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Coton De Tulear: Characteristics, Grooming, Health, Training

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About Coton Tulear

Country of Origin, History of Coton Tulears

Madagascar is the country of origin of the Coton Tulear. It is presumed that in the 16th century sailors had brought the ancestors of the Coton to the port city of Tulear (present day Toliara) in Madagascar from Spain and Portugal. It is opined that the Coton is related to the Bichon dog family.

The breed had become virtually unknown over the course of time and has been reintroduced to Europe and America in the last 20 years. Even then however the Coton remained a favorite companion of the wealthy residents of Tulear (Southern Madagascar) for centuries.

Coton Tulear Tools

Breed Selector Tool - is the Coton Tulear the right breed for you?

Is the Coton Tulear the right breed for you and your family?

Find out by using our Free Dog Breed Selector Tool

Check Your Coton Tulear's Learning Style

Are you aware dogs also have a learning style that can greatly affect their ability to housetrain as well as be trained correctly. Evaluate your Coton Tulear's learning style and personality using our free Learning Style tool so that you are better able to provide him with the proper Coton Tulear training methods.

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Coton Tulear Calorie Calculator

Do you know how many calories your Coton Tulear needs every day and how many cups of food you should be giving it every day? Click here to use our Coton Tulear Calorie Calculator.

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Description of the Dog

‘Coton’ is the French equivalent of cotton. The most conspicuous feature of the Coton de Tulear is its cottony or fluffy coat for which it has got its name. The dog has a long topcoat. Its fluffy hair covers its thin forelegs and hind legs too alongside nearly the whole of the dog’s body. The ears are fluffy too. They are set high, triangular in shape and hang down alongside the face. Some dogs have slightly yellowish markings on their ears. The dogs are colored either white or black and white. The breeders prefer the pure white colored dogs.

The dog’s muzzle is straight and leads into facial features that are dark and prominent and are all set against profuse hair. The neck is strong and slightly arched. There is no dewlap on the neck. The dogs have a lively, intelligent, bright and merry expression. Though small the breed is well developed and strong. The feet are small and arched and usually have black pads. The tail is set low and is tapering. As the dog moves the tail curls and is carried over its back.

Height

Male: 10-12 inches tall
Female: 8.5-10.5 inches

Weight

Male: 9-15 lbs
Female: 9-13lbs.

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Coton Tulear Personality Traits

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Temperament of the Dog

Coton de Tulear dogs are friendly, affectionate and gentle. They are also very intelligent, playful and alert. These are sociable dogs that get along very well with children and other pets (including dogs). They are very attached to their owners and their homes. They stay eager to please their owners always with tricks and surprises. Some Cotons have the habit of walking on their hind legs. They do so to please people around them.

The Coton is a quick learner. It responds well to training. It does not have a mind of its own. It does as it is trained to do. Since the dog loves to please people it is easier to train it with praise rather than with punishment. However, the dog can be a little stubborn at times and may not housebreak easily.

Coton dogs usually love meeting new people and stay curious about strangers. However, some dogs exhibit shyness or cautiousness in new situations. With proper training the dog usually overcomes such shyness or cautiousness.

Coton Tulaer dogs are vocal animals. They grunt, bark and make other noises for having fun or otherwise. However, the nature of barking and staying alert goes a long way to make the Coton excellent as a watchdog.

Living Conditions

Coton Tulear dogs can become well –suited to apartment life. The dogs remain active even while being indoors. Hence they get enough exercise even while remaining at home. Though a small yard may be set for them to stay and move around they may even do fine without it.

Coton Tulear Activity Level

Exercise Needs

Being physically very active the dogs get the exercise necessary for them even while staying indoors. However, they enjoy accompanying their owners for long runs or walks. The dogs enjoy swimming too. Coton Tulear dogs have been known to follow their masters on horseback for many miles. The dogs may be engaged in various dog sports like agility skills trials and catch. It is best if the dogs are taken out at least for a walk everyday apart from being provided other exercising opportunities.

Grooming

The dog has long, light-textured hair. The loose dead hair needs to be brushed and combed out regularly. There may be excess hair between the pads of the feet and the inner ears. These need to be removed. Time to time trimming of the coat will also help keep it healthier. However, one must not scissor the coat. Washing of the dog should be restricted to only twice a year.

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Free Coton Tulear Training Secrets

Free Course on Coton Tulear Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

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Health and Care

The breed has not been known to be prone to any particular health-related concerns or issues. In general these are healthy dogs. Some dogs however had been reported to develop stomach issues.

National Breed Clubs

National Breed Clubs

British – Coton De Tulear Club of the United Kingdom

US – United States of America Coton de Tulear Club, Coton de Tulear Club of America, American Coton Club, AKC contact

Group: Non-Sporting Group

AKC Popularity Ranking: 81

Also Known As: Coton Tulear. Its nickname is Coton.

Train Your Coton Tulear To Listen To You

Get Instant Access to Your Training Now - For Free

Sign up for our Free Coton Tulear Mini Course to have a housebroken, obedient dog that happily comes to you every time you call.

You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.

You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:

  • How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.

  • 3 dangerous mistakes that most Coton owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.

  • The 2 main reasons why your dog barks excessively and how to control its excessive barking.

  • How to obedience train your Coton Tulear to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.

  • A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.

  • How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.

  • Getting Pro help fast - how to get access to our expert trainers when you need them most.

  • One hidden psychological trigger that all Coton Tulears have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.

  • Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.

Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Coton information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Cotons have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.

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Our Dog Experts

The Coton Tulear training information you will read here was developed by a panel of renowned dog training experts whose combined wisdom represents nearly 100 years of specialist experience training dogs.

Here are a few of our experts:

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