Need help with Coton grooming

by Sana

I have a 4 month old Coton puppy,and in the last few days when brushing, his hair falls out more than usual. What I'm trying to ask is, do Coton De Tulear puppies shed their first coat like other dogs? and is it normal that his hair is falling out more than usual, having in mind that he is only 4 months old? I would appreciate an answer soon :)

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Dec 14, 2011
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Thanks for answering!
by: Sana

Hey guys,I just wanted to thank you for all the answers :) we don't really have much problems with matts,it usually appears maybe once a week,and it is like,only one matte in the whole coat :) I use this for the matts http://www.rebelcreek.com/grooming%20tools/rs604_f.jpg,its called a resco comb...it makes his coat stand up,it fills with electricity I guess :) and I use this brush for the under coat http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31wo2FfFh9L.jpg

Dec 14, 2011
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Coton prayer: Please God let me wake up tomorrow & not find mats
by: Vicky & Jonah (Az)

On this website their is alot of good info on grooming & also website suggestions that are free that will help u in ur effort. Ex. How to Groom a Coton ehow.com. The info is kind of spread around.

I keep Jonah's coat about 4-5" long & I brush him every day honestly no more then 5 min. I learned to self groom when I read blogs of groomers on the web who hated working on Coton's.

The puppy coat will be with u until about 13 mos. It is softer & fuzzy but it does get better. My brush collects hair every day. Jonah just turned 4. Work on the same effect as combing ur on hair. It hurts when pulled to hard.

One thing for sure is that there hair grows back so if u need to cut it out until u master mats do it. There is nothing worse then a Coton who hates to be brushed from feeling pain when he is groomed. Cheerios work good as a treat while u brush & are good for them.

U will do fine. U have already started out on the right foot by asking questions & caring. As ur confidence comes ur pup will feel it right down the brush. Practice makes perfect.

Keep it fun do a little at a time & spread it out over a couple of days so u both do not get tired or stressed. Play ball inbetween. Happy holidays & again u will do wonderfully.

Dec 14, 2011
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grooming & matting
by: Iris Miller

my Tuffy will be four years old this month.He has had to be shaved once a year because of severe matting, and I do comb and wire brush his hair at least twice a week. The puppy cut is a good idea if you find a good groomer and can afford the groomer fees, but just like we humans, Cotons have hair (not fur) and need to be combed and brushed regularly, because hairs fall out just like ours.(p.s. not a good idea to shampoo your dog too often, it dries out the natural oils,hair may be dry and may break off. I have been learning to groom him myself but this winter we are bed ridden because I am recovering from surgery on a broken ankle. I 'm trying to find someone to hold Tuffy for me so i can clip out the matts and comb his hair(.He tolerates it if I can catch him!).Not easy to do in a wheel chair Tuffy has already grown a thick winter coat, maybe a sign of another long cold winter?
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Iris & Tuffy

Dec 14, 2011
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Use spray conditioner
by: Anonymous

I brush my coton with a medium toothed comb almost everyday and use a great product that has helped immensely! It is called Pet Head spray conditioner. Unfortunately I'm not able to get him groomed very often but have been able to keep him matte free with very long hair for almost a year now. One way we found out to avoid mattes is to keep his collar off as much as possible. He only wears it for walks. Try hard to get your coton to like being groomed. We didn't start out with the right comb or doing it the right way and he still doesn't like it much but tolerates it because he likes the praise he gets from everyone about how great he looks!!!

Dec 13, 2011
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Grooming
by: Anonymous

I get mine groomed once a week by the groomer and I brush him maybe once on a Wednesday if I notice potential matting, all depends on how much he plays outside.

Typically I do NOT see a lot of hair loss and if you don't get them groomed once a week you should brush them every day.

Dec 13, 2011
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Your dog is normal
by: Anonymous

Some Cotons have undercoats and some don't. If your puppy is losing hair it's because he's "blowing his coat" which is very normal. 4 months is young for this I think (mine started at 6 or 7 months), but there was a very noticeable change in coat at that stage. Also this is when we noticed some matting. We opted for a puppy cut because our dog just hates to be brushed and the mats were causing too much grief for all of us. Good luck, it gets better when they're adults. Really!

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