Coton de Tulear
What is a Coton de Tulear?
Our goal is to produce a Coton de Tulear that meets the CFC breed standard for the Coton de Tulear breed.
The Coton de Tulear is a rare breed dog originating in Madagascar although they are becoming more popular. They are a sturdy dog in the Toy Class. They stand anywhere between 9 - 11 inches and 9-13 lbs. Of course some may be larger and some smaller but for the most part they are within these ranges.
The Coton de Tulear is a very happy and social dog. Being that they were once a wild dog in Madagascar that traveled in large packs they are genetically predisposed to being a quieter breed. Basically speaking the large pack would draw attention if they were noising bringing unwanted attention from predators, therefore the quiet one survived longer thus being able to procreate.
They are a mid energy breed and love to go for walks, run in the park and play with other dogs and people. Their coat is a beautiful white soft coat resembling that of cotton. Although there is an allowance in the Breed Standard for some grey on the ears or buff markings. The Coton de Tulear is non-shedding breed and considered hypo-allergenic thus allergy sufferers should find that they can tolerate them better than a shedding dog.
Grooming requirements include daily brushings and haircuts. To maintain their long flowing hair they do require regular brushing. Most people tend to keep their hair a little shorter in a "puppy cut" and get them hair cuts every 6 to 8 weeks.
The Coton de Tulear is very well tempered and very social, They are clownlike in their behaviours. You will find that they will get along with everyone. They tend be a little lower energy than a Havanese in comparison as adults. They have never been used for any human purpose other than companionship.
The Coton de Tulear makes for a rare and unique addition to any family and will adapt to many living situations.
Health Testing
Why do we need to health test our dogs?
Our goal is to breed happy, healthy, Coton de Tulear that comply to the CFC Coton de Tulear Breed Standard. We love every puppy we help bring into this world and as such we are committed to each puppy for their lifetime. To ensure that we are doing as much as we can to further improve the Coton de Tulear as a breed, we feel health testing is essential and above all other considerations is of the utmost importance. if we do everything we can to start with healthy parents we can help insure that we will have healthy puppies.
What health tests should a Coton de Tulear dog have completed before breeding?
CAER exam - A test for sight. Blindness can be in one or both eyes. All breeding Coton de Tulear should have a regular CAER exam to verify that there are no ocular disorders present. The Cerf exam should be performed by a licensed Veterinary Ophthalmologist on all breeding dogs. A Havanese that has an ocular disorder in one or both eyes should never be used for breeding
Patellar Luxation - Is a slipping of the knee cap that occurs where the knee cap moves out of its normal position. This can be caused by injury or rapid growth rate and can be more prevalent in some genetic lines. A Coton de Tulear that has Patellar Luxation should not be used for breeding.
Cardiac Function - Normal heart function is of paramount importance in a Coton de Tulear. All breeding Coton de Tulear should be tested for normal cardiac function. All our puppies are also screened for normal cardiac function.
DNA Screening - Disease and trait tests are done on our parent dogs to ensure there are no genetic variants related to a specific disease or trait that could be passed to their offspring. At a minimum we test the following with our Coton de Tulear parent dogs
- Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD) and Chondrodysplasia (CDPA) Chondrodysplasia is a short-legged phenotype characteristic of many dog breeds. Chondrodystrophy, a separate mutation, also includes a short-legged phenotype as well as premature disc degeneration and increased susceptibility to disc herniation.
- Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1 (CMR1) Canine multifocal retinopathy 1 is an inherited eye disease characterized by areas of retinal detachment. The disease does not typically lead to blindness or vision deficits.
- Von Willebrand Disease I (vWD Type 1) Von Willebrand disease I (vWD Type 1), an inherited bleeding disorder, results from a lack or reduced level of a normal blood clotting protein and is characterized by spontaneous hemorrhaging and prolonged bleeding after physical trauma.
Hip Dysplasia - Hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause lameness and arthritis of the joints. All our parents are screened for normal hip function.