Kuky, today’s story hero is a three-year-old royal Coton de Tulear looking for a beautiful bride, so we’ve decided to give him a helping hand! And, who knows, maybe we’ll end up writing about a doggy wedding, followed by a story of some irresistibly cute puppies…
- Pet Name: Kuky
- Age: 3 years old
- Breed: Coton de Tulear (although most people confuse him with a Bichon)
- Favourite food: Red pepper and huge beef bones;
- Favourite place to hang out: On your lap
- Favourite toy: Loves to play with them, yet he does not like one in particular
- Residence: Bucharest, Romania
However, given the fact that this is the first time we are writing about a Coton de Tulear, we thought we should say first say a few words about the history of this “royal dog”.
The Coton de Tulear, AKA Royal Dog of Madagascar
My first encounter with a Coton de Tulear, namely Kuky, was more than two years ago. He was just few months old, yet as loving and friendly as always. I had some pictures with Kuky, and I could not resist the temptation of showing them to you! And, believe me when I tell, it was difficult to choose!
This small, long-haired, witty, cotton-coated dog was born to be a great companion for all humans. A Coton’s primary job is to provide amusement, comfort, and companionship - this is what they do best! Cotons are very people-oriented, affectionate, playful and entertaining, trainable, vocal and very good as companions for kids. The Coton de Tulear is intelligent and even though they can be a bit stubborn, they are fast learners. Their height varies somewhere between 10-12 inches (25-30 cm), while their weight is around 12-15 pounds (5.5-7 kg). Cotons come in white and black and white and tri-colored; some have slightly yellowish markings on the ears.
Its name comes from the French word "coton", meaning "cotton," and they originate from the Madagascan port of Tulear. It seems that around the 15th or 16th century, European merchants brought various Bichon-type companion dogs to Madagascar. It is most likely that the breed evolved through the interbreeding of those Bichon strains. In the 17th century, the Coton de Tulear was adopted by the ruling "Merina" tribal monarchy and it was forbidden for anyone other than royalty to own the breed. Thus became the breed's prevalent title of the "Royal Dog of Madagascar."
Love at first sight…
Most of the time, when kids ask for a dog, parents start by saying “no” and continue debating, negotiating and thinking of all the things that can go wrong. Well, that’s also the case here! A 12-year-old Maria, Kuky’s older human sister, wanted a dog for quite a while, but the usual answer was always: “No! No way, are we going to get a dog!”
But, in the summer of 2015, her desire was still stronger than ever. And although her mom Alina, once again, said a loud and clear “no”, dad eventually gave in after two days of his daughter crying. Maria’s emotional blackmail did the trick and one morning, both of them were caught by mom Alina searching online for a dog. Finally, the deal they struck was very clear: it had to be a small-size dog, whom they would fall in love at first sight and would not cost more than 100 Euros. That was all she needed to save for her pet.
Sure enough, soon after, love showed up on a popular Romanian advertising website. This love turned out to be a four-legged friend who looked like a softy cottony white snowball with two big, round and inquisitive, deep brown eyes. So, few days later, after a short trip to Tartasesti, a village in the Dambovita County not very far from Bucharest, Coton de Tulear Kuky officially became part of their family.
Having grown up surrounded by all sorts of pets and knowing these first few months are some of the most difficult ones when getting a dog, I was curious to find out how Kuky’s went down. “Well, the first five months Kuky only wanted to sleep next to me”, recalled mother Alina. “He drove me nuts! Every few hours he would wake me up for all sorts of reasons. But, he was so loving and had such an innocent look, that I couldn’t stay mad at him. And, to be honest, I was so amazed that he only peed on the pampers, that I forgave him!” He never chewed or broke anything around the house.
Kuky - the most loving Coton de Tulear
Kuky is a loving and very friendly dog who enjoys people and pets altogether. That’s not surprising considering Cotons are very people-oriented and Kuky makes no exception. He loves companionship and when his owners take him to IOR park on the Dogs’ Island, he always makes new doggy friends. But, even so, he remains faithful to his friendship with Bichon Bela and Shih Tzu Sasha. Experts say Cotons are so sociable that they really don’t cope well when left alone at home, but Kuky seems to contradict them. Unlike his Coton relatives who try to vent their angst through barking and destructive chewing, Kuky is not a vengeful dog when left alone at home. Being the most spoiled family member, he knows how to take advantage of such circumstances and does his best to enjoying taking over his owners’ king-size bed while they are away. Oh, and do I also need to mention that he loves sleeping with his head on the largest pillows on the bed?! Maria told me that very often they can spot Kuky looking down from the large-size window, waiting for them to come back.
Getting humans’ attention …
Kuky loves his walks in the park with his owners, so Maria, Alina & Vali take turns to take him out twice a day. Actually, they take turns at everything: walking, feeding, cleaning, spoiling.
Just like any respectful Coton de Tulear, Kuky despises getting wet. Rain and puddles are two of the things that Kuky can’t stand! “If we walk through the park and sees puddles, he takes huge turns around them. It doesn't matter how many there are!”, Maria recalls.
Playful and entertaining, Cotons will do anything to get your attention and once again Kuky is no exception. His favourite way of getting his owners’ attention is by jumping straight on their lap when they least expect it. “Sometimes, he jumps on our couch while we are watching TV, carefully steps on its back side and then falls down between us. He just wants to be wherever we are”, Maria shared with me.
One interesting thing I found out about Kuky is that despite being friendly with all humans and pets, when it comes to his human mother Alina, he can get very jealous. He cannot stand to see her paying attention to, or petting another dog.
But Kuky, Alina, Maria and Vali are one big happy family with a lot of love to give. And that you can see it in their eyes! Just have a look at the pictures taken at Kuky's recent birthday party.
A Coton de Tulear who loves red peppers
When it comes to food, Kuky has one very surprising passion! Big red peppers! he can even recognize the sound they make when being cut up in the kitchen. And of course, like most dogs whether big or small, he loves big beef bones.
Maria also told me about another less ordinary thing Kuky loves to do with his food. The vet recommended that he should eat both dry and wet dog food, so there are always two food bowls for him. But, as he doesn’t like the dry kibble, Kuky found the solution. He nudges the kibble pellets with his nose until some of them are thrown into the wet food bowl and only then he starts eating.
Kuky’s perfect bride to be ...
I cannot wait to hear from you! :-)
Well, what can I say, Kuky is one very lucky dog! Yet, there’s one thing he is missing the most and that’s a bride to fill the space left in his heart!
He would rather have an identical white Coton bride, but he is keeping an open mind for any lady friend of his size. A Bichon or Maltese darling may be quite a catch, as long as she’s as loving as he is! He promises to behave like a true “gentledog”, care very well for her and will be a great father to his future puppies.
Last, but by no means least importantly, Kuky and his humans are also very serious about their search for a bride, so if you know a darling who is interested, please drop us a line at petsofchampions@discovery.com.
Author: Ana-Maria Bogdan
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