Are Coton de Tulears like children of the family?

Big Dog | January 25th, 2010

Yes indeed, having a Coton de Tulear is just like having another child in the house: they need attention and teaching and at the same time, they give you so much joy and happiness. Like taking baby steps, these dogs need to socialize at an early age to as many people, environments and surroundings as they can to build up their confidence.

They are very attentive to most things and will jump and bark when hearing things for the first time and alert you. They thrive to be in constant contact with you and will follow you wherever you go. Even to the bathroom! Like children, they love being brought around to different places and also enjoy sitting on the couch watching television and reacting to the different sceneries appropriately if they are beautiful or scary. These dogs are a bundle of joy to have in your life!

How to buy a European Coton de Tulear?

Big Dog | December 21st, 2009

coton de tulearA Coton de Tulear is a dog native of Madagascar, specifically from the seaport called Tulear. With its cotton-like and cotton soft coats, it’s no wonder that it was named with the French translation “coton”.   These small dogs are very lovable, amusing and enjoy being the center of attention. If you would like to have this kind of dog, here are some important things you need to know about the Coton de Tulear before you go seeking one. A genuine Coton de Tulear mirrors the guidelines from its breed standard. This means that responsible breeders put effort into developing dogs that match in physical traits and even basic temperament; it is the norm for quality. For example, this canine is 8 to 12 inches in height, 9 to 13 pounds in weight. Their coats can grow up to 3 inches long and is mainly white with markings on the body and ears of lemon, white or grey color. They have rectangular ears that hang to the cheeks and have a lively and intelligent expression. By giving time to study the breed standard, you will get to know more about their physical traits and even health concerns. When you finally pay visits to breeders, try to spot some indicators if they’re quality ones or not. Read the rest of this entry »

Coton de Tulear Puppy Photo

Big Dog | December 5th, 2009

Coton de Tulear Puppy Photo

A tiny Coton de Tulear is ready to jump. Isn’t he adorable?

Pamper Coton 100x450

Coton de Tulear Puppy

Big Dog | November 25th, 2009

Coton de Tulear Puppy

A tiny Coton de Tulear puppy ready to jump! He will make a perfect watchdog when he grows up.

How To Give Your Dog a Checkup

How much is a Coton de Tulear?

Ann | November 8th, 2009

Before getting a Coton de Tulear, it would be a good and sensible idea not to jump at the first “for sale” sign. Much like products, there are different qualities and each quality will have a different price tag. The dollar range for this dog is quite wide for $400 to $1500. This is why one should scout and visit different breeders or even dog rescue groups and look at the living and raising condition of the kennel.

Coton de Tulear

Some of the Coton de Tulears may be born from a Champion line, making them more desirable for dog enthusiasts. There might be other services done on the dog such as neutering or spaying, training, and preliminary vaccinations. Despite its price, one should always think of their health and if one can provide a happy home for them to grow in.

How do you groom a Coton de Tulear?

Ann | October 26th, 2009

The Coton de Tulear is a small dog from the island of Madagascar. Known to be playful and having the knack to perform tricks makes them a very lovable pet. It is also with this breed’s coat that it has earned its name and distinction… cotton. They are long, soft and thick as it is fluffy and having a cotton feel. Although they are minimal shedders, a consistent regimen of grooming is needed to keep that great look.  Matting can be avoided by brushing 3 to 4 times a week via pin brush. Areas for attention are the ears and legs. For fluffiness, a fine-toothed comb should be used.

Coton de Tulear puppy

Whitening shampoo helps their appearance when bathing them depending on how dirty they get. For drying you can either pat them with a towel or use a blow drying on low while bushing.  Grooming includes brushing of the teeth 2 to 3 times a week and trimming their nails if the owner wishes to avoid scratches when the jump on them. These routines should be done in a positive manner as it will show in the dog’s attitude.

How Our Best Friends Break Our Hearts – One Dog At A Time

Big Dog | April 23rd, 2009

All our dogs have the ability to break our hearts. Whether you share your life with a COTON DE TULEAR or a Labrador Retriever, the bond you form with your dog can be one of the closest and most powerful you will ever experience.

Saving the Strays of Helmand

If you want proof of just how extraordinary the relationsip between man and his best friend can be then you really must read a stunning new book called One Dog At A Time. It has been written by a British Marine and dog lover called Pen Farthing and tells of his time serving in the violent Helmand Province of Afghanistan.

While dodging the bullets and mortars, Sergeant Farthing witnessed the cruel and barbaric Afghan tradition of dog fighting. Rather than standing by as many would have done, he risked his life by breaking up the fighting and freeing the dogs. One of them, a big, battle-scarred mastiff he christened Nowzad after the town he was stationed in, found his way into the Marine compound where he befriended his liberator. As Farthing’’s tour of duty continued, he and Nowzad became inseparable buddies. The tough British soldier and the powerful dog formed an odd couple in the middle of the war zone. They were soon joined by other dogs who were drawn to the sanctuary the Marine compound provided. At one point, one dog pushed her litter of newborn pups through the wall of the compound so that they could be safe from the Taliban bombs and general cruelty of the Afghans towards the dog.

By the end of his time in Afghanistan, Farthing had more than a dozen dogs and puppies living in his makeshift sanctuary. As he prepared to leave, he was faced with the heartbreaking prospect of leaving them all behind.

We won’t spoil the ending of this powerful book, but suffice it to say that two of the dogs he rescued are now living with Pen Farthing in England. He has also set up a fantastic charity to rescue other abused dogs in Afghanistan. His work is truly inspirational and is winning the admiration and support of dog lovers everywhere. Part of the proceeds from the book will go towards his charity.

If you only buy and read one dog book this year, make it One Dog At A Time.

Dog tear stains

Big Dog | March 23rd, 2009

Recently a friend of mine asked if I knew a good tear stain removal product. She has tried several different tricks but none seemed to work. I thought everybody knows Angels’ Eyes Tear-Stain Eliminator. It is the best tear stain removal for dogs.

Angels Eyes Tear Stain Removal

Dog Training

Big Dog | March 9th, 2009

Dogs have become such an important part of our society, that the need for them to fit in well with other human beings and not pose a threat or a disturbance is critical to their long term acceptance by our neighbors and others around us. Not all people are dog lovers and to make sure that they’re not inconvenienced by our pets, training is essential.

Also, dog training is an integral part of a working dog’s life for them to be able to assist humans in activities like hunting and police work. Training dogs is a specialized skill since the key difficulty lies in how to communicate efficiently with them.

All training of dogs is a repetition of the basic principle of reward and punishment in various forms and combinations. Communication of these signals is the key to proper training. One very important thing to remember is consistency of signals. The reliability of the training depends on how well a dog is able to be sure of what your signals mean.

It must also be mentioned that different dog breeds take to training differently. Dogs like the iconic German Shepherd are very easily trained due to their high intelligence. Another important factor is the emotional state of the dog. A dog that is frightened, anxious, or insecure doesn’t train well and this reflects the importance of factors like proper socialization of puppies.

A lot of studies have shown that proper puppy socialization goes a long way towards ensuring a good temperament and receptivity towards training. Lots of handling, petting and generally being around humans in their everyday life goes a long way towards making a dog well behaved and easy to train.

Training of puppies should not begin too early however, as there is evidence to show that before a certain age, the brains of puppies are not significantly developed enough to process complex learning.

Professional dog trainers are best when it comes to training your dog as they will ensure that the proper habits are set for life, including how to behave around strangers. For the safety of your dog, it is your duty as an owner to ensure that he or she is well trained.

Looking for the effective method to improve your dog’s behavior?

Formerly known as SitStayFetch, the product Secrets to Dog Training has sold over 200 000 copies. The worldwide success is explained by the proven methods the package includes to train any dog to behave well around people and other dogs and obey all of the owner’s rules and orders. Daniel Stevens’ Secrets to Dog Training will teach you how to:

  • curb your dog’s aggressiveness
  • make your dog understand what is right and wrong
  • house train your dog
  • stop your dog racing in the house
  • deal with a dominant dog
  • overcome separation anxiety
  • stop your dog jumping on people
  • apply the cutting edge Dog Whispering technique
  • deal with more than one dog in the house
  • stop the family cat being harrassed.

Visit Secrets to Dog Training official website for more information.

Coton de Tulear Puppy…

D Dog Fan | April 11th, 2008

I love this photo. It shows the true beauty of this breed. It is one of those breeds, that no matter how much time passes, it stays lovely with an unbelievable soft fur that has made it such a popular breed!

Coton de Tulear Puppy