The Coton de Tulear, pronounced "coe-TAWN day TULE-ee-r," means "cotton of Tulear." The Coton is a rare, ancient pure-breed that originated on Madagascar more than three centuries ago.

 Cotons are very intelligent, easy to toilet train, and uncommonly gentle and laid back. They get along well with children and most pets. Please note that the behavior of any given dog is based upon the dog's heredity and its environment. Poor early socialization can lead to problems for any dog of any breed. Therefore, check with your breeder to determine your particular puppy's genetic and behavioral history. As the breeder what steps are taken to help socialize your pup prior to its delivery to you. And please recognize that you will be the next step in this puppy's socialization and training. We at the CTCA are here to help you; ask us how!

 The Coton was exclusively the dog of Royal Malagasy nobles, but now this exceptional, elegant companion is available to a select few outside that legendary land. For historical details, please click on: a Brief History of the Breed.

 The Coton stands between about 9.5 and 13-inches (24 to 33 cm) tall at the withers (shoulders). (Note: a taller variety of Coton is known, but has yet to be described with a standard, see The Coton de Tulear News, Vol. 9, No. 3, Fall, 1997. To learn more about these magnificent Tall Cotons, please click here.). A standard Coton is little more than two feet long (0.6 m), and weighs between 9 and 18 pounds (8.2 kg). A Standard Coton de Tulear averages about 14 pounds. They have dark, engaging eyes, black lips, and a medium-length muzzle tipped with a black nose. Their heads are not rounded, but are elongate and somewhat flat.The Coton de Tulear earned its name from its unique, cotton-like hair, and for a port city in Madagascar, Tulear. Its dry, wind-tossed coat is probably the easiest to maintain of any long-haired breed, but it still requires regular grooming. The hair is about four-to-six inches long, dries quickly when wet, and requires relatively little brushing. It sheds very little, and rarely bothers people who suffer from chronic allergies. The coat should NOT be shiny, nor should it touch the ground from the chest or abdominal region.

 There are three handsome color varieties: White (often with champagne color patches); Black-and-white; and Tri-color. A Tri-color adult is mostly white with champagne patches and a faint, irregular "dusting" of black hairs. Black & White Cotons, like the pups pictured above, retain their beautiful color throughout their lives.

Cotons are hearty dogs and, with acclimation, frolic in desert heat and winter snow. However, the Coton is strictly an indoor dog. The breed is extremely healthy, long-lived, and, in the North American population of Cotons. They live about 16 years (15.7 years on average); the oldest survived for almost 19 years. This breed, like any dog breed, has known genetic defects. The CTCA has studied, catalogued and published them for many years. Through our program of genetic triage and information sharing as well as our restrictions on inbreeding -- the ONLY such restrictions in any Coton club -- we have maintained genetic defects in low frequency in our population. This is sound population health management found nowhere else. For hundreds of pages of details about Coton health and genetics, please refer to the CTCA's 1,100-page breed handbook, "The Official Coton de Tulear Book, 2nd Edition".

 Probably the most outstanding characteristic of the Coton de Tulear is its behavior. The Coton is a "companion dog," bred for the pure delight of its intelligent, loving attention to its human family. It is very intelligent, and studies its human family with great care. The Coton is an alert, lively companion, but it is slow to anger. Most Cotons bark seldom, although some will act as alarm clocks and guard dogs. A Coton usually snuggles in the lap or rests close-by like a small, elegant, mohair rug.

Cotons are calm, sturdy dogs, most of whom enjoy the well-intentioned rough-housing of children. Cotons enjoy most household pets including other dogs and cats. A Coton may cock its head attentively when spoken to, smile, and stand or walk on its hind legs to please its human family. Cotons are easily trained.

A Coton quickly becomes a family member and retains a puppy-like joy throughout its long life.

A Brief History of the Breed

 The Coton de Tulear is a member of the Bichon [pronounced "BEE-shawn"] family of dogs. The Bichons (as well as the Poodle and Briard) are descendents of an ancient European breed, the Barbet. A small, short-haired descendent of the Barbet, the "Bichon Tenerife," was introduced to the Canary Islands by the Spanish. The Tenerife gave rise to the modern, Mediterranean Maltese, the French Petit Lion Dog and Bichon Frise, the Italian Bolognese, the South American Havanais, and the Coton de Tulear.

The Tenerife, now extinct, was introduced to the Indian Ocean Islands of Mauritius and Reunion by sailors in the 16th and 17th Centuries. The breed acquired a long, cotton-like coat (perhaps the result of a single mutation) and was known as the "Coton de Reunion." The Coton de Reunion, a valued possession, accompanied merchants, officials, and pirates on their voyages.

 The Coton de Reunion is extinct, but its descendent, the Coton de Tulear, appeared at the pirate and slave-trading port of Tulear, Madagascar, during the 17th Century. Adopted by the ruling Merina ["MARE-in"] tribal monarchy, it quickly became known as "The Royal Dog of Madagascar." During its long development on Madagascar, a native hunting dog -- the Morondava Hunting Dog -- was added to the Coton's ancestry, giving this Bichon-family breed extraordinary soundness and stamina.

The ruling Merina controlled the breed closely. They forbid both coastal tribesmen (85% of the population) and non-noblemen to own a Coton. At the turn of this century, conquering French colonists adopted the Coton as well. Today, usually only social-climbing Malagasy and Frenchmen own a Coton de Tulear.

 The Coton is the "Official Dog of Madagascar," and has been honored on a postage stamp. In 1970, the world-wide French Kennel Club [the FCI] recognized the Coton de Tulear as a rare, pure-breed. Unfortunately, political and economic crises on Madagascar now threaten the Coton with extinction in their native land.

 The Coton is the "Official Dog of Madagascar," and a Tri-Color Coton was honored on a postage stamp in 1974. Since the '70s, the Coton de Tulear has been recognized as a rare, pure-breed dog. Unfortunately, political and economic crises on Madagascar now threaten the Coton with extinction in their native land.

In 1974, three years before Cotons appeared in Europe, Dr. Robert Jay Russell, a biologist studying Madagascar's lemurs, sent Coton breeding stock to America. Dr. Russell's father, J. Lewis Russell, founded Oakshade Kennel in New Jersey, and the breed was enthusiastically received. Articles about it have appeared in many publications including Dog World, Dogs USA, Gentleman's Quarterly, The Robb Report, and The American Express Company Newsletter. The Coton has been featured on ABC's Good Morning America program and has appeared on The David Letterman Show accompanied by actress Glenn Close, a devoted owner.

The Coton was imported into French-speaking Europe (primarily France and Belgium) in 1977. The breed there has taken a very different direction from the breed in Madagascar and North America.

 The Founding Club and Registry is Formed

 Following the creation of a standard for the breed in 1974, the Coton de Tulear Club of America [CTCA] was formed by Dr. Russell in 1976 to maintain the Breed Standard, Pedigrees, Stud Book, History, and Registrations for all Cotons in the Western Hemisphere. The Coton is one of the world's rarest and most desirable dogs. As of August, 2005, nearly 2,000 Coton de Tulear produced by 80 breeders worldwide were registered by the CTCA (in contrast, more than 70,000 Cotons have been produced in Europe since 1977).

In 1988, Laurie Spalding became the Secretary of the club. The CTCA began producing its widely acclaimed quarterly newsletter, the Coton de Tulear News, in 1989. In 1996, the club hosted the first rare breed convention ever: Coton Convention I '96, held April 26-28 in Port Republic, New Jersey. Also in 1996, the club produced the most comprehensive book about a rare breed dog ever published: "The Official Coton de Tulear Book." The CTCA accepts no advertisements, so the club's publications and its assessment of breeders -- the Recommended Breeders List -- remains as candid as possible (for a review of this list, please go to: How to Acquire a Coton). The CTCA has the only enforced breeder's Code of Ethics in the Coton de Tulear world.

 Food recommendation

 ROYALL CANIN (small bread)

EUCANUBA       (small bread)

The puppy must get vaccination tree months old, than again when your puppy will be six months old.