good health report. I stayed home from work a few days (sick leave) to bond with him and paper train him.

All the time I was home and after work, I played with him, it is so important for the dog to be socialized. I got him a little harness and leash and trained him to walk on the leash right away. He was not a big eater but he ate mostly at night, and a couple of dog biscuit treats in the day time. Make sure the water is fresh and not highly chlorinated. Cotons can be fussy about that.

Now Tuffy is three years old,still very playful and a real character. He keeps me laughing, and he sleeps on my bed at my feet. He still prefers his freeze dried liver treats and chicken to anything else, and still eats his dry dog food late at night. I feed him (in a separate bowl) some of my food, He loves baked sweet potato and fish. One thing I read from a dog trainer, is the dog will wait for food from your mouth just as if they are in the wild waiting to be fed by the pack leader, so maybe you can chew some cooked chicken breast in front of him and feed him some of it by hand? No matter what I am eating, Tuffy thinks it has to be better than his own food. Good luck with your new Coton!

Apr 16, 2011
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Feeding
by: Anonymous

Oh, you might also try feeding your little one on a schedule. Put food down 2-3 times a day for 15 minutes at time. Use a timer. When the timer goes off, pick the food up. It will help him to know when it is meal time.

Apr 16, 2011
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homesick
by: Anonymous

Tolo came from a set of 8 puppies and several adult dogs to a home with just his new Mom and Dad. Unless he was sleeping, we kept him with us all the time. In part, to help his training and, in part, to help his homesickness. He also had issues eating. He will eat when he is hungry. Unless your vet says something else, try not to worry. Tolo is now 8 months old and doing great!

Apr 16, 2011
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TIME SHOULD HELP
by: KATHY

HI AND WELCOME TO THE COTON LIFE... I FOUND THAT WHEN I GOT TRISCUIT, IT TOOK AT LEAST 10 DAYS BEFORE SHE REALLY SEEMED LIKE PART OF THE FAMILY. SHE WOULD LAY BY HERSELF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM. I HAD TO HAND FEED HER FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS UNTIL SHE WOULD EAT ON HER OWN.
NOW SHE IS MY LITTLE LAP DOG AND SHE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH EATING. SHE IS SUCH A DELIGHT!!!!!!
JUST GIVE YOUR PUP TIME, AND AS LONG AS SHE IS HEALTHY, SHE WILL COME AROUND. GOOD LUCK. KATHY

Apr 16, 2011
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Coton's are loving..
by: Anonymous

I got my Coton, Gemma as a gift from my sons when she was 4 months old. She is very playful and was wee wee pad trained and still is. In fact she won't go outside. But,when it comes to food and water she does not take much. When she goes on wee wee pad I give her little treat. She also loves peanut butter and I put a few small spoons on plate for her. I keep her dry food down all day and pick it up at night ...she seems to like to take a few little pieces once in a while but wont eat all at once. Water she takes when she is thirsty but not a lot. Sheloves to be close to me. when I sit and watch tv she plays by bringing me things to throw and then sits right next to me to chew on her flossies which she loves. If I am at computer, she is always somewhere close to me. I find that they like having their owner close to them. She is now over a year and she jumps in my bed at night and sleeps with me....Just give your puppy a lot of love and keep it close to you. Good Luck

Apr 16, 2011
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Contact the Breeder?
by: Anonymous

Our breeder sent us home with a blanket that had his mother's scent on it. Perhaps that would help comfort him as he transitions?

Also, have you taken him to the vet to make sure he is healthy? They are very emotional animals, but it might still be a good idea to rule out physical causes.

I hope he perks up soon. Lots of love and play would be good.

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