I found the Coton De Tulear as a dog breed by accident while I was researching for a dog that was great with other dogs, friendly with people and didn’t have any genetic health issues. I had gone through lots of books about choosing your dog and found a few options & then I bought a second hand book from Amazon that came from America.
I started flicking through the pages and came to a picture of a chunky little white dog with grey patches and fell in love. I knew that looks wasn’t the main consideration, so I read on, the more I read, the more I knew this was the breed for me. Coton De Tulear are known to get on well with other dogs, lower energy, enjoy a wander around the park off leash saying hello to everyone but would also be happy to keep you company on a longer walk. As they were the royal dog of Madagascar and only arrived in the UK in the late 1990’s the breeding lines had been carefully managed so they don’t have any genetic health issues which was great for me on a tight budget.
Once I selected the breed after more research and talking to breeders I knew the Coton would be great to add to the pack. I needed a dog that would happily keep the other dog company while I went out with one of the other dogs for the day or training. My first 2 puppies the Miniature Labradoodle and the Cockerpoo still needed a lot of walking and training, so by increasing the pack it enabled me to take training to the next level with them. I now had time to focus, one to one on each dog and while we had already made huge improvements I could really enjoy individual dog walks and responsive training.
My original puppies were now 15 months old and they happily accepted the two new members of the pack. Yes I said two, I did only expect to own one Coton but that changed and a story for another day. By comparison the second year with the four dogs was much easier than the first. The older girls were starting to calm down and the Coton’s lower energy and adorable little natures ensured a happy household.
Unfortunately one of the Cotons was unwell through some of the critical socialisation weeks, which was a shame and did have an effect on her personality compared to her cousen, but overall choosing the perfect puppy for me and my lifestyle was already starting to make my life easier and more enjoyable.
If you would like help finding your perfect puppy as everyone is different why not try my puppy quiz - I hope you enjoy it. http://tiny.cc/FunPuppyQuiz