Cotinus tends to be a sparse and leggy shrub by nature. If you want it fuller it needs to be pruned and to be getting good sun. The competing shrubs around it will also encourage it to grow up fast for light and just repeat the leggy.

A canopy just above fence height seems like a good goal. Clear out some of the competing branches of the other shrub invading its space. Cut the Cotinus about a foot above where the trunks branch out. Do it now.

There have been a number of long and involved discussions on how and when to prune a smokebush on the Shrubs forum that you might find interesting HERE. Some very differing opinions and experiences with after pruning growth (can be extremely robust and very lanky).

And my personal view is that however you decide to prune, now is not a good time.

Thank you both. I’ll check out that link. I should have mentioned that I’m in zone 5 in Ontario about an hour north of Toronto. I didn’t think pruning now was the right time. A local garden centre told me to do my shrubs in the early spring.

That far north all the more reason to do it now if you want to utilize this year's growth season and have the new growth hardened off and ready for winter.

you can do shrubs just about any time you want .. most are nearly indestructible ...

if you wanted a very general rule.. do it after they flower ... if you dont care about losing a years flowers... whenever is usually good enough ...

the base idea.. is as the plant goes thru the flower cycle.. it then start the process for next years flowers ... so if you prune then.. the general idea would be that it will set those buds for next season ...

once you move beyond that .. you can search for specific info on a specific plant but just keep the general idea in your mind ... general pruning rules should really vary all that much between various shrubs ...

the prior owner planted a small big box shrub in a small corner with absolutely no idea of it future potential ....and if it was done by an alleged pro.. pshaw .. when you cut this thing down.. with no insult to its giant root mass .. step away fast.. because its going to come back with a vengeance .. i predict in about 2 years.. it will be back to the same monster stuck in the same small corner ... but not being in the tree form.. its going to take up garden bed ...

cut it beck .. whenever you decide.. learn how to prune on it.. but think about eventual removal.. when you too decide its just the wrong plant for the wrong space ..

after 5 years in my first house.. where i had some strange notion i wanted to preserve the garden for all prosperity .. i finally got rid of the last of the prior owners mistakes.. and it was one of the happiest days in that garden .. dont live with other peeps nightmares .. it might be why they moved.. lol ...

ken

this is how i look at future potential ... how many of the plants you see at this link belong in a small corner

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=smokebush&iax=images&ia=images