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The Coton de Tulear Breed Standard

What is a Coton de Tulear Breed Standard?

The Coton de Tulear breed standard is a written document that describes the dog’s physical characteristics and temperament according to a kennel club or breed club. It details what makes the breed special and sets it apart from other breeds.

Without standards by breed experts specific breed characteristics could be altered or eliminated over time. Standards are used by breeders to help them breed toward the “ideal” for the specific breed.

There are currently four breed standards for the Coton de Tulear: Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), United Kennel Club (UKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), and Coton de Tulear Club of America (CTCA). (See table below)

	FCI	UKC	CKC	CTCA
Color	Predominantly white but may have slight shadings of grey or red-roan	White, with no more than 10% of any other shading	White with champagne-colored markings; or black & white	White, black-and-white, tri-color
Weight	9 – 13 lbs for males and 8 – 11 lbs for females	9 – 13 lbs for males and 8 – 11 lbs for females	12 – 16 lbs	No more than 18 lbs.
Height	10 -12 inches for males and 8 ½ - 10 ½ inches for females	10 -11 inches for makes, and 9 – 10 inches for females	10 -12 inches	13 inches (with the exception of the Tall Coton which can be up to 17 inches.
Group	Companion	Companion	Gun dog	Non sporting
Temperament	Happy,stable, sociable	Happy,stable, sociable	Happy,stable, sociable	Happy,stable, sociable

Regardless of which standard is used, it’s clear that temperament is a key factor in the Coton de Tulear standard. All four of the above experts agree that the Coton temperament is one of its most important characteristics.

The Coton de Tulear is happy, stable, and sociable with humans and other animals and adapts easily to all ways of life.

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