The Hunter Coton

by Larry
(Ontario Canada)

We have had Dakota for about 8 months. It has been both a joy and a lot of work. Lately, the problem is the adult coat coming in I guess, which is full of knots etc. I have had to rip through the knots with the Safari blade we bought as I am not sure what else to do. I am going to invest in a Chris Christensen brush and maybe a Les Pouches dematting brush in the near future and look at detangling spray etc. to help.

He is both bossy and fearful. He is afraid of just about everything until he gets used to things. He was house trained at around 6 months and understands basic commands like sit, stay, down, and up. Barking is a challenge with this guy. He barks excessively at other dogs when on the leash, barks when he hears other dogs bark, and barks through the window when he sees anything. It's a bit much at times. He runs out the back door when let loose and runs for the hedge to bark at the neighbors (who have a dog) even if they are not outside, for what reason I don't know...but it is a problem. He has fixated on me and whenever he thinks I am leaving, or walking away from the car he will start to go crazy, although he does calm down usually.

The funniest two things about him are
1. When I tell him to come....if he actually does, he will approach me and put his paw up and out and tilt his head down almost in deference as if I am a King.....
2. When we play with his toys like the squeaky squirrel in a pull game, he will lie down until I start to slide the toy away and he will get up and start to stalk the toy in slow motion as I slowly pull the toy away...I mean ultra slow motion, like a panther.....it's hilarious...

ps...I bathed him the other day and used doggy shampoo but used human conditioner on him and don't see any issues.....everyone always says not to use human products.....have to wonder about that.....could be the manufacturers of the dog products perpetuating that myth.....

LC
Ottawa Ontarion

Comments for The Hunter Coton

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Oct 20, 2023

Barking and grooming NEW
by: Larry

I bought a fancy Chris Christensen Big G brush recently thinking it would be the best brush ever. Not really the case, the pins are so dense that I could barely pull it through his puppy coat. I didn't want to ruin his adult hair by doing this, in order to get mats out. I returned the brush to Amazon $96.00. I spoke to a groomer and they said the brushes are way overpriced. She suggested that all I need is a grey hound comb and or the end of scissors to work out the knots. I use the end of the comb to pull and separate and the Safari slicer I mentioned before. It has been a lot of work over the last months but now at 10 months, it seems that most of his puppy coat has been cleared out.
As for the barking, I just bought a ABBIDOTT T20 remote bark collar. I have had it one day but it does work. I used the audible and vibration modes and the dog stopped barking so I think he will get it. I tell him no barking, then if it persists i hit the audible, if that didn't work, then vibration would be next. I have not used the shock portion of the collar but will consider it if needed. I think this will correct the barking problem.

Sep 06, 2023

Thank you! NEW
by: Coton lover

Thank you for sharing about your Coton. Sounds exactly like mine. I appreciate you sharing about how much he barks and that it will take a couple of years or more to get better.

Jul 27, 2023

Oh, those mats and OH THAT BARKING!! NEW
by: Michelle

I literally just posted my own blog entry about my coton's coat management. Those Safari combs are the best! We are on our second one, since the first one eventually dulled. Best wishes and hang in there as long as you want to maintain that gorgeous coton coat. But don't feel bad if at some point you want a break by getting it clipped. It can always grow back. We did get a Chris Christenson wooden bristle brush. It is very effective. Glides through more easily. Do you have a slicker brush? I have to be very gentle with ours as they can be irritating to the skin, but it's good for getting all the hair out that you just sliced through with the Safari comb. Flea combs are good for teasing out small mats, too.

Jul 16, 2023

Consistency is key NEW
by: RemToronto

Barking was an issue with our Cotton as well. Jazz would bark at everything or every noise he would hear in the backyard. What we did is that, every time he would bark we would say: « No! No barking » (every time, no exception). It took nearly 2 years and a half (yep! Thiiiiiiiis long) but now, Jazz is mostly quiet. He even do not react to fireworks anymore and can easily fall asleep during the time they are fired. Consistency and patience is the key.

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