Included in my contract: The Coton de Tuléar is a long-coated dog that requires regular bathing and brushing. No representation has been made by TiaCotons that the Coton de Tuléar breed in general or a TiaCotons puppy, in particular, is a low-maintenance dog. The purchaser of a TiaCotons puppy agrees to devote time and effort to the grooming of the Coton de Tuléar.
Bathing and Grooming Tips
When bathing Cotons by hand I would recommend taking great care to massage the shampoo gently into the hair. Then rinse, rinse and rinse some more with tepid water to make sure all the shampoo is removed from the hair. After lots of rinsing, put conditioner on the Coton and rinse again with tepid water. Gently towel dry the hair and massage a very small amount of Vellus Satin Cream into the hair or spray the hair with Isle of dogs #62 Conditioning Mist. Air dry for about fifteen minutes and then use warm heat to finish the drying process. When combing or brushing my Cotons, I either hold them in my lap or lay them on their sides. I spray them with either Isle of Dogs #62 Conditioning Mist or Vellus Static Stabilizer or a quart spray bottle of distilled water mixed with 1 teaspoon of Coat Handler Leave-In Conditioner. I comb or brush the hair in layers, misting as I go with each layer. I comb or brush the hair from the skin out past the end of the hair and if using a brush I keep the brush straight when brushing through the hair for less breakage. For tangles and mats I use Isle of Dogs #63 Detangle Conditioning Mist or Vellus Tangle Out. Shampoos and conditioners I use are: Isle of Dogs #01 or #10 shampoo for puppies, for adults #16 for white coats, #51 conditioner, Vellus Shampoo and Conditioner, South Bark Blueberry Facial Shampoo and Plush Puppy Products. If a Coton is itchy the Isle of Dogs has a Veterinary Grade Evening Primrose Oil Shampoo #12 that is wonderful. The links for these products are listed below.
The Chris Christiansen Fusion Brushes are wonderful, I like the 27 mm oblong or pocket brush, Buttercombs - Coarse/Fine, Face Comb and #005 Buttercomb 7 1/2" Long Tooth Comb can be found at - http://www.chrissystems.com/ or http://www.cherrybrook.com/
Note - I tried a product called "Maxi/Guard" Oral Cleansing Gel on my Cotons teeth. One of my Cotons, Heiki, had an allergic reaction to this product so I will not use this product. Heiki's lips swelled and got crusty. She lost some of the pigment around her mouth. There are a few ingredients in this product that may have caused a problem for Heiki. I have listed them below:
From the book "A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients" by Ruth Winter, M.S.
Methylparaben - Can cause allergic reaction Propylparaben - Can cause contact dermatitis F,D and C. Blue #1 - May cause allergic reations. On the FDA permanent list of color additives. Rated 1A, that is, completely acceptable for nonfood use, by the Worrld Health Organization. However, it produced malignant tumors at the site of injection and by ingestion in rats.
Heiki's mouth after two applications of Maxi-Guard Oral Gel.
Tear Staining
Ideas for help with tear staining can be found on the following website - Tear Staining
For topknots I use latex bands in the hair and cut the bands out with scissors being careful not to cut the hair. Click on bands and bows for purchase information. Click here for more information on top knots.
It depends on the different seasons. I usually give my Coton's a bath every two weeks. If I notice more matting in their hair when I am combing them, then that is a good clue that they need a bath.
Grooming Equipment
The grooming equipment I use is from Hanvey Specialty Engineering. Below is a picture of Joey standing on my standard grooming table from Hanvey Specialty Engineering. Here is the link for the grooming table - http://www.hairvac.com/standardtable.htm
I have the Hanvey LIPSystem stainless steel bars on my grooming table to hold my Cotons in place while I groom them. There are many accessories that can be ordered for the LIPSystem. I like the plastic table divider. The table divider keeps my Cotons from trying to move away from me. The table divider is in the picture behind Joey. Here is the link for the LIPSystem - http://www.hairvac.com/lipsystem_four_page_index.htm
I also have the Hanvey Hi "V" Gold Dryer. This dryer is very powerful and only has one speed. A speed control unit can be ordered along with the dryer. I like having the speed control unit so I can set the speed of the airflow to whatever I want as I am drying my Cotons. The dryer can be seen in the picture of Joey on the grooming table. The dryer is hanging on the wall. Here is the link for the Hanvey Hi "V" Gold Dryer - http://www.hairvac.com/dryershse.htm
The Hanvey Bathing Beauty Professional Dog Wash/Power Bathing System is a excellent bathing system. I purchased a Bathing Beauty System from Barbara Bird's website store. Barbara recommends using Chris Christensen Clean Start through the BB as a general cleanser and clarifer. Chris Christensen White on White is a great whitener, but has to be applied directly and then rinsed through with the BB. A whitener that works well through the BB is an equine product called Quic Color by Exhibitor labs. Isle of Dogs Salon Elements line works well through the BB. The Sit (Still) is a good choice for drop coat or fragile coats.
For conditioning, Barbara recommends the Chris Christensen Ice on Ice through the BB, either by itself, when she wants maximum texture, or mixed in with other conditioners. She often uses a combination of Eqyss Avocado Mist Leave-in, 1 oz , and Ice on Ice 1 oz, or Show Season Quench conditioner with an added 1/2 oz to 1 oz of Ice on Ice. The Ice on Ice adds coat protection and comb ability to all coats.
Above are photos of the Hanvey "Ergo-Bathing Station". I just love this stainless steel bathing tub! Our Cotons enjoy the massaging action of the Bathing Beauty system that is in the tub next to the blue grate that the Cotons stand on to keep their feet out of the standing water. The bar sink faucet is connected to a red hose that stretches to reach the Ergo Bathing Station.
Above is Joey after being groomed. He is standing on a Hanvey standard grooming table with the Lips System stainless steel bars and the Hanvey Hi "V" Gold Dryer is hanging on the wall.
There is a DVD that was just released on how to groom a Coton. Here is information on purchasing this DVD as written by Dennis Presley. The DVD can be ordered from Dennis, just follow his directions in the information he gives below.
First let me tell everyone a little bit about the DVD. The grooming is done by Scarlett King. She does a really wonderful job on the Cotons.
The DVD is a 2 disc set and is over 3 hours long. It is broken up into chapters for ease of viewing with bonus tracks that feature some of the more common items that you may want to view over again, such as De Matting. We go over basically everything from maintenance grooming to puppy clips, to show grooming. We show how to clean the eyes, brush teeth, clean ears, clean the anal glands (yuck!! I don't like to watch that part). We show various shampoos/conditioners and treatments, and different tools and how to use them. It is really a one stop shop forgrooming your Coton. We are still working on a booklet that will accompany the DVD. This booklet will show the products and tools shown in the video and where they can be purchased. This should make it easy for newbies to find the right tools and products they need without purchasing too many tools that will never again be used.
Here is the purchasing info.
The price of the DVD is $ 60.00 plus $ 5.00 shipping and handling in the U.S., and $ 9.00 shipping and handling to Europe. California address will be charged sales tax. (Sorry CA residents, our state gov. at work). Breeder/litter pack pricing will be available upon request. Anyone who purchases the DVD will have the booklet mailed to them separately as soon as it is completed.
We will accept Paypal. You can access Paypal and then pay for the DVD by using my email address which is:
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If you pay by Paypal, please email me with your address so I can keep track and make sure I have all the information.
You can also email me directly if you want to pay by check and I will email my address to you. As soon as I get our website up (www.californiadreamincotons.com, it will be available there via shopping cart. It will also be available through another distributor that I will list soon.
Also, 10% of the sale of every DVD will be donated back to UCARE at this time. As soon as the Coton Health Foundation is up and running, there will be a split between it and UCARE. From the onset of this project it was our desire to give back to the Cotons for the joy they have given us. This is the best breed on earth and they deserve thebest from us.
If anyone has questions or I missed something, please either email me or call me at 714-420-9873.
Thanks for your support on this and to everyone, Have Fun Grooming!!!
A Coton de Tulear owner has compiled a list of web sites for your shopping pleasure. www.tomhannock.com/shopping/
http://www.assistedlivingstore.com/p-172-underpad-polyurethane-brown-each.aspx - This site has some nice pee pads for puppies and adult dogs. I have been really pleased with the new polyurethane backed brown underpads. These pads are really thin and don't take up much room in the washing machine. I use them in my puppy ex-pen for potty training the puppies. They are washable and withstand many washings. My adult Cotons use these pads in the house when they have to potty.
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