Coton grooming
Coton de Tulear grooming in Gloucester, MA
The Coton de Tulear is named for its coat: soft and dense, with the texture of cotton, and white. That texture is lovely to touch and quick to knot, especially in the months when a puppy's coat gives way to the adult one. This page covers that change, the whitening add-on and the ear checks the AKC recommends.
The coat
Cotton, not silk: a Coton's coat is soft, dense and dry, and it knots the way cotton does
The AKC breed standard describes a coat that is very soft and supple, with the texture of cotton, never hard or rough, dense, profuse and sometimes very slightly wavy. The color is white, with light grey or light tan shading allowed on the ears. Under it is a sturdy small dog: the AKC puts males at 9 to 15 pounds and females at 8 to 13, so a Coton sits in our smallest grooming band.
Cotton-textured hair knots easily, and the AKC is blunt about the consequence: unless the dog is kept in a short puppy clip, it needs a great deal of brushing, with the comb and brush taken gently all the way to the skin. Miss the skin and the hair next to it mats, and if the matting is extensive, the AKC says the dog may need to be shaved down.
- Texture: soft and dry like cotton, never silky or hard
- Density: profuse, so knots hide close to the skin
- Color: white, which shows every stain from mud and grass
- Long coat: daily brushing; puppy clip: far less
The coat change
Between about four months and a year, the soft puppy coat gives way, and that is when a Coton knots fastest
The standard notes that a Coton's puppy coat is much softer in texture than the adult coat. The AKC's article on puppy shedding says most puppies lose the puppy coat between four and six months, though it can start at 12 weeks or wait until a year, and that long-haired breeds can go through a few awkward months as the adult coat comes in. On a Coton, the soft hair being shed is caught by the denser hair growing in.
That is the window to brush more, not less. The AKC calls grooming a Coton puppy a breeze and says to make sessions a positive time from the start, which pays off when the coat turns. If knots are already forming faster than you can comb them, a short puppy clip during the change resets the coat, and the full coat can grow back out afterward. The groomer can show you where the change has reached at check-in.
- 01
From the first weeks home, brush gently every day so grooming is routine before the coat turns
- 02
Book a first bath at $55 so the table, the dryer and the brush are familiar
- 03
From about four months, check daily for soft knots behind the ears, in the armpits and on the legs
- 04
Comb to the skin with a light mist of spray conditioner, as the AKC suggests, so the hair does not break
- 05
If knots outpace you, book the full service at $75 and ask about a puppy clip through the change
- 06
Once the adult coat has settled, choose the length you will keep
Cut and whitening
Full coat or puppy clip, and $8 whitening when the white has dulled
The full service is a bath plus a breed-specific or custom haircut, which on a Coton means one of two directions. A natural, long coat is bathed, dried, brushed out to the skin and tidied at the feet, the sanitary area and around the eyes. A puppy clip takes the body short and even and rounds the face. Both are $75. The AKC's own guidance is that only the short clip spares you the heavy brushing, so be honest about your week when you choose.
A white coat picks up color from grass, sand, marsh mud and the hair around the mouth. Whitening, at $8, is a brightening shampoo for white and light coats that can be added to any bath or full service. It brightens a coat that has dulled; it is not a dye, and how much it lifts depends on the stain. Rust-colored staining under the eyes is a different matter, and worth a word with your vet.
- Full coat: $75, tidied at the feet, sanitary area and eyes
- Puppy clip: $75, short and even, far less brushing at home
- Whitening: $8 on any bath or full service
- Face trim: $10 between grooms to keep the eyes clear
How often and price
A Coton costs $75 for the full service and $55 for a bath; knots cost $15 per 20 minutes on top
How often a Coton needs the studio depends on the length you choose. A dog in a puppy clip comes back when the clip has grown out enough to knot, and the groomer can suggest a date when you rebook at pick-up, which also takes $5 off the next visit. A dog in full coat needs daily brushing at home and the studio for baths and tidies. The coat, not the calendar, tells you when it is due.
At 8 to 15 pounds, a Coton sits in the up to 25 pound band, so the prices are simple: $55 for a bath and $75 for the full service. Dematting is $15 per 20 minutes on top and is estimated with you first; if the coat has felted to the skin, the AKC itself notes that shaving down may be the answer. Nails are $16, teeth brushing $10, and a nervous dog can have the $20 handling surcharge for a slower pace.
| Coton service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bath only | $55 | Warm bath, blow-dry and brush-out |
| Full service, full coat or puppy clip | $75 | Includes the haircut or tidy |
| Whitening | $8 | Brightening shampoo for a dulled white coat |
| Face trim | $10 | Eyes, muzzle and ears between grooms |
| Dematting | $15 per 20 minutes | Estimated at check-in before work starts |
Ears and home care
Check the ears twice a week, and rinse the sand out of a white coat the day it comes home
The AKC tells Coton owners to check the ears a couple of times a week and remove any excess hair, wax or debris to avoid ear infections. Ear cleaning is not listed as a separate add-on on our menu, so ask the groomer at check-in what the full service includes for your dog's ears. Hair inside the ear canal, and any redness, smell or head shaking, are questions for your vet. Our how-to on cleaning your dog's ears covers the weekly routine.
A white coat on Cape Ann also shows the season. At the time of writing, Crane Beach in Ipswich takes dogs from October 1 to March 31, at $5 for a nonmember dog, and Essex closes its beaches to dogs in June, July and August. Rinse salt and sand out with fresh water and dry the coat completely before brushing. From April to November, tick season, a weekly comb-through doubles as a tick check, and a dark tick stands out on white hair.
At Dogtown
A Coton groom, with or without a playgroup
Book the full service on its own, or add it to a daycare day once your Coton has completed the free evaluation.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Why is my young Coton suddenly matting so much?
Does whitening make a Coton's coat brighter?
Should I keep my Coton in full coat or a puppy clip?
Do you clean ears during a Coton groom?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AKC: Coton de Tulear
- AKC: Coton de Tulear breed standard
- AKC: why do puppies shed their coats?
- The Trustees: Crane Beach
- Town of Essex: dog licenses and information
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Keep the cotton soft and white.
Book a full service online or in the Dogtown app, add whitening for $8, and tell the groomer whether you want full coat or a puppy clip.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
