Fun Coton De Tulear Facts For Kids

Do you want to know about one of the cutest dogs ever? Then Coton de Tulear is the breed you are looking for.

These dogs are the best companion you can have. They come in white or black color with the softest cottony coat. They are usually long-haired, but a Coton de Tulear haircut isn't bad either as they look gorgeous with short hair too.

Also, their coat may need more than a normal amount of grooming, but their cuteness is worth everything. These dogs have a happy and calm personality. On the one hand, they are very playful, and on the other, they sometimes want to stay as lap dogs too.

They love their humans more than anything and become friends with everyone very fast. All in all, these dogs can light up your entire house if they are present in there.

Read on if you need to know more about the dog breed. If you like this article, then check out the pocket pitbull and the lab chow mix.

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Coton de Tulear Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Coton De Tulear?

Coton de Tulear is a kind of non-sporting dog that is known for its cotton-like fur.

What class of animal does a Coton De Tulear belong to?

Coton de Tulear belongs to the Mammalia class of animals.

How many Coton De Tulears are there in the world?

Due to its popularity worldwide, the exact population of Coton De Tulears is not known. Coton de Tulear originated in Madagascar, on the island of Tulear.

These dogs were first discovered by the French, after which they became popular worldwide. The dogs have been recognized internationally by the International Canine Federation.

Other than that, it has also been recognized by the American Kennel Club of the US, the Kennel Club of the UK, the French National Kennel Club of France, and many other clubs or minor federations and more.

Though the breed is not recognized by the Australian Kennel Union and the New Zealand Kennel Club, it still is pretty famous worldwide.

Where does a Coton De Tulear live?

Coton de Tulear first originated on the island of Tulear of Madagascar, where these dogs were lapdogs of the nobles of the region. Even though the island is close to the coast of Africa, the people of the island are more related to Indonesia.

The inhabitants had a relation with the French due to the colonial rule the French had. Many people on the island speak French to this day. Hence, the accent on the name of the dog.

The dogs were prohibited from staying with the common people on the island. The nobles were the ones making these laws.

They also didn't even let the breed out of the country. Even though there is a story of shipwreck and the dogs swimming to the shore to survive and thus spreading across the world, the real story might be with French tourists discovering the breed.

Since then, the official Kennel Club of France has registered and recognized the breed. Now, many more Kennel Clubs of the world have registered the breed officially, and they are known to live with their humans all over the world.

What is a Coton De Tulear's habitat?

According to information from the American Kennel Club, the Coton De Tulear once lived in the wilderness. But they were discovered by the people of the Merina tribe and the Malagasy people.

Since then, they have been living with only the nobles of the regions as the royal dog of Madagascar.

While they were later discovered by the French people and then spread across the world, they still live with their humans in households, and they are treated more and more like lapdogs. The dogs are not seen in the wilderness.

Who does Coton De Tulears live with?

In the beginning, the Coton de Tulears lived in packs when they used to live in the wilderness. But long back, these dogs were discovered by the Merina tribe people and the Malagasy people.

Since then, they have lived with humans, mainly with the nobles among the people of wherever they went. The nobles were so possessive over these dogs that they made laws to prohibit commoners from owning these dogs.

They didn't let them out of the country either, till some French tourists discovered them. These dogs lived in such isolation till the 1960s.

Nowadays, they can be seen living with all. Once they get to know people, even new people will probably get licked and kissed by them until the dogs are happy.

They not only get along with others from their own breed, but they also get along with other dogs too. They can be quick friends with other animals like cats too.

They have a moderate energy level and are non-sporting but playful. So, if they don't see their owners anywhere around, they would happily play along with other animals.

They have low prey drive to almost no prey drive. So, for the royal dog of Madagascar, living in a house with many other animals is not uncommon.

How long does a Coton De Tulear live?

The biggest threats to any domesticated dog are either injuries or diseases.

In the case of diseases, the Coton de Tulear is more of a healthy breed of dog, but still, there are some breed-related health problems that affect their lifespan. When the breed used to only stay with the nobles of Madagascar, their selective breeding made the breed pretty perfect.

Still, these dogs have a very small breeding pool that possesses the risk of mutations.

Although, till now, genetic health issues have been seen in only about 1-5% of dogs among the breed.

According to The United States of America Coton de Tulear Club, the health issues that all the owners and breeders should look out for are hip-related issues, such as hip dysplasia; patella related problems, such as patella luxation; cardiac issues, such as degenerative valve disease; eye problems.

All these issues contribute to reducing the life span.

The health issues might not be too common in every dog, but it doesn't hurt to stay cautious. Another thing to look out for is injuries. If your Coton de Tulear is free of health problems or as such, they will have a life span of around 15 - 19 years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding of Coton de Tulears either happens at the breeders or at home where they live. If you do decide to breed your Coton de Tulear, then there are a few things that are necessary to know beforehand.

Both the parents should be fully healthy. These dogs are prone to hip, eye, cardiac, and patella-related problems.

So, test the parents for any health issues which might be passed on to the pups. The second thing to look out for would be any issues with their temperament.

These dogs are known for being affectionate, loyal, non-sporting, intelligent, playful, vocal, and easily trainable. So, if your Coton de Tulear behaves out of the ordinary, then take them to your vet and know the reason, but it's better not to breed them as the temperament issue might pass on to the pups.

The dogs should not be taken for breeding until they are at least two years of age. For the female, they should not be taken for breeding until they have had three or four heat cycles.

Frequent breeding should not be done as it affects the health of the dogs. The ideal number is once a year but also not for many years. Coton de Tulears usually give birth to between four and six puppies in one litter.

What is their conservation status?

Coton de Tulears at one time lived only within the borders of Madagascar. Since then, they have spread across oceans and continents, and now they live across the world.

But as they are bred in households and at the breeders, keeping track of them is pretty hard. Hence, the conservation status of the dogs is Not Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

However, we do know that this is a very rare breed. They are such a rare breed that, at a few points in history, they were on the verge of extinction.

The situation is not the same anymore due to the increase in the number of breeding. But it has also created careless breeding, which leads to an increase in health issues among the breed too.

Coton De Tulear Fun Facts

What does Coton De Tulears look like?

Coton de Tulears are a small breed of dog. They are lively and look happy all the time. They have a hard-built body along with their cotton-like coat.

These dogs have three different colors of coats according to the breed standards set by the breed federations. The colors are black, white and tricolor. But the most common color coat of the dogs is white.

The coat is usually long and dry. They have dark rounded eyes full of spark and a black nose.

But most of the time, the muzzle is covered with their hair. You can even cut their hair short for ease of grooming. Their tail is curved over their back except for the time when they are at rest.

They lower their tail when resting with just the tip of the tail curved a little. These dogs are intelligent, and they definitely show off that personality through their looks. Overall, you might just mistake them for a cute toy.

How cute are they?

These dogs look like small stuffed toys if you first look at them. Their characteristics only add to their cuteness. These dogs are affectionate.

The ancestors of today's Coton de Tulears used to be lap dogs. Their habit stays the same to this day. It can be quite adorable when these dogs come to you asking for cuddles.

They are lively and will be looking to you many times a day to play with him. These habits, along with their white softer than the air coat, make them the most adorable creatures on earth. When you see them wiggling their tails in happiness, we are sure it will just melt your heart.

How do they communicate?

Every dog has their own language that they speak with its owner. They have some distinctive behavioral traits that are exclusive to dogs.

Other than that, all dogs have some common way of communicating, which is through body language and is essential for every dog owner to know.

A few examples of these are, sometimes you might see your dog crouching with their tails between their legs, shivering a little, or barking a little, it's probably because they are feeling stressed.

If you see your dog has its ears up, standing or sitting in a stiff way with its tail up and its eyes are sharp, then it's probably because your dog is suspicious of something or someone.

When your dog is in a frozen pose, have their head tilted, and when their eyes are intense, they are probably confused. Other than these generalized ways of communication, Coton de Tulears bark quite an amount.

Whenever they see or hear something strange, they have a habit of barking.

This might become a problem for everyone if the habit stays with them. Owners need to train them from when they are very young.

How big is a Coton De Tulear?

Coton de Tulears are small-sized dogs.

Among them, the males of the species can grow up to be 10 - 11 in (25.4 - 27.9 cm), and the females of the species can grow up to be 9 to 10 in (22.9 to 25.4 cm) in height when they are standing.

Generally, the average height of small-sized dogs is 5.9 - 43.3 in (15 to 110 cm) when standing.

They are slightly bigger in size than the Pomeranians, who stand about 6 to 7 in (15.2 - 17.8 cm) tall, and they are a bit smaller than English Cocker Spaniels, who stand about 15 - 17 in (38.1 - 43.1 cm) tall.

A fact to note would be that Coton de Tulear, Pomeranian, and English Cocker Spaniel are all small-sized dogs.

How fast can a Coton De Tulear run?

Coton de Tulear is a relatively small breed of dog. Their body features are according to that.

They have small legs which don't give them the ability to run too fast or too far for a very long time. An adult of the species is able to run about two miles or 3.2 km at one go but with breaks in the middle. Hence, they are not suitable for dog sports.

How much does a Coton De Tulear weigh?

Among the Coton de Tulear, the males of the breed weigh about 9 to 15 lb (4 to 6.8 kg), and the females of the breed weigh about 8 to 13 lb (3.6 to 5.9 kg). Be cautious that the weight of your dog stays between this range.

If it's less, they may need more nutrients, and if it's more, its chances of obesity increase.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The males of the species are called dogs, and the females of the species are called bitches.

What would you call a baby Coton De Tulear?

The baby of any dog is called puppies or pups. So, the babies of a Coton de Tulear would be called Coton de Tulear puppies or Coton de Tulear pups.

What do they eat?

Food consumption is different for every dog like it is for humans. But in a generalized way, all dogs should be given food according to a few conditions.

The conditions are their size, their activity level, and their age. According to their age, it depends on how many times food should be given and what kind of food be given to your dog.

Dogs go through three phases in their lifetime - puppy, adulthood, and senior. Give your Coton de Tulear puppy meals three to four times a day.

When they grow up, giving them meals two times a day is alright, but there shouldn't be a 12-hour gap. Next, in terms of activity level, Coton de Tulear might have stayed as a lapdog for the better part of their history, but they are a lively bunch.

They like to play around.

So, giving them food that has enough calories to keep them fit to play around is necessary. Lastly, Coton de Tulears are small-sized dogs, so, only the amount of food they need should be given.

If you are giving your dog commercial food, then go for good quality dog food that will help your dog get all the nutrients and grow. Other than that, tailor-made food by the vet is also acceptable.

But, their food should be balanced in all the nutrients. Such as, their food should consist of a properly balanced amount of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, protein, and good fat.

Are they slobbery?

Drooling is completely normal among dog breeds. All the dogs drool more or less, and you need to understand why they drool to know if your dog is drooling out of the usual amount.

Dogs can drool when they have run quite an amount of distance, or they might drool when the weather is hot. They might even drool when they sense their food is somewhere near.

In the case of Coton de Tulear, they drool very little. They might kiss you a lot to show you affection, but other than that, they don't drool too much. So, if you see your Coton de Tulear drooling too much, then the right thing to do would be to go to your nearest vet.

These dogs also don't shed too much and don't have a strong smell. So, your house can stay squeaky clean.

Would they make a good pet?

Different breeds of dogs make different kinds of companions and whether they would be good for you or not depends entirely upon the requirements of the owner. If a policeman is looking for a kind of dog who would give them company when they are patrolling any area, then dogs like Anatolian Shepherds would be perfect for them.

If someone is looking for a laid-back couch potato dog, then dogs like the bullmastiff would be perfect for them. In the case of Coton de Tulears, they are excellent family dogs.

They are loyal, affectionate, non-sporting, lively, playful, and intelligent. They will love you to death and might kiss you to death, too, at times.

But that doesn't mean that they will ask for your attention continuously. They can play with other animals in the house too.

They don't mind being with other animals like cats or other dogs. They are good around children.

In fact, the energy that children have will go into these dogs while playing with each other.

They are intelligent too. Whenever they sense something that is new or strange to them, they will let you know.

On top of these facts, they don't shed or drool too much. If given proper training, they will not bark a lot, and on a bonus note, these dogs are hypoallergenic.

So, we can safely say that if you're looking for a dog to play with but who will not hesitate to also ask to rest on your lap or cuddle with you at times, too, then a Coton de Tulear would be the perfect dog for you. Their fluffy coat makes them even cuter.

They are not runners, so if you are someone into dog sports, they may not be the best choice of a pet. Many breeders mention that running is not their strength.

However, there is no comparison of this dog breed with any other when it comes to being friendly. They also love walking on their hind legs, as per many owners, but breeders say that this could affect their hind legs in the long run.

Did you know...

The Coton de Tulears have a few nicknames. Such as, Cotons or Cotie. They are also called 'Anti-stress' dogs in France.

But the best they have been called is the 'Royal Dog of Madagascar'. The anti-stress moniker may also be related to their friendly nature that makes them an ideal pet and companion. So, if you are looking for a great friendly pet, then they can show their love to you.

The dog got its name for two different reasons. They got the first part of their name 'Coton' because of their softer than air cotton-like coat, and they got the second part of their name 'Tulear' from the place they originated from.

The Coton's coat is not like any other dog. It's dry and soft, just like cotton. Their cotton-like coat is due to a genetic mutation. It's said that the mutation may have happened when they were first bred.

This cotton-like coat of these little white dogs needs proper grooming as when they start shedding; the hairs may get stuck between the long hairs. If the coat grooming session is done properly and regularly, the stuck hair will get removed. Otherwise, you might have to shave the dog coat entirely if it gets too bad.

The story of the origin of these dogs is pretty interesting. It is said that Bichon Tenerife dogs came to the country of Madagascar in the 16th and 17th century by pirate ships, and when one of the Bichon Frise bred with a native dog, the Cotons were born.

In Madagascar, the picture of these dogs was put on postage stamps. It can still be seen today. No wonder they are called the Royal Dog of Madagascar.

Females of the species are much more independent than the males of the species, and they can be seen to dominate over the males at times.

How to pronounce Coton De Tulear?

The name Coton de Tulear has a French accent due to the relation the people of Madagascar had with French people. So, it would be pretty difficult to pronounce the name for someone who doesn't know the French language.

The phonetic pronunciation of the name would be Cah-ton de Tu-lay-ahr for the US. However, for the French, it should be pronounced as Coo-Ton (nasal) de Tuy-lay-ah.

Getting your own Coton De Tulear

Before you get fascinated by the white coat of this friendly dog and rush off to get a Coton de Tulear for yourself or your children, you should know their temperament, how much time you will have to spend caring for them, grooming their coat, understanding them and many more other things.

This dog breed makes beautiful and strong bonds with its owners and the other family members, even the children.

No wonder the dog breed is a perfect companion pet for most families. They might be OK with you going for a while, but they won't be able to stay away for too long.

So, you need to keep that in mind whenever you go out of the home.

A Coton de Tulear is also very smart, so it will be easy to train. They are a calm and happy breed.

So, it is advised that they should not be trained too harshly.

They do respond pretty well to praise, and you can even use food as a reward but look out for the amount as too much of it might lead to obesity. Positive reinforcement in the form of treats can make the dog easy to train, but you need to keep an eye on their health too.

While they may be easy to train, they need socialization too. Socialization means helping the puppy identify new people so that when they become adults, they would not bark or be wary of any human being.

So, this white coat puppy can only turn out to be an effortless pet companion as an adult with proper socialization training.

They will also need owners to take them outside to meet with other people (including children from a safe distance), animals, sights, and more from a young age to get them accustomed. Their healthy growth and happiness also depend on these things.

Knowing these, if you are ready to adopt your own Coton de Tulear puppy, we would suggest that you first go to the shelters and adopt a puppy that would benefit from your help. If you want to go to a breeder, then find a good one and don't buy a puppy from any puppy mill.

Puppies from puppy mills may not have proper health documentation, and such puppies can turn unhealthy when they grow into an adult. Coton de Tulears cost about $2000 to $3000 USD.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the pitbull chihuahua mix and the cheagle.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Coton de Tulear coloring pages.