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The History of the Coton de Tulear |
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Enjoy the music of "Africa"
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Madagascar
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The Coton de Tulear hails from Madagascar, an island located in the Indian Ocean off of Africa's east coast. The Coton's history is one of speculation, unfortunately, other than real fact.
It is said that in the 16th or 17th century, a little Bichon-type dog first appeared in Madagascar. These small dogs, the fore-bearers of the Coton, were companions of European Sea Merchants sailing the West Indies and Indian Ocean. Tulear, the port city of Madagascar, was often visited by these merchants, as it was a major trading port on the route they sailed. The merchants, while trading, at times gave these little dogs as gifts to receive acceptance and to show good faith, as well as offering them for trade for various merchandise they were seeking.
Another possibility that has been speculated, is that during this time of sea trading, a ship wrecked during a violent storm near Madagascar, which was carrying the dogs. It is said that the little Bichon dogs actually swam ashore to the southwestern coast of the island, and this is how they appeared on the Island.
No matter how they came to the island, they thrived. Mixing with local dogs, eventually the Coton de Tulear evolved into the dog we know today. Through their high pack instincts, they became strong in numbers. In these packs they actually hunted for food, and protected themselves against larger predators.
Madagascar has a large cayman population, and there is a story that tells how the Coton would protect themselves from these large predators. The Cotons wanted to cross a river that was infested with crocodiles. While they lay in wait of their prey, some dogs from the pack would bark ferociously to get the crocodile's attention. The other group would then safely swim to the other shore, and would repeat the same maneuver while the next group would cross. The story is definitely believable to anyone that has seen a group of Cotons together, for these sweet and darling, mild little angels, truly become ferocious when alarmed!
The Natives of Madagascar fell in love with the dogs, and domesticated them. Eventually, the upper class and royalty of Madagascar, the Merina, embraced them, and restricted ownership to the nobility only. Actual laws were passed making it a criminal offense for anyone other than the Merina to own the breed! This is how the Coton has come to be known as "The Royal dog of Madagascar."
In the 1700's, the French established themselves onto the Island, and Madagascar became a French Colony until 1946. Through these colonists, the Coton de Tulear eventually returned to Europe. In 1971, the Coton de Tulear became recognized by the FCI (the Federation Cynologique Internationale), the governing registry of Europe. At the same time, a few dogs were owned in the United States, but it was only in the early 90's, that the Coton was finally starting to be heard of. The Coton de Tulear has now quickly become one of the most sought after dogs in the United States and Canada. They are considered, and classified, as a Rare Breed in the United States, but recognition by the AKC is currently a goal of some of the Breed Clubs, dedicated to the Coton de Tulear.
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