The history of the Coton de Tulear is poorly
documented. But, the most common belief is that they are descendants of
dogs who survived an ancient shipwreck near the Madagascar coast.
Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, and lies in the Indian
Ocean off the coast of Africa. The little white dogs who swam ashore to
the port of Tulear were the now extinct Coton de Reunions. The dogs
settled on the island and bred with the local terriers resulting in what
we now know as the Coton de Tulear.
During the 17th century, the Merina, who were the ruling tribal monarchy
in Madagascar closely controlled the breed. They forbid both coastal
tribesmen and non-noblemen from owning the dog. The Coton became known
as the "Royal Dog of Madagascar." Later, conquering French colonists
adopted the dog as well, and only those persons in the top echelon of
society were allowed to own a Coton de Tulear. Political and economic
crises in Madagascar now threaten the dog with extinction in its own
native land. The Coton was honored on a Madagascar postage stamp in
1974.
Also in 1974, Dr. Robert Jay Russell, a biologist studying Madagascar's
lemurs, sent Coton breeding stock to America. Three years later they
were introduced in Europe. The dogs were enthusiastically received, and
are quickly becoming one of the fastest growing rare breeds in America
and Europe.
