Mary Allen
The Coton is a descendant of the ancient Bichon family. These are small, short-legged companion dogs of the Mediterranean region that have been trained for thousands of years. The word “Bichon” is said to derive from the French for “bichonner”. That means pampering. Now one can ask who is spoiled here, dog or human? The answer is clear: With the Bichons, both sides spoil each other. The Bichon group includes the Maltese, the Bolognese, the Bichon Frisé, and the Havanese.
#1 The Coton de Tuléar shares many similarities in history with the Havanese.
#2 Both were formed on islands in colonial times: the Havanese in Cuba, the Coton in Madagascar.
With the colonial masters, the ancestors of both came to the islands as lap dogs for rich ladies. There they developed their regional peculiarities over the centuries.
#3 The Coton de Tuléar developed a particularly fluffy fur that is reminiscent of cotton as it comes straight from the plant.
As mentioned above, Coton is the French word for cotton. Tuléar is the French name for Toliara, the capital of the province of the same name in south-west Madagascar.