Canadian Coton de Tulear Club

Coat and Colour

The coat, from which the breed derives its name is another important characteristic. The hair is long, soft, supple, dense and dry with the texture of cotton.

The Coton is an overall small white dog, which comes in three varieties. They come in white, which includes white with champagne. The champagne often fades. They also come in tri-colour, which is white, brown and black and it typically fades as they get older. See below for details. One of the hallmarks of the breed is the dilute gene. The third variety is black & white, which often retains much of the black. The Malagasy ancestors had more colour. The Europeans preferred white and bred for white.

For the show ring, the coat is left untrimmed with the exception of a little trimming around the paws and the pads of the feet. Adult dogs require a deep brushing once or twice weekly to maintain a long coat. White is the preferred colour for showing.

Many pet owners prefer their companions trimmed in a puppy cut for ease of grooming. Check out our Grooming Tutorial on sale in our Shop to find out how!

The Coton does not have dander in its coat, so it may be a good choice for people with allergies. It just depends on the person. They do not shed like other dogs, but loose hair like humans, especially when being brushed.

Fading Genes

No, we don't mean Jeans we means Genes!

Cotons come in three colour varieties, but thanks to their genes, the tricolour typically fades as they get older. This is a very interesting trait in the Coton. Don't think because you get a coloured pup that you will have a coloured adult! Although we strive for an overall white dog, it is important to preserve the genetic diversity for the well being of the breed and not lose those dilute genes!

The Momma in the photo is the same dog as below, demonstrating the dilute gene of the Coton.

Below is a sequence of photos that show how the puppy's colour fades as they grow older. Check out photos of all types at the bottom of the page!