Also known as the Royal Dog of Madagascar, this breed, the cotton-haired dog of Tulear, has always existed solely as a household companion animal.
The ancestors of this small, fluffy white dog arrived at the southern Malagasy port of Tulear in the 17th century on trading ships from the small Indian Ocean island of Runion. Once there, it is recorded that they are supposed to have interbred with local dogs (although it is hard to imagine that there was anything suitable for them to mix with in such a place at that time and developed into the attractive breed we know today. The noble families of Tulear adopted them as pets and enjoyed their company so much that they guarded them jealously, even passing a law prohibiting the common people from owning them. They were also extremely reluctant to allow any of their pets to leave the island, with the result that these dogs remained isolated from the rest of the world and were breeding true for centuries.
The Cotons were rediscovered by visiting Europeans in the middle of the 20th century, and a few were allowed to be taken away. These were soon being carefully bred to type and by 1970 the FCI had formally recognized them. A club for their protection was established in Tulear in the same year. Even so, they remain rare on the island.
In 1974 an American biologist, Robert Russell, visiting Tulear, was greatly impressed by these dogs, which he had not encountered before, and took several home with him to New Jersey, where his parents established a breeding kennels for them. By 1976 they had formed the Coton de Tulear Club of America. Within a few years this exciting breed, so old and yet so new to the West, was gaining rapidly in popularity.
Its appeal lies not only in its appearance, but also in its personality. After centuries of living as a highly valued possession, this breed has developed a character that makes it the perfect companion animal. It is intelligent, calm, remarkably unaggressive, playful, and with a fondness for walking on its Inn. d legs. It enjoys a good run, but is less demanding for exercise than most dog breeds. It will sit quietly indoors for long periods, providing it can remain close to its owners.
The Coton’s soft, light, fluffy, odour-free, non-shedding coat has a dry, cottony texture. It is never silky. The typical colour is white, but there are also white dogs with cream patches, white dogs with black patches, and tricolours which are white with cream patches and beige patches.
In 1999, after months of negotiation, a young male Coton de Tulear was brought from Madagascar to New York to Lin. prove the breeding stock. This was the first member of the breed to arrive in America from the island for over a decade.
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