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During the time that your puppy has remained at Cotonwind your puppy has been eating Fromm's Gold Puppy Food. We recommend continuing on this food as your puppy is well adjusted to it. Other foods that are good are any of the more wholistic foods that do NOT contain wheat and corn. Our adults are on Natural Balance and we rotate from Potato and Fish, to Rice and Venison, to Potato and Duck. We are happy with this food. When you first get your puppy home it is not unusual for your puppy to be disinterested in its food for the first few days. Part of this is because your puppy is now in a new environment and is adjusting. However, another factor to this disinterest is the lack of competition for the food. Here at Cotonwind your puppy has been eating together with its siblings and while we feed enough to ensure no-one is hungry, the puppies still feel competition. This is natural and normal. With the removal of competition comes a more relaxed attitude towards the foodbowl as well. It is for this reason that we do not recommend free feeding during puppyhood. Give your puppy its food with a little warm water on it, allow it to have access to its food for twenty minutes, then remove the food until the next meal. This instills artificial competition and has the same effect as real competition; the food has disappeared. Over a couple of feedings the puppy will realize that it needs to eat while the food is there. Regardless of the instillation of artificial competition, it is still possible that your puppy will be "off" its food. If this persists then adding a small amount of canned food, some cottage cheese, small bits of cooked chicken, or other yummy tidbits might just do the trick! Animals will not typically starve themselves and your amount of worry will far surpass the danger that not eating poses to your puppy :-) . Do make certain that your puppy has access to fresh, clean water at all times. If your puppy refuses to eat AND drink for a long period of time then secondary causes may need to be explored. If your puppy will accept treats chances are all is well and you are well on the way to being trained by your Coton to bow to his every whim! :-) Crate training is not only useful for keeping your Coton de Tulear and your home safe. Crate training your Coton de Tulear aids in housetraining (see below) and in training against unwanted chewing. It is also the best way to keep your new Coton de Tulear safe while traveling in a vehicle, and it is a wonderful way to keep your puppy quiet following spay and neuter surgery (Coton de Tulears like running and playing long before the vet recommends they run and play following surgery). As well, the crate can become a private place for your Coton de Tulear where there are children involved, and it is quite simple to instill the rule that when puppy is in his/her crate, the puppy is to be left alone. This is valuable in giving young Coton de Tulear pups much needed rest time, and teaches the youngsters to respect this time. How does crate training help in training against unwanted chewing? When your Coton de Tulear puppy is in the crate, it cannot chew on things it shouldn't. Coton de Tulear puppies chew for a lot of reasons; boredom, teething, exploring, or just because. If your puppy is properly supervised, you can teach it what is allowable chewing (i.e. their own toys) and what is contraband chewing (your family heirloom, the poisonous houseplant, etc.) (see Obedience section for more on this). When your Coton de Tulear puppy chews, it is rewarded. It either is no longer bored, it's teething pains feel better, it's having fun. This sets up the puppy that, as it grows up, whenever it feels uncomfortable such as when you've gone out the door and it's a little anxious, or when it is bored, it will chew whatever it finds. Thus, you have an adult Coton de Tulear that will chew. If, however, through training and proper supervision, your Coton de Tulear has learned what it is allowed to chew, then when it needs to satisfy the urge, you will have a non-destructive Coton de Tulear who understands what his/her toys are for. We again, choose crate training. The bottom line is, Coton de Tulears don't mind their
crates. Their crate becomes their little space where they can
rest
and spend time comfortably. When you first bring your Coton de Tulear puppy home you should already have your crate. Set it up in an area central to the family, but not in heavy traffic areas of your home. We recommend in your kitchen near a door leading to a fenced yard where puppy will go out to relieve him/herself. It helps to leave the crate in one location (Coton de Tulears are dogs and dogs are creatures of habit and learn to rely on these things). The day you get your new Coton de Tulear puppy home let it explore the crate. Put a doggy biscuit and/or an interesting toy into the crate. Let the pup wander in and out of the crate (you may have to coerce it to go in a couple of times) at first leaving the door open. Several times through the day, take your puppy back to where the crate is and repeat the toy/cookie routine. Praise your puppy for going into the crate in a quiet, happy voice. Praise him for playing in the crate. After your pup has entered the crate a few times, put a brand new exciting toy into the crate, lure your pup in and close the door, just for a few minutes. If the puppy whines you can talk to him/her, put your fingers through the door and touch him/her, but do not take the pup out until s/he settles. Then give lots of praise and open the door. Patience is the key to the effective crate training of your new Coton de Tulear puppy !!!. Wire or plastic? What size crate? Blankets? Alarm clock? What should you put in the crate ... We personally use wire crates for our Coton de Tulears. The size of crate for Coton de Tulears varies depending on the size of the dog (males are usually bigger). We recommend no smaller than 20W x 24"L x 20"H for smaller Coton de Tulears and 21"W by 30"L x 21"H for larger Coton de Tulears. With respect to bedding, we recommend putting a towel
in the crate for puppy. Some Coton de Tulear pups chew their
bedding and an old towel is worth less than the new $55.00 designer
version of a pet bed. We do not recommend alarm clocks ticking or
hot water bottles. To
help your new Coton de Tulear puppy feel a little more secure we
recommend
an old stuffed teddy bear which has any button eyes and nose removed
and restitched securely. When you first get your new Coton de Tulear puppy s/he will be 8-10 weeks of age. At this age it is advisable to have your pup in the crate for no longer than about three hours before letting him/her out to relieve themselves, have a little play and a cuddle. Once your Coton de Tulear reaches 12-16 weeks, about four hours is the rule. It is not advisable to leave your Coton de Tulear in it's crate for longer than 5-6 hours regardless of age once your get past the 16 week mark. Should you find you must leave your pup for longer than this, then be kind and have a neighbor or relative come in and let your puppy out and spend a little time with him/her. With respect to until what age you
will need to crate your Coton de Tulear, there is no exact age.
Each Coton de Tulear is different.
I personally would crate until your Coton de Tulear is one year
old.
At this time you can "test" the dog. Leave him out for very short
periods of time when you are preoccupied. Watch what he
does.
Then increase the time spent out until he stays out while you are
sleeping.
If he shows himself trustworthy, then you can begin to "test" him when
you go out. Only ten minutes at first. Then an hour, then
two
or three. Do not rush to getting your Coton de Tulear
"crate-free"
as bad habits can still be formed. House Training your Coton
de Tulear Coton de Tulear puppies need to relieve themselves a lot !! That is rule number one. Puppies pee whenever they wake up, after drinking, during play sessions, and well, just about every couple of hours other than that. They will poo after eating (right after eating) and in the morning and in the evening. A completely untrained Coton de Tulear puppy will relieve him/herself whenever the urge strikes. Training is the process of getting the pup to "hold" it until it is appropriate. As Coton de Tulear puppies won't soil in their crate, this is the first step in getting them used to holding it (just remember there are limits as to how long they can hold it even in their crate). Therefore, whenever you take the pup out of the crate, take it outside to where you want the pup to go. At first you will want to carry your Coton de Tulear pup to the spot otherwise they will squat to go on the way there. Whenever the puppy eats or drinks, immediately after -- take it outside. Whenever puppy is having a playtime, partway through -- take it outside. Whenever you take your Coton de Tulear puppy out to do it's business praise it as soon as it starts to do its business and continue praising in a happy, excited voice. Coton de Tulears respond very well to praise. Conversely, at first, when puppy has an "accident" in the house ignore it, clean it up and say nothing. The difference between excited praise outside, and dead silence inside becomes very apparent a Coton de Tulear puppy. Scolding for indoor "accidents" should only occur if after a few weeks puppy is still messing inside and only if you catch them in the act. If you do, then say no firmly and take puppy outside. Continue hearty praising for business done outdoors. Never, never, never, rub the puppy's nose in it's mess. This achieves nothing, is disgracing to your Coton de Tulear, and quite simply, the pup won't understand why this is being done. In fact, I dare say the pup will think you've gone a little crazy!! Housetraining is a process involving commitment,
supervision and patience.
It is not difficult to housetrain a Coton de Tulear, but requires
consistency
and persistency. Most of all it calls for kindness and praise, as
does all training with Coton de Tulears (or any animal). We call
it housetraining, not housebreaking -- the difference being that
anything
called training involves kindness and patience. Choosing a vet is one of the most important things you will do for your new Coton de Tulear puppy. Your new puppy will need to see the veterinarian you choose for:
You may wish to ask friends or neighbors whose opinions you respect, which veterinarian they use and if they are happy with the service/care they receive. Before you get your new Coton de Tulear puppy home, make an appointment with a veterinarian you are considering and let them know you are getting a new Coton de Tulear puppy and are looking for a veterinarian. Make sure you are satisfied with the courtesy or the veterinarian and his staff. Ask questions, take a look around. Are your questions being answered enthusiastically? Is the clinic clean and relatively odor free? Do the staff seem interested? Are you being treated as you expected? Does this look comfortable for you? For your new Coton de Tulear puppy? Your instinctive feelings should guide you. Is this a place you will feel comfortable coming to when your Coton de Tulear is sick or injured? We list here a
chart of symptoms, what is somewhat "normal" and what
is cause for concern for reference with your new Coton de Tulear
puppy.
This is to be used as a general guideline only. If you are
concerned
about your Coton de Tulear, see your vet. If you are unsure, see
you vet.
Should your Coton de Tulear puppy have any of the "cause for concern" symptoms, you should see your veterinarian as soon as possible. Occasional lack of appettie, mild diarrhea, or occasional vomitting with your Coton de Tulear is usually not serious. However, next to your veterinarian, you are the best judge of your Coton de Tulear's health . If you feel concerned about your Coton de Tulear then see your veterinarian. Any Coton de Tulear which has diarrhea and/or vomitting which is leading to him getting sicker very quickly, must be seen by your veterinarian immediately. Coton de Tulear puppies can get extremely sick very quickly and immediate intervention is critical. What if your Coton de Tulear is showing lameness or is limping? Cause of lameness/limping is very difficult to diagnose. If your Coton de Tulear appears lame or is limping your veterinarian is your best resource. Only your vet can diagnose what is a mild injury and what is more severe. Injured and sick Coton de Tulear puppies/dogs can go into shock very quickly. Shock is extremely dangerous to animals and humans alike. Shock can be caused by dehydration, injury, poisoning, and many other causes. If you suspect your Coton de Tulear is in shock, keep them warm and comforted, give nothing by mouth and seek veterinarian assistance immediately. Your Coton de Tulear requires grooming - lots of it. When your Coton is still a puppy you may believe that grooming is a breeze - and for now it is! However, do not be fooled into complacency. While your puppy is young you have the opportunity to not only learn to groom him, but also to teach him the rules of the game! The rules are -- he must be groomed and therefore he must accept all the aspects of grooming without fidgeting and fighting you. It is best to start right away so that when the grooming does become more intense you will not be fighting a dog that has better ideas! Start with the right tools! You will want a good quality pin brush with uncoated metal pins. Helpful also is a "poodle" comb, and a "greyhound" comb, as well a nail clippers. Here are a few pictures of the products you may wish to purchase. These products can be ordered online at www.petedge.com. You may wish to purchase a grooming table as well, though it is not absolutely necessary. The grooming arm and noose are not required. Start grooming your puppy as soon as you get him home and settled. Keep the sessions short and fun, but make sure the puppy understands what you require of him. Use the various combs and brushes on him even though any one of these will do the job on its own right now. As he gets older the various grooming tools will need to be used and you want him to be used to them from the start. Lightly use a spray conditioner when you are grooming. This will help avoid breakage while grooming and will provide the coat with extra conditioning. Use the poodle comb for an initial combing, followed by the greyhound comb, then the pin brush. Remember to be gentle. The idea is to preserve coat, not break it. If there is a knot or mat, gently separate the hairs using your fingers, do not pull the mat out in a clump. Your resco comb is handy in the facial areas. Following the grooming, once or twice a week you will want to clean out the ears with a mild ear cleaning solution and a cotton ball. Do not try to dig into the ear. Any foul smell or reddish brown buildup requires veterinary attention as soon as possible as it means your puppy has an ear inflammation or infection. You will also want to trim your puppies nails once a week. Take a little bit off the nails at a time to avoid cutting the quick of the nail. If you do cut the quick your puppy will scream and the nail will bleed. While painful, this is not serious and a styptic powder will eliminate the bleeding. In a pinch flour works reasonably well in place of styptic powder. Every two to three weeks or so you will want to bathe your puppy. Ensure that you use a quality shampoo and conditioner. Prior to bathing you will want to ensure that your puppy is tangle/knot/mat free. If you bathe a dog that has knots or tangles they will tighten to the point of needed to be shaved out. So, carefully brush the dog first. Make sure that you rinse all shampoo and conditioners out of the coat thoroughly. Rinse, rinse, then rinse some more. When finished, put your puppy in a towel and pat dry. DO NOT RUB or you will have one very large white knot in your arms. Brush out your puppy and blow dry. Make certain you have dried out his ears with a cotton ball. |
How to Crate Train A
Coton de Tulear ... 
For how
long do you use the crate?
When choosing a veterinarian for your new Coton de Tulear puppy, consider
proximity
to your home. Most city and suburban homes are central to a
number
of veterinarian clinics. It is best to chose one that is
relatively
close to home in order to enable you easily access your veterinarian in
case of an emergency with your new Coton de Tulear puppy. Close
proximity will also make it easier for you to make and keep
appointments
for your Coton de Tulear. 
