A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE COTON DE TULEAR
Meet the royal dog of Madagascar, the Coton de tulear. The Coton de Tulear is a rare member of the Bichon family. The Coton is named after the port city of Tulear in Madagascar, and for its soft, beautiful mostly white coton like coat. The French word coton translates into the English word cotton. This coat makes the breed very special, and stand out from any other breed.
Coton de Tulear: A History
The Coton de Tulear, known for its light, airy, cottony-like coat, makes the Coton stand out from almost all other breeds. The Coton originated from the island of Madagascar off the southeast coast of Africa where the temperature never drops below 68 degrees warm climate. Cotons were originally found in the port of Tulear, hence (tulear) the name Coton de Tulear. Madagascar used to be popular center of trade for seafarers and merchants and many times these travelers carried small, Bichon type dogs on their ships. The Coton is presumed to have evolved from these Bichon-like native dogs.
After France claimed Madagascar in the 17th century, the island paradise became home to the French aristocracy. The aristocratic ladies fashionably surrounded themselves with uncommon treasures, so it soon became unlawful for a commoner to own a Coton. It was a privilege reserved for those of noble birth. The first "cotton dogs" were actually given as presents to the regents of the island realm and the small Madagascan jewel became known as the "dog of royalty".
There are several legends about the Coton survival on the island, intriguing and colorful. It is presumed that many Cotons at first lived freely in their native country and they had to fend for themselves to survive. Cotons had to learn to outfox their natural enemy on Madagascar, the crocodile. If a Coton had to cross the river, it would bark loudly to attract all the crocodiles in the vicinity, and then once the crocs arrived, the dog would run about 330 feet down the bank, and swim across the river unharmed. Cotons to this day are highly intelligent problem solvers and great thinkers.
legends tells of a shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar where a pair of Cotons were kept afloat by their luxurious coats and reached the island safely. How they made it through the shark infested waters around Madagascar remains unclear.
The first officially recognized Cotons in Europe and the United States occurred around 1974-75 when imported breeding stock arrived directly from Madagascar.
This rare breed continues to grow in popularity. Its bright, cheerful personality is so loved by its owners, we all say, you can never have just one. It is my pleasure to be owned by a family of Cotons!!
When I purchased my first Coton De Tulear, I was told I had one of the first 500 Cotons in The United States. We fell head over heals for this wonderful breed, and have enjoyed every moment with them since.
