Coton de Tulear

Coton de Tulear dogs are small, happy pups who love to entertain. They are famous for their cotton-like coats and gentle, affectionate natures. Quick to learn, they love tricks and fun indoor and outdoor daily activity.

Space Needs

Playfulness

Watchdog Ability

Cat-friendliness

Activity Needs

Grooming Needs

Affection

Dog-friendliness

Intelligence

Trainability

Barking

Child-friendliness

Coton de Tulears are playful and affectionate canine companions. They are generally quiet and content but can show their vocal side when having fun. They are natural people-pleasers, as evidenced by their adorable tricks. Most Cotons love meeting new people, and they develop strong bonds with their human families. They also make great watchdogs and will alert you when someone new is at your door. They are a large dog in a small body, providing lots of personality and entertainment. They adapt well to almost any living environment, provided they can live inside with their families. Coton de Tulears love to play with other dogs and are great with kids. They also love to swim.

The Coton de Tulear is a friendly breed that wants to be around their homes and masters always. They are eager to please and want to be around you, showing you their tricks. Friendly and gentle, they are sociable and get along well with children and other dogs, but they can be a bit stubborn without the proper leadership. They adapt well to both small and large home environments and are happy with a little walking and play time each day. They enjoy participating in a variety of sports, like agility skills and catch, so take them out for an occasional trip to the park.

The Coton de Tulear’s signature fluffy coat requires daily brushing and combing, as well as occasional baths, in order to keep it free from matting and knotting. Otherwise, matting will form near their sensitive skin. If left ungroomed, brushing will prove painful for the dog (and for you!) to brush out. Their coats are usually white, with occasional smoky grey or light tan patches. They don’t shed in clumps the way many dogs do but rather lose hair only slightly; brushing them daily keeps this under control. This breed is good for allergy sufferers, since they shed little to no hair.

The Coton de Tulear is an alert and well-mannered dog that loves to play but vary in their activity levels. They are fairly active indoor dogs and will do okay without a yard to play in, but they can also have fun outside or at the doggy park. They love to perform tricks, so be sure to oblige them with a praise-based approach. Playing fetch with a favorite toy is a sure way to keep these pooches busy. Most Cotons like to swim and will do well in the pool with supervision.