If you are looking for a small dog that does well in warm weather than a Coton de Tulear might be a point of interest. This breed hails from the island of Madagascar. They are still considered the island’s national dog. Their ancestors were brought to the island in the 16th and 17th century. They arrived on a pirate ship. No one knows if they traveled on pirate ships to control the rats or for company for those aboard the ships. For all history shows these dogs could have been confiscated from other ships as booty. Over the years many stories have been passed around that Coton de Tulear Bichon. Some state that they were feral on Madagascar, or that they used to hurt wild boar or alligators. Both of these stories are not true, as a breed they don’t have the drive to prey or streak to hunt. The truth is that they were a companion dog of the ruling tribe (Merina) in Madagascar.

When describing the dog to friends and family members their name say’s it all. Coton de Tulear Bichon is correctly named, because they look like a cotton ball. They are known for having a white cottony topcoat. They are fluffy not silky like most breeds. Their topcoat is medium length to very long (about four to six inches), and covers most of their forelegs. They have little to no shedding problems. The majority of dogs within this breed are pure white. This coloring is usually preferred by show breeders. You will find that there are two other prominent coloring combinations. Which are black & white and tri-color (which includes “honey bear” coloring). Coton de Tulear Bichon average weight is between 9 to 13 for males and 8 to 11 for females. Their standard height is 9 to 13 inches. With the exception of the rare tall cotton that stand 14 to 16 inches.

As a breed Coton de Tulear Bichon are very playful, friendly and affectionate dogs. Most consider this breed to be completely nonaggressive. They are enthusiastic, lively and love life. They are very social dogs that love being around and meeting new people. They are known as an intelligent breed which makes them easy to train. If you have a large family you can’t go wrong with this breed.