Coton de Tulear

Companion & toy

Toy

Median 14.2 y

FCI group 9 · Companion and Toy Dogs · Derived from the adult weight midpoint (4.6 kg)

Median survival across 363 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 11–16 y

The Coton de Tuléar is a breed of small dog named for the city of Tuléar in Madagascar. This breed is thought to have originated from a group of small white dogs that swam across the Malagasy channel following a shipwreck. Known for its cotton-like coat, the Coton de Tuléar typically grows to no more than 8.2 kg (18 lb), and is white, sometimes with grey, tan, black, or tri-colored markings.

Charming

Bright

Happy

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

4–6 kg

Female

3.5–5 kg

The breed standard (FCI 283)

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (under 6.5 kg band).

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 4–6 kg and females 3.5–5 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 19 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (under 6.5 kg band).

No Coton de Tulear cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

The median is 14.2 y. Median survival across 363 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 11–16 y. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.