Coton de Tuléar
Originally kept by the Merina people, the Coton de Tuléar was once known as the Royal Dog of Madagascar. A favorite of the noble and wealthy, they have always been kept solely as a companion animal. Their name derives from the French word for cotton and the Madagascan port of Tuléar.
The Coton de Tuléar is one of several breeds in the bichon family of dogs. The others being the Bichon Frisé, Bolognese, Havanese, Maltese, Löwchen, and Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka.
The Coton de Tuléar is one of several breeds in the bichon family of dogs. The others being the Bichon Frisé, Bolognese, Havanese, Maltese, Löwchen, and Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka.
Coton de Tuléar Standards
- 10-12"
- 12-15 lbs
- small bichon breed
- ears are set high, triangular and pendulous
- tail is long, carried over back when moving
- coat is dense and soft, textured like cotton, may be very slightly wavy
- solid white
- white with grey markings (ears only)
- white with light tan markings
History of the Coton de Tuléar
It is believed the ancestors of the Coton de Tuléar first arrived on Madagascar in the 17th century on trading ships from the small island of Reunion. Both islands reside in the Indian Ocean, with Reunion located 500 miles east of Madagascar. These dogs were the extinct Coton de Reunion, whose own ancestors are thought to be either the Bichon Tenerife, Bichon Frisé, or a combination of the two. It matters little as both dogs were similar and likely came from the same root stock.
Alternatively, there are legends of bichon-type dogs swimming to shore after their ship wrecked. All humans on board (either French or Spanish depending on the tale) had perished. This theory seems little more than fancy as there are no records or facts to support it.
Once on the island, the bichons were crossed with local dogs due to having a small foundation stock and breeding unregulated. The little dogs became popular with the noble families and they jealously guarded the bloodline. Laws were passed to prohibit ownership to the common people. Few were allowed to leave the island which caused them to begin to breed true in isolation. The Coton de Tuléar became rediscovered in the middle of the 20th century by Europeans who were able to take a few back to the mainland. It is from those dogs that a solid breeding program was developed and by 1970 they had gained Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognition.
Related Breeds: