He or she weighs around 5kg - 8kgs, and sheds almost none of their coat, making this dog an agreeable & practical household member, often suitable even for people with allergies. Cotons usually enter the world spotted with champagne ears (usually), usually these spots disappear or fade leaving the dog nearly pure white by adulthood. The coat needs regular grooming recommended daily for the full benefit of the dog (only 15 minutes daily to keep the coat in good order & cotter free).

Cotons are extremely good companions for children as long as the child is not too rough with them as puppies. Always ready to play a good game of 'catch me if you can', ball games and even hide and seek. The Coton will eagerly follow the children on many adventures and, yes, even through puddles.

The name Coton de Tulear means "coton of Tulear" referring to the dry cotton coat characteristic of the dog, and to Tulear, the port city on the Malagasy coast.

The coton came from other white dogs that were bred as companions to the sailors who roamed the oceans of the world. According to history and legend of the breed, some dogs escaped or were shipwrecked and became wild on the island and mated with the islands own wild dogs around the 15th century. These dogs were domesticated once again and eventually became known as the Royal dog of Madagascar because only nobility were allowed to own them. French colonists also became owners of Cotons and payed a great deal of money to buy and take this very rare breed to Europe in the 70's for breeding. The Coton is still a very rare and pure breed to this day and still cost a lot of money.

Attributes of a coton - Healthy, Clownish, Happy, Beautiful, Affectionate, Non-shedding, compact size, Easily to train, Loyal, No" doggy odour", Child friendly,

The coton is very wary of strangers and takes a while to get to know people. Once a coton knows that a person is acceptable to its owner, he, too will generally accept the newcomer. Within its family the Coton is a beautiful and spirited little creature. They are elegant because of their beauty and their charming, loving playful personalities. Cotons contain a puppy-like joy all through its life willing to play with toys even when its 14 years old, but also if you are tired and don't want to play the Coton is just as happy to lie beside you and sleep.

Exercise
Activity-wise they are remarkably versatile. Cotons make an ideal apartment dog, content to spend most of the day lounging, interspersed with a few energetic runs around the dining room table. The Coton can fit into nearly anyones life style if they are willing to spend the time and energy on them.

Grooming
Grooming is very easy until the puppy gets to 9 months old, once its adult coat starts to come through the matting begins, it is essential to groom the puppy for 20 minutes every day so that when its adult coat comes it is used to being groomed. At 18 months the coat is all the way through, depending on if you wish to show your dog the coat cannot be cut. If the dog is just a pet then the coat can be cut to about 2 inches all over so that its easier to groom. I recomend that you groom your Coton for 15 minutes every morning & every night this prevents cotters and I find its alot easier to keep the coat in beautiful condition.

Cotons were developed as a breed to be companions to people. They thrive on human contact, becoming totally devoted to the members of their family. Cotons are usually very quiet dogs who will only bark if there is someone knocking at your door. My Coton is very quiet, but lets me know if the postman has come or there is someone lerking out doors.