The Coton de Tuléar is a breed of small dog named for the city of Tuléar in
Madagascar and for its cotton-like coat. Description
= Appearance= Multiple registries with differing
standards describe the Coton de Tulear, but it generally has very soft hair,
comparable to a cotton ball, a prominent black nose, large expressive eyes, and
somewhat short legs. The Coton de Tulear's tail should curl over its back
like some other dog breeds. Coat and color
The Coton de Tuléar has a medium-to-long, fluffy, cotton-like coat
that is considered hair rather than fur. It is a non-shedding breed with low
dander. When it is a puppy, it may shed its puppy coat. Like the poodle or
Havanese, this breed has very low allergic effects and is considered
hypoallergenic. Matted hair should be removed through daily brushing and
combing. Grooming the Coton de Tulear can be quite a challenge. This breed
does not have the common "doggie smell" and, when properly bathed and groomed,
has little to no odor. The Coton de Tulear comes in three
accepted colors: white; black and white; and tricolor. However, the tan and white
may become all white, the blacks will often fade to grey or white, and fur
will most likely change throughout puppyhood. The breed even has a fade
gene that causes the colors, which are very dark when a puppy, to fade and turn
white at the base of the hair as it lengthens; that is why the Champagne or
Champagne Teddy Bear Coton eventually turns white when the adult hair comes
in.) The Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard specifies that
the Coton's coat should be white, but may also have tan or "lemon" color on
their ears and body. The coat, however, must be primarily white with no black
hair. The US-based Coton de Tulear Club of America allows for three different
but equally favorable colorings: white, black-and-white, and tri-color, which
includes "honey bear". White is described as nearly all white, sometimes
with tan or champagne coloring on the ears, face or back. Black-and-white is
defined as pure white with prominent black patches on the head and body.
Tri-color is described as mostly white with some brown markings and dustings of
black on the body and head. A honey bear tri-color has light brown with black
tips that gradually fades to an off-white or lemon color. The tri-color
loses the most color of any of the color varieties, usually becoming mostly white
with possibly some champagne markings and a dusting of black hairs on the ears
and/or body. Size
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard gives the
Coton's weight as 4 to 6 kg for males and 3.5 to 5 kg for females. The Coton's
height is 25 to 30 cm tall for males and 22 to 27 cm for females.
However, the Coton de Tulear Club of America standard specifies the weight as
no more than 18 lb, with the average being between 11 to 15 lb. The standard
height is 9 to 13 in, except for the rare Tall Coton, which is 15 to 17 in
tall. The long-limbed Tall Coton shows up in all three color varieties and can
be born to a litter with normal-sized parents that carry the appropriate
genes. Detailed description
The nose is black in colour in the Coton de Tulear Club of America standard.
However, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard, which also
favors a black nose, states that brown is tolerable as well. A pink or partly
pink nose is not accepted in either standard. The lips are tight and of the
same colour as the nose, specifically black in the Coton de Tulear Club of
America standard. The teeth can be in a scissor bite or pincer bite. The eyes
are round, dark in colour, and wide set. The expression should be lively,
intelligent, bright, and merry. The ears are triangular and set high. The leather
of the ear should be thin. The neck is strong, without a dewlap, and slightly
arched. The chest is well developed and reaches
to the elbows. The feet are small and arched. The back should be strong and
slightly arched. The pads of the feet are usually black. The body is of
moderate length and should have a moderate tuck-up. The loin is muscular
and not too long. The hind legs are strong and straight. The hind feet are
similar to the front feet. The dewclaws may be removed. The tail is low-set and
tapering, carried over the back when in motion or excited, but relaxed
otherwise. = Temperament=
The Coton is a playful, affectionate, intelligent breed. Although generally
quiet, it can become very vocal -- grunting, barking, and making other
noises when having fun. Cotons are known to have a habit of jumping up and
walking on their hind legs to please people. Most Cotons love meeting new
people and are very curious in new situations. Cotons are easy to train as
they are very eager to please. Cotons are great with kids and other animals.
The Coton de Tulear has a large-dog personality much like the Lab. Cotons
love to swim, run, and play. They adapt well to any kind of living environment.
A common trait of the Coton de Tulear behavior is to come alive in the
evening. Care
The Coton has a coat that requires brushing and combing almost daily and
bathing about once per week to maintain its beauty. Cotons love swimming; owners
who have pools are recommended to let their Cotons play in the pool with
supervision. Like poodles, they do not "shed", meaning they don't drop hair on
furniture, carpeting, etc. They do lose hair; the texture of their coat causes
the shed hair to be trapped in the coat. If not brushed and combed daily, the fur
of this breed will mat up quickly and may require shaving. Cotons need a short
walk every day for exercise, but will appreciate a play session as often as
possible, and have the endurance to go on a long hike. Cotons love to play with
other dogs and they are great with kids. Health
The Coton is in general a healthy breed. However, there are still some health
issues as there are in all breeds. The most serious issues are heart problems,
liver shunts, back problems, and eye problems. Luckily, these are still
relatively uncommon in the breed. Like all purebreds, the Coton must be bred
true to type to retain its unique characteristics, requiring inbreeding.
The small gene pool of this breed is owing to its near extinction. Of course,
just like with other purebred dog breeds, this inbreeding can lead to
increased incidence of disease. The smaller the gene pool, the more likely a
breed is to have genetic abnormalities. The Coton de Tulear has few health
issues compared to many other breeds due to being rather generic in type. It is a
fairly rare breed and is just now being accepted and recognized by the AKC as of
2012. The fact that this is a breed being revived from extinction means that
the Coton de Tulear is rather expensive to purchase and prices may reach
$1,800.00-$3,500 per dog. The average life span of a Coton de Tulear is 14 to
19 years. History
The Coton de Tulear developed on the island of Madagascar and is still the
island's national dog. It is believed that the Tenerife dog was brought to
Madagascar and mated with a dog of the island, creating an unexpected result.
The Coton's ancestors were possibly brought to Madagascar in the 16th and
17th centuries aboard pirate ships. Madagascar was a haven for pirates and
pirate graveyards can still be seen there. Pirates established a base on St.
Mary's Island, Madagascar and some of them took Malagasy wives. Whether the
dogs were brought along to control rats on the ships, as companions for long
voyages, or were confiscated from other ships as booty, no one knows. Tulear is
a port now also known as Toliara. The Coton is of the Bichon dog type, linked
most closely to the Bichon Tenerife and the Tenerife Terrier. There have been
many stories circulating about the history of the Coton in recent years,
most of them untrue. The Coton de Tulear was never feral on Madagascar. It did
not hunt wild boar or alligators, as its size, strength, and demeanor can
disprove easily. It was a companion dog of the Merina in Madagascar. It has very
little prey drive and is not a hunting dog.
The cottony coat may be the result of a single gene mutation. This small,
friendly dog caught the fancy of the Malagasy royalty and they were the only
people allowed to keep Cotons. When Dr. Robert Jay Russell discovered the breed
in Madagascar in 1973 and brought the first ones to America, he coined the
phrase the Royal Dog of Madagascar and the name stuck. They were also imported
occasionally into France by returning French colonists, but were not
officially imported to Europe until the 1970s. In 1974, Madagascar released a
stamp with the image of the Coton, affirming their status nation's "royal
dog". The Coton de Tulear was first formally
recognised as a breed by the Societe Centrale Canine in 1970 and was accepted
by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, which published the
breed standard in 1972. The Coton de Tuléar is recognised internationally
through the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and by major kennel clubs
in the Toy Group, and the United Kennel Club in the Companion Group), using
standards based upon the Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard. The
breed is not recognised by the American Kennel Club, the New Zealand Kennel
Club, or the Australian Kennel Union. It also may be recognised in the
English-speaking world by any of the very large number of minor registries,
clubs, and internet-based dog registry businesses.
In the United States, another standard for the Coton de Tulear was developed
based upon the breed in Madagascar in 1974 by a biologist, Dr. Robert Jay
Russell. Russell established the Coton de Tulear Club of America in 1976 and
was opposed to American Kennel Club recognition. The Coton de Tulear entered
the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Service in 1996, and became a
fully recognized breed on July 1st, 2014. The American Kennel Club Parent
Club for the breed is the United States of America Coton de Tulear Club.
See also Bichon
Rare breed References
External links Coton de Tulear at DMOZ