Allow us to introduce you to the
rare, ancient, and pure-breed dog called The Coton de Tulear (pronounced
coe-TAWN day TULE-ee-r). The name Coton derives from the French word for
cotton, thus, the name means "cotton of Tulear". The Coton de Tulear
earned this name in part for a port city in Madagascar called Tulear and
because the look and texture of their coat resembles a wad of cotton wool, a
trait that causes it to stand out from almost all other dog breeds. Their
coat has a wind-tossed appearance and, though it requires regular grooming, is
probably among the easiest to maintain of any long-haired breed. Cotons
shed very little, have little or no dander (a cause of allergies in people),
little or no doggy odor, a dry hair-like coat that sheds dirt--essentially this
is a dog clean enough to sleep in your bed!
Ideally,
the companion Coton has a relatively easy to care for coat. Many Coton de
Tulear owners make a run for the groomer when their Coton is between 6 and 18
months of age for a "puppy cut". This is the "blowing coat"
stage in their development when it seems all the under hair comes loose at
once. Don't worry--your Coton will still look adorable with a puppy cut.
Most, but not all, Cotons have undercoats. This is the fine, downy hair under
their coat that mats as it loosens from the skin. These loose hairs are held in
by the coarser and longer outer hair and stay locked in the coat instead of
being shed all over the house. This sounds ideal, however, without
frequent brushing and/or combing mats and knots will form close to the skin and
can be difficult (and painful) to remove. Coats vary and many Cotons have long,
thick hair that may require a bit more attention to care for. Many owners
easily get by with an overall combing once or twice a week although many
families enjoy the social experience of daily grooming.
There are
three color varieties seen: White (often with champagne color patches);
Black-and-white; and Tri-color. A Tri-color often is born with a lot of color
which gradually fades so that the adult is mostly white with champagne patches
and a faint, irregular "dusting" of black hairs. Black & White
Cotons retain their color throughout their lives.
Cotons
are hearty dogs capable of acclimating to desert heat and winter snow. However,
the Coton is strictly an indoor dog. They are the perfect dog for apartment living
(though is relishes long walks), adapting well to their environment, whatever it
might be. This is an extremely healthy, long-lived breed whose average life
span is 15-16 years.
Probably the
most endearing quality of the Coton de Tulear is its cheerful disposition. The
Coton is a surprisingly intelligent and intuitive dog. This alert, lively
companion is slow to anger and will brighten your day with his humorous
jester-like antics. Some refer to the Coton as the 'anti-stress' dog. Cotons are so
amazingly sweet and lovable that just looking at one seems to relieve stress
and anxiety. Although Cotons seldom bark, they are protective of their humans
and will often bark to alert their owner when faced with circumstances out of
the ordinary. Cotons are quite affectionate and will snuggle up next their
owner for some much deserved love and affection. A Coton quickly becomes a
family member and retains a puppy-like joy throughout its long life. Weighing
between 10-12 lbs. and between 10-12 inches tall, Cotons are also great
companions for children of all ages.
At
Cathy's Coton Cuties all of our Cotons are professionally bred from
championship stock and are home-raised to ensure optimum socialization. Our
puppies and parents are health tested and guaranteed to ensure quality and long
life.
The Coton de
Tulear Standard
What is a Breed Standard?
"A breed standard is a written
document, approved by a kennel club or breed club that details the breed's
physical characteristics, temperament, and abilities necessary for its intended
original purpose" (Knorr, 2006). Standards are used by breeders to
assist them in maintaining the integrity of the breed.
Divergent opinions exists over the
standard for the Coton de Tulear.
On one side of the controversy is Dr. Jay Russell, who sent the
first Coton breeding stock from Madagascar to America in 1974.
The Coton de Tulear Club of America (CTCA), the first Coton club in the United
States, was founded by Dr. Russell. The CTCA maintains its
own breed standard, which is derived from the original Malagasy standard for
the breed.
Other clubs abide by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI)
standard. The FCI is an international kennel club
that originally included only five European countries.
Today membership includes nations on six continents and they
recognize over 300 breeds of pure-bred dogs.
The main disagreement between the two standards is over color and
size. The FCI standard maintains that a Coton is primarily a white
dog. Although slight color on the ears is "tolerated" it is not
desirable. The CTCA standard on the other hand argues that the original Coton
comes in three color varieties. They include the Black and White and the
Tri-Color in their standard.
Size is the other issue. The FCI
standard states that the Coton height should be in the range of
9.8"-12.5. Although the CTCA standard is very similar they also recognize what they
refer to as the "tall Coton". Dr. Russell has initiated a
scientific experimental breeding protocol in an attempt to understand the
genetics of Coton tallness and has a few breeders working in cooperation with
the experiment to purposefully try to produce tall Cotons.
At Cathy's Coton Cuties we have adopted a balanced philosophy in
relation to the standards. All of our dogs that are used for breeding meet
the FCI standard and were obtained from knowledgeable, reputable breeders who adhere
to the FCI standard. However, we have seen the three color varieties
mentioned in the CTCA standard in puppies produced by some of the top
European Coton kennels, making it difficult to discount the existence of such
variation in the breed. As stated by the CTCA, a "cookie cutter
look" for this breed is not the goal. Although we do not breed for
extreme color variations, where white is no longer the dominant color of the
Coton, we are not opposed to the look of the tri-color. Many people find
this variation very beautiful. If you check out our scrapbook you will
see everything from pure white to tri-color in our puppies.
View the Coton de Tulear FCI
Standard
View the Coton de Tulear CTCA
Standard
