Coton de Tulear

Breed Profile

The Coton de Tulear is a rare and ancient pure breed, originating from Madagascar. He is a small white companion dog with fluffy cotton like hair, hence the name “Coton.” Tulear is a port city on the southwestern coast of Madagascar. The standard for the Coton de Tulear was established in 1969 and sbumitted to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 1970. The FCI officially recognized the breed in February 1971. By 1974, the first Cotons were brought to North America and, since the early 1990s, there as been a significant increase in popularity both in the United States and in Canada.

He has a charming personality and maintains a puppy-like temperament throughout his life. In appearance, the Coton looks somewhat like a stuffed animal and has been described as a miniature Old English Sheepdog. He is intelligent, devoted, eager to please, easily trained, calm and sturdy. He is an excellent companion to children and generally gets along well with other dogs and cats.

The Coton will adapt to just about any lifestyle. Known as a bundle of joy with the nickname: “the anti-stress dog.”

There are three different colour varieties: White (often with champagne color patches); Black-and-white; and Tri-colour. A Tri-colour adult is mostly white with champagne patches and a faint dusting of black hairs.
 

Health Issues

The Coton du Tulear breed is healthy, vigorous, and long-lived with an average life expectancy of about 16 years. According to the Coton de Tulear Club of America, the North American population of Cotons have no known genetic defects. However, there have been recent cases of some disorders which have yet to be determined whether they are of a hereditary nature in the Coton breed. These include: Neo-Natal Ataxia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Patellar Luxation, and Dysplasia (Hip and Elbow). For further information, please see the CCTC Health Issues web site.

If you are considering the adoption of a Coton de Tulear puppy, it is very important to be selective in choosing a responsible and reputable breeder, as with any other breed. (For more information on selecting a breeder, see the articles on the General Information page.)

Recommended Health Screening:

For the Coton de Tulear, the CHIC^{NOTE 1} database includes health screenings for:

• Eye Examination by a board Ophthalmologist
• Patellar Luxation
• Hip Dysplasia
• Health Elective (One of the following tests): OFA Cardiac Evaluation; OFA Thyroid Evaluation from an approved laboratory; OFA Evaluation of Von Willebrand’s test from VetGen; OFA Elbow Evaluation

Additional Health Resources:

• Health and Nutrition — Growing section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website which includes information on several health and nutrition related issues.
• Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) — Providing a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy dogs. CHIC is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
• AKC Canine Health Foundation — Working towards developing scientific advances in canine health.
• OFA – Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)
• Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)
• Ontario Veterinary College (OVC)
• University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHip)
• HealthGene — HealthGene Corporation is the leading provider of veterinary DNA diagnostic services in Canada.
• Labgenvet — Laboratory of Veterinary Genetics is a Canadian diagnostic laboratory that offers a comprehensive service of DNA tests for veterinary genetic diseases.

Grooming Information

• Grooming — This section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website includes tips, articles and information covering all aspects of dog grooming along with a listing of Groomers from across Canada.

Training Resources

• Training — For training information, see this growing section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website for tips, articles, as well as listings of training centres across Canada.

Additional Information

• 10 Things to Consider Before Getting a Dog
• Toy Breeds — Selecting the Perfect Pooch
• Euro Bichons — Euro Bichons is Europe’s only Multi-Bichons Breed Community – Bichons Frisé, Havanese, Bolognese, Lowchen, Maltese, Coton Du Tulear.
• Clubs, Sports & Activities — For information on the many sports and activities you can get involved in with your dog.
• Working Dogs — The Working Dogs section of the Canada’s Guide to Dogs website provides information and listings of organizations that are involved in various dog jobs, such as Guide Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police Dogs, Protection Dogs, and much more.

*NOTE 1: CHIC – The Canine Health Information Center “is a database of consolidated health screening results from multiple sources. Co-sponsored by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Health Foundation, CHIC works with parent clubs to identify health screening protocols appropriate for individual breeds. Dogs tested in accordance with the parent club established requirements, that have their results registered and made available in the public domain are issued CHIC numbers.” To learn more, visit: www.caninehealthinfo.org

*NOTE 2: The Fédération Cynologique International (FCI) is the World Canine Organization, which includes 91 members and contract partners (one member per country) that each issue their own pedigrees and train their own judges. The FCI recognizes 344 breeds, with each being the “property” of a specific country. The “owner” countries write the standards of these breeds in co-operation with the Standards and Scientific Commissions of the FCI, and the translation and updating are carried out by the FCI. The FCI is not a breed registry nor does it issue pedigrees.