History
Coton de Tulear originate in Madagascar. Madagascar is an island off the coast of Africa. Madagascar is home to a great diversity of wildlife as it is its own little ecosystem.
Madagascar was not inhabited by humans until well after the rest of the world. Earlier studies say humans arrived about 2,500 years ago, newer studies suggest 11,000 years ago. Either way, that’s significantly less than the two million years ago that humans roamed Africa.
The settlers of Madagascar came from Indonesia and later East Africa on boats – because, you know, island. When people came, what did they bring? Dogs!! They didn’t find wild dogs on the island, they brought their own to help with hunting or for companionship (or maybe food in the early days when trying to survive).
These dogs were just like my Ghanaian dog. They were sleek, short haired, medium sized, muscular working dogs.
Once the world got moving a little more and big ships could travel vast distances, Madagascar started getting trade opportunities- with the Europeans.
These Europeans also knew the usefulness of their four legged friends. They brought fluffy little white dogs on board for companionship and maybe to catch any mice or rats that tried to tag along.
Somehow these fluffy white dogs made landfall in Madagascar and decided to stay. Stories tell of a shipwreck but we don’t know the true tale. Either way Madagascar was now home to fluffy white dogs.
These bichon type dogs were taken in by the locals and likely mixed with the local dog population and we arrived at the Coton de Tulear. This breed was declared the national dog of Madagascar and only the royal families held them.
Around the 1970s, a few foreigners brought some Cotons off the island and this is where the lines in Europe, America, and the rest of the world originate.
Physical attributes
While there are a few different standards, I follow the AKC standards.
AKC standards call for a “ hardy, sturdy small white companion dog. The breed is endowed with a bright intelligence, is gay and energetic, and at times boisterous but never demanding. The Coton de Tulear is naturally clownish and lighthearted, as well as calm and easygoing. The breed possesses a remarkable gentle, sympathetic awareness to those around and is known for expressing unique vocalizations. … The Coton de Tulear is characterized by a natural long, white, dry, profuse, cotton-like coat, rounded lively dark eyes, black on white “joie de vivre” expressive smile and witty personality. The breed is somewhat longer than tall.”
Their weight ranges from 8-15 pounds and their height is 9-11 inches. They are primarily white, but often are born with black or brown ears that fade over time.
Coton de Tulear 