The Coton de Tuléar originates from the island of Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island. Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean, southeast of the cost of Africa. Tuléar is a port city on the southwestern coast of Madagascar. Ships frequently sailed to the West Indies, around Africa’s Good Hope Cape into the Mozambique Channel to the Indian Ocean. These voyages were often long, boring and the sailors’ (or pirates’) quality of life very poor. As a result, spirited little white dogs often accompanied them as companions and to kill the rats aboard ship. History states that there were violent storms that shipwrecked vessels off Madagascar around the 15th century. Speculation suggests that the sailors perished, but the little white Bichon-like companion dogs made it to shore and settled on the island. It is probable that these dogs mated with wild dogs on Madagascar and the Coton evolved. They had to be strong, courageous and forage for food to survive. They learned how to protect themselves cunningly against bigger predators. The natives fell in love with these little dogs, domesticated them and offered them as gifts to the King and the Merino nobles.

Due to their charming personalities, and adorable appearance, the Coton soon became the favorite of Kings and nobles. In the 17th century it was forbidden that anyone other than royalty own the breed. Even today there is a law restricting the ownership of a Coton to anyone other that the very wealthy in Madagascar. The Coton became known as the "Royal Dog of Madagascar". The Coton is the "Official Dog of Madagascar" and has been honored on their postage stamp.

They became officially recognized in 1970 but the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in France. This was also the time that the first Cotons came to North America. The United Kennel Club recognized the Coton de Tuléar on January 1, 1996. While has been discussion of the AKC recognizing the Coton, most Coton lovers are opposed for fear that the Coton will become over bred, or less selectively bred contributing to diseases. Currently, the Coton has few if any generic disorders.

Federation Cynologique Inernational Standard of the Coton de Tuléar 9/11/1995

ORIGIN: Madagascar

UTILIZATION: Companion Dog

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: Introduced in France long before its official recognition in 1970, this newcomer from Madagascar quickly acquired a prominent position amongst the small dogs. His fame has spread all over the world.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Small, long-haired companion dog with a white cotton textured coat, with round, dark eyes and a lively, intelligent expression.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Ratio of height at the withers to the length of the body is 2 to 3. Ratio of length of the head to length of the body is 2 to 5. Ratio of the length of the skull to that of the muzzle is 9 to 5.

BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERMENT: Of a happy temperament, stable, very sociable with humans and with other dogs; it adapts perfectly to all ways of life. The temperament of the Coton de Tuléar is one of the main characteristics of the breed.

HEAD: Short and seen from above as triangular.

CRANIAL REGION Skull: Seen from the front slightly rounded; rather wide in relation to its length. Superciliary arches only slightly developed. Slight frontal groove. Occipital protuberance and crest only slightly accentuated. Well developed zygonmatic arches. Stop: Slight

FACIAL REGION Nose: In the extension of the nasal bridges; black; dark brown is tolerated; nostrils wide open. Muzzell: Straight Lips: Fine, tight, of the same color as the nose Jaws and Teeth: Teeth are well aligned. Sissor bite, pincer bite or inverted bite without losing contact. The absence of PMIs is not penalized; the M3s are not taken into consideration. Cheeks: Lean Eyes: Rather rounded, dark, lively, wide apart; the rims of the eyelids are well pigmented with black or brown according to the color of the nose. Ears: Pendulous, triangular, high set on the skull, fine at the tips; carried close to the cheeks, reaching the corners of the lips. Covered with white hairs or with some traces of light grey (mixture of white and black hairs giving a light grey appearance) or red-roan (mixture of white and fawn hairs giving a red- roan appearance- lemon).

NECK: Well muscled, slightly arched. Neck is well set into shoulders. Proportion of neck to body is 1-5 and approximately 3.3" long and 2.75" wide. Clean neck with no dewlap.

BODY: Topline very slightly convex. Dog longer than high. Withers: Only slightly pronounced. Back and loin: Strong back, topline very slightly arched. Loin well muscled. Croup: Oblique, short and muscular Chest: Well developed, well let down to elbow level, long. Ribs well sprung. Belly: Tucked up but not excessively.

TAIL: Low set, in the axis of the spinal column. At rest, carried below the hock with the tip being raised. On the move, carried "gaily" curved over the back with the point towards the nape, the withers, the back or the loin. In the dogs with abundant coat, the tip may rest on the dorsal-lumbar region.

LIMBS FOREQUARTERS: The front legs are upright. Shoulder and upper arm: Oblique shoulder, muscled; Scapulo-humeral angle about 120°. The length of the upper arm corresponds approximately to that of the shoulder blade. Lower arm: Humero-radial angle: about 120°. Lower arms vertical and parallel, well muscled, with good bone. The length of the lower arm corresponds approximately to that of the upper arm. Carpus: A continuation of the line of the lower arm. Metacarpals: Strong, seen in profile sloping very slightly. Forefeet: Small, round, toes tight, arched; pads pigmented.

HINDQUARTERS: The hind legs are upright. Though dewclaws are not sought, their presence is not penalized. Upper thigh: Strongly muscled; coxo-femoral angle above 80°. Lower thigh: Oblique, forming with the femur an angle of about 120°. Hock joint: Dry, well defined, angle of the hock is about 160°. Metatarsals: Vertical. Hind feet: Similar to forefeet.

GAIT OR MOVEMENT: Free and flowing, without covering a lot of ground; topline retained on the move. No sign of uneven movement.

SKIN: Fine, stretched tight over all the body; although of pink color, it can be pigmented.

HAIR: This is one of the main characteristics of the breed from which its very name derives. Very soft and supple, with the texture of cotton, never hard or rough, the coat is dense, profuse and can be very slightly wavy.

COLOR: Ground color is white. A few slight shadings of grey color (mixture of white and block haris) or of red-roan (mixture of with and fawn hairs) are permitted on the ears. On the other parts of the body, such shadings can be tolerated if they do not alter the general appearance of white coat. They are however not sought after.

SIZE AND WEIGHT Height at withers: Males: 9.8" to 12.5" Females: 8.5" to 11" Weight: Males: 8.75 lbs to 13.3 lbs Females: 7.75 lbs to 11 lbs

FAULTS: Any departure for the standard as outlined is considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in proportion to its degree.

SERIOUS FAULTS Skull: Flat, too domed, narrow Muzzle: Disproportioned between skull and muzzle Eyes: Light, too almond shaped, entropion, extropion, vicious looking Ears: Too short with insufficient length of hair; ears folding backwards (rose ear) Neck: Too short, too stuffy in shoulders, too slender Topline: Too arched, sway backed Croup: Horizontal, narrow Shoulder: Straight Limbs: Turned inwards or outwards; out at elbows; hocks wide set or too close; straight angulations Coat: Too short, too wavy, curly Pigmentation: Partially lacking or too light pigmentation of eyelids or lips; discolored nose with non-pigmented areas

ELIMINATING FAULTS General: Lack of type (insufficient breed characteristics, which means that the animal on the whole does not sufficiently resemble other examples of the breed). Size and weight outside the requirements and tolerance of the standard are also eliminating faults. Foreface: Bridge of nose convex Eyes: Bulging, with signs of dwarfism; too light; wall eyes Ears: Pricked or semi-pricked Tail: Not reaching to hock; high set, completely curled (forming a tight ring); carried flat on the back or against the thighs; carried candle like; tailless Hair: Atypical, tightly curled, woolly silky Color: Heavily marked; any marking of a definite black Pigmentation: Total lack of pigmentation on eye rims, nose or lips Anomalies: Overshot or undershot mouth with lack of contact between the incisors; vertical gaping of the incisors; absence of teeth other that the PM1s or the M3s; aggressive or extremely shy specimen. N.B. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.