Coton De Tulear

hypoallergenic Coton de Tulear

Quick Facts

OriginMadagascar

Height: F: 9”-10”, M: 10″-11″ 

Weight: F: 8-13 lbs, M: 9-15 lbs

Color: White – potential gray or yellow markings

Lifespan15-19 years

Temperament: Devoted, cheerful, easygoing

 

Overview

The Coton de Tulear (coe-TAWN day TULE-ee-r) is also known as The Royal Dog of Madagascar, the Coton, and the Cotie. Whichever you prefer, you will come to love this loving, spirited little companion. That is, if you can find one.

But if you are lucky enough to call one your own, you will find they are wonderful with children, even enjoying goodhearted rough housing, easy to train, and especially laid back and gentle.

Cotons are named for their coats which are as soft as cotton. These coats require some maintenance, but it will be worth it. Cotons do not require excessive exercise. They do not like being left alone for long periods of time. If you are someone who spends lots of time away, your pup will do better if there is another pup to keep it company.

Celebrity Owners

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Debra Messing, Barbara Streisand, Jane Fonda

Fun Facts

  1. Cotons have faced extinction during several periods of history. This has led to reckless breeding practices to increase the population. As a result, this breed now faces many occurrences of breed mutations.

Health

Especially with rare breeds, make sure you are going to a reputable breeder that will supply you with all the necessary screening from the parent pups.

Cotons are susceptible to:

  • Progressive retinal atrophy: Atrophy is a wearing or wasting away of a body part. In this case, it is the retina in the eye, which eventually leads to blindness.
  • Hip dysplasia: This condition is when the socket joint in the hip isn’t large enough, or more often too shallow, for the femoral head.
  • Patellar luxation: Luxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
  • Heart problems: There’s a myriad of causes of heart disease in dogs. Age, health and nutrition all play a vital role. With 95% of heart diseases coming in small dog breeds who are 5 years or older, thinking about preventative care and coverage is smart to do.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.

Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.

Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.

Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.

Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:

  1. Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
  2. Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
  3. Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
  4. Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
  5. At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.

Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.

Are You Covered When Your Pup Gets Sick?

Grooming

Cotons soft coat needs to be brushed at least 3 times per week. Whether you are using a pin brush or a comb make sure to gently work all the way to the skin lest the hair there begins to tangle.

You will want to use a spray conditioner to ensure tangles come out easily and you do not pull your pup’s hair. When you are working towards the face, ears, and other sensitive areas, be aware of being gentler.

Unless your pup is getting dirty, bathing can be relatively infrequent. Pat your pup dry with a towel. Keep an eye on your pup’s ears, regularly making sure they are clean and free of debris. Keep nails clipped short and brush your pup’s teeth several times a week.

Cost

$2,000 – $4,000

Exercise

Cotons require minimal exercise. Slow paced walks and playing fetch should keep your pup happy and healthy. Like many pups, Cotons can become destructive if they do not have an outlet for their energy.

Somewhere around 60 minutes of activity per day should suffice.

Nutrition

Cotons typically eat ¾ cup of food per day. Your pup’s exact requirement will vary based on age, size and activity level. As will all small dogs it is essential to monitor how many treats your pup is having each day. As a little bit can go a long way towards weight gain.

 

Their small frames suffer from too much weight. Premium dog foods can set your pup up for success.

Are You Feeding Your Dog The Best Food?

Training

As with all dogs it is imperative to socialize your pup with humans and other pups as early as possible. Cotons that are socialized early will be wonderful with children, other dogs and even strangers. Without socialization, these pups can become territorial.

Avoid harsh training techniques and keep your sessions lively and full of positive reinforcement methods. Your pup will thrive. Cotons make wonderful therapy dogs.

Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pups life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!

Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.

Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.

The Best Dog Vitamins and Supplements To Keep Your Pup Healthy. Period.

Supplements

A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.

Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.

Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.

Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.

Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.

As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.

Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.

Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.

Have You Tried CBD For You Dog's Health?

The Good

  • Wonderful with children
  • Good with other pets
  • Low tendancy to bark

The "Ruff"

  • Can develop separation anxiety
  • Rare and somewhat difficult to find

Annual Vet Bills: $1,500+

Be Prepared for the unexpected.