Coton de Tulear

The Coton de Tulear is a small sized dog breed and is originated in the island of Madagascar. It is considered as the national dog of Madagascar Island and is said to be developed using Tenerife dog and a dog from this island.

The Coton de Tulear – Facts, Information and Characteristics :

• The other names for this dog are Coton and ‘Cotie’.
• It is named after its cotton like coat and the city Tulear in Madagascar.
• This breed is classified as the toy group by most of the kennel clubs.
• The Coton de Tulear is hypoallergenic.
• In 1974, tricolor Coton dog was honored with its image on the postage stamp.
• This dog is very cat friendly.
• It makes other dogs as friends in a very short time.
• The temperament of this dog is intelligent, playful and friendly.
• It can be trained easily by the owners and very soon it becomes obedient towards their owners.
• The price of the puppies is very expensive and it is about $1800 to $3500. But the average price may range in between $1000 to $1200.

Appearance :

The Coton de Tulear dog is in small size with black nose and large eyes. The hair of the dog is very soft and the tail is curly. Generally this dog is seen in black and white, white (rarely with tan markings and with champagne highlights), tri color, lemon and white, and grey and white.The coat of the dog is long, free of dander and it resembles like cotton and is said to be hair but not as fur.

As per the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the weight of the male dog is said to be 8.8-13.2 lb (4-6 kg) and the female weighs about 7.7-11 lb (3.5-5 kg). While the height of the male dogs is about 9.8-11.8 inches (25-30 cm) and the female dog height varies from 8.7-10.6 inches (22-27 cm). The Coton de Tulear club of America has different traits for this dog. As per this club, the dog weighs about 11-15 lb (5-6.8 kg) and the height varies from 9-13 inches (23-33 cm). The weight should not exceed 18 lb (8.2 kg) and the Tall Coton dog (rare) is said to be 15-17 inches (38-43 cm) in height.

Behavior :

The Coton is said to be very friendly, intelligent and playful breed of dog. It becomes friendly very soon with all the family members and other pets too. Children love to play with this dog all the time as it is very active all the day. At the time of playing, this dog makes noises and sometimes barks for fun.

Health Issues :

The Coton de Tulear dog is generally healthy but like other dogs it shows some health disorders. The common health issues that trouble this dog are said to be liver shunts, disc and eye problems, and heart related problems. The owners should take proper care and attention for this dog and it is recommended highly to consult the vet in case of any unusual symptoms and emergency.

Diet :

The Coton dog needs a healthy and quality food for its proper growth. So, prepare a schedule for food and feed it accordingly and use clean drinking water. Do not over feed the dog to keep it healthy and fit.

Habitat :

The Coton dog is suitable for the apartment living and it play very actively inside the home. Houses with small fenced-yard will also good for this dog as it loves to play all the day along with the kids.

Lifestyle :

This dog is very active and playful; it requires little exercise daily along with the daily walks. As it is active all the time, it also performs well in dog sports. It likes to swim, run and play most of the times.

Lifecycle :

The Coton dog can give birth to an average of 2 to 5 puppies and at the time of delivering, proper care and attention is recommended highly.

Predators :

As this dog’s size is small, it may attract the other animals whenever it is on for daily walks. So, owners should keep an eye on this dog at most of the times in order to make it safe from its predators.

Breeding :

A proper and sufficient age should be attained by the Coton de Tulear for breeding. A professional breeding is advisable so that it can give birth to healthy puppies.

Images, Pics, Photos and Pictures of Coton de Tulear :

Life Span :

The average lifespan of the Coton de Tulear is about 14 to 16 years. Upon proper care and regular little exercise, this dog can live up to 19 years without any issues.

Grooming :

The brushing and combing should be done regularly for this dog in order to keep it fresh and clean. Bathing should be done occasionally and the old and dead hair should be combed out. Check the ears and clean them regularly.

Shedding :

The Coton dog is little to no hair shedder. Sometimes, in its puppy stage, the puppy coat will be shed by the dog and in the adult stage it sheds very little. Regular grooming is required for the dog and it doesn’t have doggy odor.

Suggestible names for the Coton de Tulear :

• For Males – Hary, Rope, Westie, Doll, Boom
• For Females – Kellie, Frost, Icy, Terry, Hog