At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
long, soft, cotton-like
A small, sturdy, lively dog with a profuse, very soft, cotton-textured coat that can be straight or slightly wavy.12
Personality what they are like
A cheerful, stable and sociable little dog that loves to clown around and follow its favourite person from room to room. It is lively and bright, with a relaxed, friendly attitude to other dogs.123
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Moderate: a couple of daily walks and indoor play are enough, though it happily joins in longer outings.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
The coat needs daily brushing and combing to prevent tangles, with regular baths and trims. Eyes, ears and nails should be checked regularly.2
Home where they are happiest
Fits well into flats or houses in town or country.1
Company who they like around
Thrives on company and does best when it can spend most of the day with its family.13
The story where it all began
The Coton comes from Madagascar, where it was a companion of the ruling Merina nobility, and it may descend from small dogs that arrived with sailors in the 16th and 17th centuries. It reached France well before the FCI standard was published and has since become a popular companion worldwide.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- FCI
- Standard no. 283, Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs, Section 1.2; standard dated 04.02.2000; FCI standard first published 1972.1
- AKC
- Fully recognised 1 July 2014 after joining the Foundation Stock Service in 1996.2
- UKC
- Companion Dog Group.2
- The Royal Kennel Club
- Toy Group.2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Coton de Tulear. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery 2 days
- Bathevery month
- HaircutTrim feathering and feet, or keep a short cutevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery 3 weeks
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery day
- Face foldsWipe and dry the skin foldsevery 2 days
- Eye wipeGently wipe around the eyesevery day
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 10every year
You might also like
Bichon Frise
Havanese
Bolognese
MalteseLike what we are building? Buy us a coffee.
The breed atlas is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. If it helped you, a small tip keeps the research going. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.
Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- FCI Standard N° 283 Coton de Tuléar fci.beused for recognition, size, coat, colour, temperament, history
- Wikipedia: Coton de Tulear en.wikipedia.orgused for lifespan, size ranges, AKC/UKC/KC recognition, history, fun facts
- AKC: Coton de Tulear akc.orgused for temperament, nickname
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.