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SmallNon-Sporting Group

Coton de Tulear

The Coton de Tuléar is the royal dog of Madagascar, descended from Bichon-type dogs brought by French sailors to the port city of Tuléar in the 17th century.

Calculate Coton de Tulear age
Lifespan14.2 yrrange 13–15
SizeSmallNon-Sporting Group
Weight8–15 lb3.6–6.8 kg
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12

Gallery (3)

About

About the Coton de Tulear

The Coton de Tuléar is the royal dog of Madagascar, descended from Bichon-type dogs brought by French sailors to the port city of Tuléar in the 17th century. Locally reserved for nobility under the 19th-century Merina monarchy; AKC recognition dates to 2014.

Aging

How Coton de Tulears age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 14.2 years (n=363). Hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, and progressive retinal atrophy are the defining inherited concerns; Bandera's neonatal ataxia is a breed-specific DNA-testable juvenile-onset neurological disorder.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 14.2 yr · range 13–15Senior careSenior at 8 · geriatric at 12Common health issues10 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
8–15 lb(3.6–6.8 kg)
Height
9–11 in(22.9–27.9 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
WhiteBlack
Temperament

Temperament

How Coton de Tulears tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

happybrightaffectionateplayful
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Intervertebral Disc Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Intervertebral Disc Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Coton de Tulears are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.