1st true blue singaporean coton de tulear is born!

On 27 February 2014, our little gem was born!

Cara, the Coton De Tulear

As the breeder does not have identification on the pups during photo taking, they were unable to identify who is who in their photos. However, the lil one on the right does have the same expression that Cara loves to show now! 
A little background about me (mummy owner) - Having a dog have always been my childhood dream, but due to strong objections from parents, it seems to be a very far-fetched dream. The possibility of being a dog owner became more visible when I got together with my husband (then boyfriend). 

It started from searching through the entire list of HDB approved dogs.It was really difficult to find a breed that fits my expectation of a perfect dog, yet a coton did.

Coton de tulear (pronounced as "Co tawn day too lee are") is a smart, friendly and healthy breed, ideal family dog that is suitable for children, hypoallergenic with minimal shedding. However, they definitely need lots of grooming!

Most of the breeders are in USA and Europe, which made having one in Singapore very difficult! For the past six years, I have been trying to locate coton owners in Singapore, wanting to learn from them, how to bring a coton into singapore and how a real coton is really like. But they simply can't be found!

In July 2014, my husband and I got married. The very 1st addition to family member should be a coton! We got in touch with several famous breeders who are willing to go through the hassle of sending their pups overseas: Brigitte Jespersen of Kennel Jespersen, Karolina Daszkiewicz of The Sweetest Coton, Elisabetta De Luca of Cotonbrie. They were all very helpful and I am really grateful. 

A little insight on buying pups from overseas:
AVA have very strict rules and regulation for importing a pup into Singapore as Singapore is rabies-free. Countries are sorted out by categories. It was then when I understand why there are so many dogs being imported from Australia, BUT there is no Coton breeder in Australia! 

Category A Countries free from rabies	Category B Countries with negligible risk of rabies	Category C Countries with controlled risk or low incidence of rabies	Category D Countries with undetermined risk of rabies
Australia New Zealand Republic of Ireland United Kingdom	Cayman Islands Denmark Hong Kong Iceland Japan Liechtenstein Norway Portugal Sweden Switzerland USA (Guam and Hawaii only)	Austria Belgium Canada Chinese Taipei Cyprus Estonia Finland France Germany Italy Malaysia Netherlands Spain United States of America (except Guam and Hawaii)	All countries not listed in Categories A, B and C

Extract from AVA website: http://www.ava.gov.sg/explore-by-sections/pets-and-animals/bringing-animals-into-singapore-exporting/bringing-in-transshipping-dogs-cats

Kennel Jespersen was in Denmark, which belong to Category B, yet the fastest a pup can reach us is when it is already 6 months old due to the rabies shots that can only be taken when they are 3 months old in Europe. Thank god no quarantine is needed in Singapore after that. The Sweetest Coton and Cotonbrie is in Poland and New York respectively, which belongs to Category D thus the youngest age coton that can reach us is 9 months old plus another 1 month quarantine in Singapore! It's really not easy to import a dog into Singapore!

Do check out AVA website for the procedures: http://www.ava.gov.sg/explore-by-sections/pets-and-animals/bringing-animals-into-singapore-exporting/bringing-in-transshipping-dogs-cats

Just when we almost wanted to make our confirmation with one of the overseas breeder, my husband managed to find someone with coton for sale! And the coton is right here in Singapore, which means we could have her immediately! We visited the 3 cotons (one of them was bought before we know of these cotons existence) over a period of 2 weeks and made our decision. We are very lucky to be one of the 4 lucky owners of this batch of cotons! Hopefully this wonderful breed will be able to establish itself in Singapore soon!

A little background about Cara. 3 years ago, a pair of coton (Cara's parents) was imported by Colin from Cotonbrie of Italy, for breeding. Thus, the 1st batch of true blue singaporean coton de tulear was born! Colin is a very experienced golden retriever breeder and we believe that our coton was born with proper measures in place :)

A brief description of a Coton De Tulear (extracted from http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cotondetulear.htm)

Description	“Coton” is the French word for cotton. Like the name suggests, the most conspicuous feature of the Coton de Tulear is its coat, which is cottony or fluffy rather than silky. It has a long topcoat. The fluffy hair covers the thin, lightly-muscled forelegs. Colors come in white and black, and white and tri-colored. (White is preferred by show breeders.) Some have slightly yellowish markings on the ears.
Temperament	This is a typical Bichon-type dog. It is very friendly, gentle, affectionate and alert. Cotons are very sociable dogs that get along well with children, other dogs and animals. It is very attached to its home and master, wanting always to be in their presence and trying its best to please. The Coton makes a great watchdog. Full of tricks and surprises to fulfill his master's every wish. One of their most endearing traits is a tendency to jump and walk on their hind legs. Their teasing expressions enhance any home willing to spend a few moments a day in the necessary play and grooming routines. The Coton learns quite quickly, but can be a little bit stubborn without the proper leadership. They are intelligent and eager to work. Make sure you are this dog's firm, confident, consistent pack leader to prevent Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behavior problems. Always remember, dogs are canines, not humans. Be sure to meet their natural instincts as animals.
Height, Weight	Height:  10 - 12 inches (25 - 30 cm) Weight:  12 - 15 pounds (5.5 - 7 kg)
Health Problems	-
Living Conditions	The Coton is good for apartment life. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard.
Exercise	Cotons like to swim and play. They enjoy wide open spaces and can follow their masters on horseback for many miles. They do well in various areas of dog sports, such as agility skills trials and catch. As active as they are, they will adapt well to the family's situation, so long as they are taken for a daily walk.
Life Expectancy	About 14-16 years.
Grooming	The long, light-textured hair requires daily, careful grooming. The dead hair should be brushed and combed out. Excess hair between the pads of the feet and in the inner ears should be removed. They do not need a bath more than once or twice a year which will be adequate to keep them clean. The coat should not be scissored. Cotons shed little to no hair. This breed is good for allergy sufferers.
Origin	The Coton is a Bichon-type related to the French Bichons and the Italian Bolognese. It is even possible in some cases that native dogs of other types were crossbred. It most likely arrived in Madagascar with French troops, or with the administrators who followed. The breed was virtually unknown until it was reintroduced to Europe and America in the last 20 years. For centuries, the Coton was a favored companion of the wealthy residents of Tulear, in southern Madagascar, where it continued to breed to type. A dog with similar origins was popular on the French island of Reunion, off the east coast of Madagascar, but became extinct. The original Bichon-type extended back possibly one thousand years ago or more. Although still rare, it has enjoyed considerable popularity with the Madagascar upper-class for some years and is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. The breed was recognized by the FCI in 1970. The Coton is the "Official Dog of Madagascar," and a tricolor Coton was honored on a postage stamp in 1974.