Coton de Tulear
The Coton de Tulear takes its name from the port of Tulear in southern Madagascar and from the cotton texture of its coat, and it descends from small white companion dogs left on…
About the Coton de Tulear
The Coton de Tulear takes its name from the port of Tulear in southern Madagascar and from the cotton texture of its coat, and it descends from small white companion dogs left on the island by European ships. It was a favourite of the Merina nobility, and for a long time it was almost unknown outside Madagascar.
Standing about 25 to 30 cm, the dog is longer than it is tall, with a profuse, soft, cotton-like coat, usually white and sometimes carrying light lemon or grey markings on the ears. There is no harsh outer coat, and the texture that gives the breed its name mats readily without regular grooming. The character is genuinely sunny: playful, people-oriented and easy with other dogs. A stud should be robust for its size, straight in front and confident, since shyness sits badly on a breed bred to be sociable.
Ask for a patella examination and hip scores, since both joints are worth checking in a small, long-bodied dog, and for a current eye certificate as progressive retinal atrophy and cataract occur. In a white breed, ask whether deafness has appeared and whether BAER testing has been carried out. Ask the owner which DNA tests the breed clubs currently recommend, and about the health and lifespan of the dog's parents.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Coton de Tulear
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed club schemes listed in the Health Standard
Run by the breed club, not the Royal Kennel Club, which does not record their results. The Standard lists them as schemes to be aware of.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed club health scheme (named in the result) | Other | Breed club | Name the scheme and the outcome. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 10 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 15 years, 5 dogs scored — indicative only, from a small sample). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Coton de Tulear stud dogs
No Coton de Tulear studs are listed right now
When a Coton de Tulear on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Coton de Tulear litters
No Coton de Tulear litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
