Coton de Tulear

History of origin

As the legend says, a long time ago, most likely during the great geographical discoveries, a French ship wrecked off the coast of Madagascar, on board of which there were several Maltese lapdogs (small dogs were often taken sailing in order to catch ship rats striving to spoil food supplies for the team). History is silent about what happened to people, but the dogs survived and successfully crossed with local watchdogs. And when, after a long time, a European ship moored to the shores of Madagascar, small, but strong and hardy, and most importantly, incredibly beautiful doggies with wool, color and appearance reminiscent of the most delicate cotton, already lived on the island. Of course, travelers took some of them with them to become the progenitors of the breed now known as Coton de Tulear or Madagascar Bichon.

The combination of exquisite appearance, unpretentiousness, kind-hearted nature and intelligence quickly made these dogs popular. The heyday of the breed came in the 70s of the last century, when it was recognized by all international clubs. Today in Europe and America there are many fans of Cotons, because this is just an ideal dog for a city apartment, but in our country the breed is still little known.

Breed description

At first glance, the Coton de Tulear is very similar to the Bologna, it can even be confused with the Havana or Maltese. They are just as small, but at the same time strong. The head is triangular in shape, the nose is black, the ears are small, set high, hanging, sometimes lost in the total mass of long hanging hair. The eyes are rather large, dark, round, with a cheerful and friendly expression.

The back is straight, the legs are rather short, but proportional, strong. The tail is long and carried mostly down.

Wool is the pride of the breed. “Coton” in translation from many European languages ​​​​means “cotton”, and indeed, the fur coat of these dogs is very reminiscent of perfectly cleaned cotton – the same snow-white, delicate, thin and silky.

The classic color of the Coton de Tulear is white, however, patches of dark gray or fawn on the tips of the ears are not considered a defect.

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Character

You can endlessly list the advantages of coton de tulear, but it is rather difficult to single out the disadvantages. These dogs endlessly love their owners and are ready to follow them absolutely everywhere: for a walk, to the store and even to work. At home, they will not let anyone get bored, and you can always watch their funny tricks. They take part in all household chores, amusingly jumping around the owner, lifting off the ground with all four paws. At the same time, this is by no means a useless “sofa dog”, Coton de Tulear can be an excellent guard. Of course, he is unlikely to be able to scare away the thieves, but he will raise such a commotion that they will not have a single chance to do their dark deed.

But what these Madagascarians categorically cannot stand is loneliness. It is vital for them to constantly be close to a person, otherwise they become depressed and may even get sick. At the same time, the company of other dogs or cats will in no way replace the company of a beloved owner, on the contrary, cats are quite jealous of other animals. Therefore, the breed is ideal for retirees who do not need to go to work every day.

Care and maintenance

Keeping a dog of the Coton de Tulear breed in the house is a real pleasure. They are compact, unpretentious, cheerful and very beautiful. This breed has two difficulties: their fear of loneliness and a wonderful coat. In the first case, the problem is easily solved – with such a small and cute dog, they will be allowed not only to transport, but even to the supermarket, where you can simply put it in a grocery cart or pick it up. The coat needs special care. Firstly, due to the fact that it is very thin and delicate, tangles are easily formed in it, so dogs must be combed out daily with a special brush. But bathing is often impossible, so washing can be replaced, for example, by wiping with special wet wipes. Shearing these dogs is also not recommended – it should be understood that, being natives of one of the hottest places on earth, Coton de Tulear have grown a long fur coat to protect themselves from the hot sun, and having lost it, they risk overheating.

Education and training

There are legends about the mind of these dogs. So, for example, they tell a story about how, in their homeland, Coton de tulears, acting in an organized and coordinated manner, scare away crocodiles. It seems that these dogs understand every word spoken by a person. At the same time, they are not stubborn and do not show feline harm, but readily obey their beloved owner. That’s why they are perfect for all sorts of shows and even circus performances, because Cotons can be taught almost any trick.

However, this does not mean that they are ready to love everything that moves. If the dog has not been socialized from early childhood, it can grow up quite distrustful and even unfriendly towards strangers and other animals, so do not forget that it is necessary to introduce the puppy to the outside world as early as possible.

And don’t think that coton de tulear is a kind of cat in a dog’s clothing, intended only to wallow on pillows. Despite his cute appearance and small size, he still remains a real dog with a whole set of instincts. And if you respect this most natural beginning and treat your furry friend like a serious dog, then the dog will grow up to be controlled, self-confident and full of dignity.

Health and disease

It is impossible to call the Coton de Tulear a sickly breed, but they also have some ailments. For example, it is urolithiasis, which occurs mainly due to malnutrition, heart failure and liver disease. Unfortunately, they often have obesity, which occurs solely through the fault of the owners. Cotons masterfully know how to beg for tidbits from the table, and the owners (especially for children and the elderly) cannot refuse them. As a result, constantly overeating on human food (and this can be sweets), dogs quickly gain weight, become obese, and it entails a bunch of all sorts of ailments. Therefore, it is important to monitor the nutrition of cotons and never go on about them.

Like all white dogs, they are also prone to allergies, so you should not give them chicken meat, and especially the skin.

Word to the breeder

Ann Vischer, breeder from Germany: “They love meeting new people and literally worship their owners. Coton de tulear will love your children and elderly parents, which is why they are often used as therapy dogs to visit nursing homes. There they sit on the laps of old men and women, comforting them and sharing their good mood.

However, do not be deceived by their calmness with the elderly. When it comes to games, Cotons show complete indefatigability. Despite their small stature, they are very strong, muscular and hardy.

Coton is a clown who will amuse the crowd with his ability to walk on his hind legs and other funny antics.

Popular questions and answers

We asked questions about the content of coton de tulear to be answered zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.