Published 5/1/01 - Vol. 1, Issue 1

Coton de Tulear
by Ellen Thurmond

The Coton de Tulear (coe-TAWN day Tool-ee-AIR), meaning "Cotton dog of the Malagasy Port City of Tulear," is a rare, ancient pure-bred that originated in Madagascar more than three centuries ago. The Coton descends from the brought to Mauritius by sailors and pirates during the 16th Century. Back then, ships frequently sailed to the West Indies, around Africa's Good Hope Cape, and into the Mozambique Channel to the Indian Ocean. Sea voyages were often long, boring, and arduous for the sailors and their quality of life was poor. To offset these hardships (and to help rid the ships of rodents), spirited little dogs accompanied the sailors on their voyages. One day, during a violent storm, a ship sank near the shore of Madagascar. No one knows the name of the ship or where it originated from, but all of the crew on board perished. Legend has it the little dogs swam ashore on the southwestern coast of the island. These dogs were the ancestors of the Bichon family, of which the Bichon Frise and the Coton are members.

The shipwrecked dogs settled on the island, turned wild, and eventually met the local terriers. The Coton de Tulear resulted from this relationship. These early Cotons foraged for food, hunted in packs, and learned to cunningly protect themselves against larger predators. The natives fell in love with these intelligent and charming dogs, domesticated them, and offered them as gifts to the King and the Merino nobles. The Coton was quickly adopted by the ruling Merina tribal monarchy and became known as the royal dog of Madagascar. The monarchy controlled the breed closely and enacted laws that prohibited anyone but those of the ruling caste from owning a Coton. The sentence for breaking this law was death. Today, though still rare in its homeland, the Coton is the official Dog of Madagascar, and has even been honored on a postage stamp.

In 1974, Dr. Robert Jay Russell, a biologist studying lemurs on Madagascar, became enamored with the Cotons he met there and exported the first of the breed to North America. The Coton de Tulear was imported into Europe three years later. For many years, Oakshade Kennels, owned by Dr. Russell's parents, was the sole breeder of the Coton de Tulear in North America. Now, as the breed rises in popularity, there are more breeders emerging.

The Coton de Tulear is supported in North America by its original Parent Club, the CTCA (founded by Dr. Russell), and in Europe by the FCI. There are two distinct standards: the CTCA's, (which supports three color varieties and a range of sizes) and the FCI Standard (which calls for an all-white, smaller dog). In north America, there are now several Coton clubs. Many of these new, show-oriented clubs are currently making a bid for AKC recognition, but the majority of Coton owners are against AKC registration of the breed.

Three color varieties are common in Cotons: white (all white or with champagne patches on the ears and saddle region), black and white, and tri-color (white, tan, and black). Hair length is about 4-5 inches, which serves to protect the dog from equatorial sun in its native, semi-dessert land. The long, dry, wind-tossed, hair requires brushing (about every other day or so) in order to remove the undercoat and prevent matting. The hair has no doggie smell, and sheds minimally, making it a good choice for people with allergies. Cotons remain relatively clean without a bath for a long time. For the show ring, a Coton's coat should not be cut (besides a little trimming in between the toes). Most Coton owners make a monthly trip to a groomer, with casual brushing in between. Some keep their pet dogs in a shorter puppy cut, which suits the breed's playful personality

The Coton de Tulear stands approximately ten to thirteen inches tall at the shoulder and weighs from eight to eighteen pounds. Cotons are not toy dogs, but rather muscular small dogs. They are agile, athletic, and sturdy. Like other Bichons, the Coton is "straight-hocked" and slightly longer-backed than they are tall. The Coton has a powerful muzzle with strong, well-set teeth and black lips. The head is long and flat with a discernible stop, and the dark brown eyes are round and rimmed with black. The ears are dropped, thin, triangular and covered with long hair. The nose is a pronounced black.

Cotons have an average number of breed health defects, but they have a much lower incidence of them. Overall, this is a healthy, sturdy, and long-lived breed. The Coton is known to have a low incidence of heart defects and orthopedic problems associated with small breeds. Recently, a few Cotons have been diagnosed with aggression problems that are probably genetic. In general, Cotons are not only non-aggressive, but deeply devoted to their human companions. Separation anxiety can become a problem unless carefully trained.

The Coton de Tulear is a small dog with a big dog's heart. Cotons have wonderful personalities and are true companion dogs. Known to actually "smile," the breed is intelligent, loving to its human family, and is a very alert and lively companion. Dubbed the anti-stress dog and "perfect" dog, the Coton is slow to anger and is not known to bark a lot (though some will act as excellent watch dogs). The Coton gets along well with other dogs, cats and children. They are good travelers and easily trained and housebroken. Cotons tend to mold to a family's lifestyle and can be either very athletic or a couch potato. When not snuggling on your lap, a Coton will cock his head to the side, wag his tail, and gesture with his eyes that he wants to play. Make sure that you have plenty of time to share with a dog when choosing a Coton as a pet so that you can give your little friend the attention he craves and deserves.