I may be a little biased, but I don't understand why the Coton de Tulear dog breed is not more popular. If I was going to put a list together of all the qualities that make up the perfect dog, the Coton de Tulear would be at the top of the list.

Yes, of course I have a Coton Dog. I found Luc quite accidentally and it was love at first sight. He was a beautiful snow white hairy bundle of love and energy - so what if I couldn't pronounce or spell the breed? (pronounced Co tawn day too lee are).

There are some things you should consider, however, before adopting one of these beautiful dogs. One is that there is an investment of both time and money required for grooming. Cotons are long haired and require frequent brushing or they can become matted.

I keep Luc in a puppy cut so his coat is very easy to care for. It costs me about $55 a month at the groomer with brushing once or twice a week in between visits. The great thing is that even with their long hair, they do not shed very much. That's a huge plus, especially if you suffer from allergies.
The second thing to consider is that they can be quite expensive, and usually can't just be found at your local shelter. The average price of a Coton de Tulear ranges between $1200 and $3500. You can check out the Coton rescue organization (cotonrescue.us) to see if there are any Cotons who need a home.

The third thing to take into account is that when you tell someone that you have a Coton de Tulear, they just stare at you with a blank look on their face because they've never heard of the breed.

I'm surprised these dogs aren't more popular in the U.S. because: