TRANSLATIONMrs. Peggy Davis.ORIGINMadagascar.DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE VALID ORIGINAL STANDARD09.11.1995.UTILIZATIONCompanion Dog.CLASSIFICATION FCIGroup 9 Companions and ToysSection 1.2 Coton de Tulear. Without working trial.BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARYBrought in France in 1977 this new-comer of exotic origin has rapidly won a place amongst the small dogs; nowadays his fame has spread all over the world.GENERAL APPEARANCESmall dog, suitable for apartment, with long cotton-like coat and round, dark, expressive and intelligent eyes.IMPORTANT PROPORTIONSRatio height at the withers to length of the body = 2 to 3Ratio length of the head to length of the body = 2 to 5Ratio length of the skull to length of the muzzle = 9 to 5.BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENTA bit boisterous, merry and even a bit of a clown, very attached to his master.HEADDESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLESeen in profileShortSeen from abovetriangular.CRANIAL REGIONSkullUpper profile convex. Width about 8,5 cm. Supercialiary arches slightly developed. Slight frontal furrow, occipital protuberance non existent. Occipital crest only slightly perceptible.StopOnly slightly accentuated.FACIAL REGIONNoseSmall. Black, dark tobacco colour tolerated. Open nostrils.MuzzleAbout 6 cm in length, about 4,5 cm in depth and about 5 cm in width. Nasal bridge straight. Lower jaw in straight line.LipsFine, tight, pigmented as the colour of the nose.TeethPerfect, small and white; the lower incisors placed just forward, just behind or level with the upper incisors.EyesRound, dark, bright, well set apart, pigmented with the colour of the nose; eyelids fineEarsHanging, about 6 cm in width, about 7 cm in length, thin, triangular, set high on the skull. Fine at the tip, bent at the base, covered with white hairs or with tints in the following three possibilities :1) Yellow patches more or less dark2) Mixture of yellow and black hairs3) Some black hairs giving the impression of a light grey patch.NECKProfileStraight. Slightly curved at the top. Ratio neck/body = 1/5.LengthAbout 8 cm.ShapeBulging, muscular; width about 7 cm.SkinTight.BODYSeen as a wholeUpper line very slightly convex.WithersOnly slightly accentuated, set of neck strong.Back and LoinsVery slightly arched, well muscled.Ratio thoracic lumbar part = 10/6.Belly and LoinsRound, less broad than the chest, belly hardly tucked up.TAILSet low, length about 18 cm, thick at the base, fine at the tip, when at rest goes down to below the hock with the tip curving upwards.FOREQUARTERSSeen as a wholeLegs vertical seen from the front and in profile.Proportions : 1/1.ShoulderAbout 10 cm, oblique, muscular.UpperarmAbout 9 cm, oblique front to rear, muscled.Shoulderblade-upperarm angle : 120o.ForearmAbout 10 cm. Vertical. Powerful bone structure.Upperarm-forearm angle120o.Pastern jointAbout 3 cm.PasternAbout 3 cm.Front FeetAbout 3 cm, round shaped, small. Toes tightly closed, well formed; well centred and pigmented pads.HINDQUARTERSSeen as a wholeLegs vertical seen in profile and from behind.Proportion : 1/1.Upper ThighsAbout 10 cm, muscular.Coxal-femoral angle : 80o.Lower ThighsAbout 10 cm, oblique from front to rear.Femoral-tibial angle : 120o.Hock jointLength about 2 cm, thickness about 3 cm.Angle of hock : (tibial-tarsal) : 160o.HockLength about 7 cm, width about 2 cm. Vertical position.Hind FeetRound shaped, toes with only slight accentuated curve, tightly closed; pads flat and pigmented.MOVEMENTWalk normal, trot shortened.Preferred pacethe trot.SKINFine, well adherent in each part of the body. May be pigmented with grey, more or less dark patches.COAT HAIRFine, about 8 cm long, slightly wavy, of cotton texture.COLOURWhite, a few yellow or grey more or less dark patches, notably on the ears, are tolerated.SIZE AND WEIGHT SIZEMales28 cm, tolerance up to 32 cm maximum and 25 cm minimum.Females25 cm, tolerance up to 28 cm maximum and 22 cm minimum.WEIGHTMalesfrom 4 to 6 kg maximum.Femalesfrom 3,5 to 5 kg maximum.The weights are proportional in relation to the size but must not exceed the maximum.Example : a male of 28 cm at the withers should weigh approx. 5 kg, a male of 32 cm at the withers approx. 6 kg.TYPEThe desirable type is the one described. There are, however, dogs of this breed who are higher on the legs.FAULTSAny departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.SERIOUS FAULTS- MuzzleToo small or too thick.- SkullFlat or too bulging.- StopToo marked or non-existent.- Nasal bridgeArched.- TeethNot regularly aligned (incisors), carious teeth, serious prognathism (more than the thickness of the incisors).- EyesLight, set too close, entropion, ectropion, prominent, vicious look.- EarsToo short, hairs too short, attachment narrow or too thick, straight.- BackSaddle back, too long.- RumpHorizontal, narrow.- ChestBadly developed.- NeckToo short or too long, thin.- TailToo long, too short or rolled up, not enough furnishings, cylindrical.- ShoulderStraight.- LegsTurned in or out, close together or loose, too wide apart; barrel hocks or cow-hocks; bad angulation.- ThighsInsufficient muscle; insufficient hair.- SkinWrinkled, thick.- Coat (hair)Too short, too long, curly, silky texture.ELIMINATING FAULTS- Nose with pink spots or patches, too light.- Depigmented lips, pink spotted, lips heavy and drooping.- Eyelids white, insufficiently pigmented, pink spots.- Tail rolled up or carried straight up (candle or flagpole), tail-less.- Neck too long.- Height and weight over the maximum.- Coat strongly marked with brown or pure black.N.B.Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.