Speed Breeds - Coton de Tulear

By Jamie Damato Migdal, CEO & Pet Industry Entrepreneur

The American Kennel Club recently announced the addition of two new breeds – the Wire-Haired Viszla and the Coton de Tulear. This brings the total number of officially recognized AKC breeds to 180 (which means even more fun at Westminster next year)! Because I can’t resist a shiny black nose and black button eyes, the Coton is the newest addition to Speed Breeds.

Breed name: Coton de Tulear

AKC Classification: Non-Sporting Group

AKC ranking: no popularity ranking yet; announced as an official AKC breed in April 2014

• The Coton de Tulear is named for its cotton-like coat and the city of Tulear in Madagascar; it is the country’s national dog.

• The coat color for an adult Coton is white. Puppies under twelve months of age may have other acceptable colors (light brown, dark brown, chestnut, or gray), but the colors have a tendency to fade due to a gene that causes the hairs to turn white at the base as it lengthens. In the show ring, light tan shadings are permitted over 5% of the body of an adult dog.

• Origin story #1: the Coton’s ancestors are said to have been brought to Madagascar on pirate ships! Origin story #2: they ran in feral packs about the island until they caught the attention and favor of Malagasy nobles, at which point they became known as the “Royal Dog of Madagascar”.

Image used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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