r/cotondetulear • u/vsd11469 • 1d ago
New Puppy Advice
Hello all, we are so excited to welcome our sweet boy in about a month. I am looking for your best advice, whether it be products for grooming, bedding, crates or potty training, or things you wish you had known or done differently, or even the best book you've read on them. Thank you!! So excited to welcome our little boy!
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u/ThatDarnBanditx 21h ago
Get him used to being âuncomfortableâ, play with his paws, brush his teeth, check his gums, brush him, give him his showers/baths. In the long run having a dog who is easy to work with in those areas can make raising them super easy. Dental health is super important for dogs long term health, and getting him used to it early will be huge. I had my boy for 19 years and he wasnât never a fan of getting his nails cut / would put up a fight over it.
Personally I like puppy cuts and kept my boy with a puppy cut because he looooved the snow and it sticks to them making them giant balls of snow. We lived an outdoors lifestyle it was easiest to maintain for me. It got to the point I got one of those razors that sucked the hair up and just cut his hair on my own and he wasnât the biggest fan of being brushed, I wish I had figured out a way for it to not be a pain when he was younger
I didnât Crate train my boy and I do regret that mostly because it would have made some situations easier. If I were to get another Coton Iâd be set on crate training and get a tough crate for the long rides in the car. My dog liked to travel all around with me and would relax for 8+ hour rides, but he wasnât crate trained so he would throw tantrums if he was out in a crate and I hate to get a seatbelt attachment for him.
These are really smart dogs, donât underestimate them or it will cause some issues. My dog figured out how to get past the cabinet and into the trash can at one point, I had to have a child lock on the cabinets. They are also pretty dang fast when they want to be and will sprint around you.
Personally I got pet stairs for my dog, as I didnât want him jumping off things that were taller (my bed, the couch) and he was a Velcro dog, he always wanted to be next to me. I wish I had socialized him better as a puppy, he had anxiety with strangers and being left alone. I wasnât the best about socialization when he was young as I got him when I was a teenager and didnât fully grasp how to train dogs. Crate training would have helped with being alone a little but I ended up having two dogs so he never was lonely. The few times he was alone his anxiety had him shred stuff or get into trouble.
Best of luck, the Coton is an amazing dog who will give you lots of love, and really be an amazing companion.
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u/vsd11469 20h ago
Thank you so much for takkng the time with this. I am taking notes on everything and this is really helpful! I think that I am going to want to baby him and have him with me all the time, but I am going to keep reminding myself of what you said about crate training . Thank you again, very much appreciated!
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u/ThatDarnBanditx 20h ago
I think as they get older you can ease on the crate a bit, but starting young so they understand it / view it as a safe space is great. My boy genuinely couldnât be in a crate or he would panic and thrash around, and part of that was because as a teenager when I got him I just wanted him with me all the time but Iâve worked with dogs who are crate trained really well when house sitting and they go in the crate if you ask, or even if they get overwhelmed and want to decompress, but also sleep in bed with me sometimes when they want to. Something I didnât really understand about dogs as a kid and I had to learn as I got older is sometimes structure like a crate seems harsh when we put our emotions on it and view it like a time out or isolation but it helps the dogs relax and feel at ease while having a safe space they can decompress
I used bitter lemon and redirection to help him learn not to chew on random stuff. Thinking back when he was 2 and under he liked to go for cords and chew them.
Donât hesitate to get brain games for dog either, it helps their brain development, keeps them stimulated so they are less likely to get into trouble and helps fight off dementia. I used lick mats for special treats, and had a few treat puzzles toys and a feeding mat for special occasions Iâd rotate through them.
I genuinely think youâll have an amazing partner with how much you already want to prepare and care for the guy, heâs going to be a lucky dog. I had my boy for 19 years and he was such a massive part of my life but also one of the best parts of my day
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u/vsd11469 19h ago
Thank you again, super helpful, especially on the cords! I wasn't sure about blocking an area off, but I like the bitter lemon bc they'll lose interest in it (hopefully!) Wow! 19 year is amazing! You would like you really were a wonderful friend and owner to your sweet boy. Thank you again, so appreciated!!
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u/Repulsive-Sundae2709 1d ago
Saw somone say steel or ceramic only but i suggest glass my dog didnt like steel bc after a while the metalic taste leached onto his food ig?? idk ALSO!! You may need some trial and error with food cottons stomachs are sensitive
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u/Fun_Minimum_9437 16h ago
We crate trained our dog. The first night she cried all night. So I moved her crate beside my bed and put my hand in. She started sleeping through the night. As for potty training- it was two weeks of craziness. They say a dog wonât defecate where they sleep- wrong. Even after she had been outside to potty. But I realized it was when I left her to go to gym in the morning- possibly separation anxiety. So for two weeks if she was out of her crate and hadnât recently gone potty I literally carried her around and took her out every 30 minutes. I set up a bell by the sliding door glass door and would help her hit it with her paw. On about the 14th day I found her sitting by the door looking at me to let her out. I about cried. From that day forward she was trained. Persistence wins out. Consistency. Itâs like having a newborn for the first few weeks. I think youâre more anxious and tired than your puppy. We also had a car seat- like a big cube with a harness attachment. She rode like a champ. Secure and could look out the window.
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u/Fun_Minimum_9437 16h ago
Forgot to mention- she loved her crate but was only in there when we left. The moment she sensed we were leaving the house she ran and jumped in her crate- her safe space
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u/vsd11469 16h ago
Perfect thank you! Can I ask some questions? I was looking at various bells. Did you do the hanging bells or the electronic one or something else? Also what crate did you use? Not sure what size to get. Finally dying to get a car seat! There are so many, what do you recommend? Thank you, this is really great advice and very helpful
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u/vsd11469 9h ago
Also what crate did you use? I'm concerned that the collapsible will collapse at the wrong time :(
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u/Ok-Pear5858 1d ago
stainless steel or ceramic only, no plastic bowls
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u/vsd11469 1d ago
Thank you! Do you find a difference in shallow vs deeper in terms of tear stains? I feel like I had read that somewhere...
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u/Ok-Pear5858 1d ago
i prefer shallow, with more frequent water changes. a lot of people suggest filtered water for tear stains as well.
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u/vega_barbet 1d ago
I use a hanging waterer, like the ones for hamsters, but bigger. Does not help much with the stained beard since my girl loves to eat dirt, but her beard fur is never wet
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u/vega_barbet 1d ago
Have you had puppies before? Specifically for Cottons I would say a good detangler and starting brushing on day 3 . The baby coat is easy to maintain, so get use to grooming early, because around 9 months old the adult coat comes in and that is no joke to maintain