The Coton Malgache - Canadian Coton De Tulear Club

The Coton MalgachePresident’s MessageKaren BlackCCTC PresidentIt seems a little late into 2010 to bewishing everyone a Happy NewYear, but I certainly hope thateveryone had a nice HolidaySeason and that the new year hasstarted on a good note.While I never wish for life to speedup, I can say that I am most happythat it’s March and winter isThe Coton Malgache Volume 10 Issue 1coming to an end. It’s been a rathersoggy winter here, ranging fromrain in January, to heavy wet snowin early March. Keeping the dogsgroomed and bathed has certainlybeen a time consuming effort.Seems my dogs love the wet andcold and they appear stumped aboutwhy Mom doesn’t want to cuddleand hold them close when theyhave frozen slush stuck to theircoats.Over the past couple of months theMedal Accreditation program wasimplemented and litters are nowlisted on the website withcorresponding accreditation. It’llbe nice for the buying public to seethat the breeders of the CanadianCoton de Tulear Club are diligentin their health testing and that theclub is committed to the higheststandards of health for our dogs.It’s a step toward distancingHappy Spring!March 2010ourselves from the backyardbreeders and hopefully will bringawareness to potential buyers. Ifyou need more information aboutthis, please contact Marie-France asshe is doing a great job taking careof the program.I hope that by the time the nextnewsletter comes out the weatherwill be warm and sunny (meaningdry dogs). Until then, if you haveany questions, comments, concerns,please don’t hesitate to contact me!INSIDE THIS ISSUEFrom One Pearl to Another Page 2Cotons Celebrate the Olympics Page 5Genetic Issues Page 6Tribute to Tabou Page 10Safety Warning Page 11Dog Yarn Page 12I Want Two Scoops Page 13

Page 2The Coton Malgache Volume 10 IssueFROM ONE PEARL TO ANOTHER ......By Lorna Christie, White Rock, British Columbia, CanadaI was born on the Island of Ceylon: called the ‘Pearl of the IndianOcean’ (now known as Sri Lanka), to Eurasian parents, and Inow have another pearl: a Coton de Tulear which originated inMadagascar, also an island in the Indian Ocean. My journey inprocuring this wonderful companion is an interesting one indeed.It was the spring of 2008, and I was seated in the parlor of ourhome in White Rock. There before my eyes I saw a dog beingwalked down the street. It was a breed which I had never seenbefore. I quickly ran to the front porch and called out to the ladywalking the dog to come over as I wanted to see her dog … shevery graciously came over and I asked the lady what breed herdog was and she said: Coton de Tulear, and explained to me thatshe was visiting from Quebec and that the dog was a rare breed. Ijust fell in love with the dog and after she left, I quickly went tomy computer to research and read all about the breed. When myhusband came home from work I told him all about the Cotonand he too did some research. Of course, he wanted to get apuppy IMMEDIATELY! I said: “NO! I am still not ready foranother dog, nor do I know if I want a dog.” … you see, ourbeloved Cocker Spaniel had died in December 2007 and left quitea void in our lives. So, my loving husband agreed to patientlywait.April 16, 2009 I was reading the papers and found myself in the‘Puppies for Sale’ section and for the first time phoned a breederregarding a Cocker Spaniel puppy. She said she would send mepictures the next day (which never came), and when Richardcame home I told him what I had done. He said: “Hon! I don’tthink we should get a Cocker Spaniel as it would be hard for bothof us.” He then asked me about the breed I had seen walk downour street and we immediately went to the Internet and startedresearching for puppies available and speaking with breeders.Long story made short – by the next morning we were on thephone with Marie-France Prayal of Polana Kennels in NovaScotia as she had puppies that had been born and were availableat the end of May. Well, now how coincidental was that ? – wehad booked a trip to Nova Scotia to see Richard’s parents andsome of his family and the timing was perfect. Also, there were 4males in the litter and we had decided we wanted to get a malepuppy this time!So, back and forth we went with Polana Kennels, getting updatedpictures on a weekly basis, and one day we received an emailwith the picture of the puppy that Marie-France had chosen for us(since we wanted a show/breeding prospect). I quickly phonedand asked her which puppy was the one she had chosen for us, aswe had already chosen one in our hearts from the pictures she hadsent previously. Believe it or not, it was exactly the puppy thattouched my heart when I had seen the last group of pictures. I hadtears in my eyes and Marie-France couldn’t believe how thingshad been divinely orchestrated! Now came the naming process,and we chose the name: KINTANA (a Malagasy name meaningStar).The first meeting with Marie-France and Larry and Kintana andhis mother and father was a very moving one for us as we weregoing through MANY emotions. The biggest one for me beingthe transference of love to our new puppy and the letting go ofthe love I still had for our previous dog. Marie-France and Larryknew there was a lot we were going through emotionally, andgave us the space we needed to open our hearts to KINTANAand the Coton de Tulear breed and all the dogs and puppies wewere with. It did not take long for us to realize how much lovethese balls of cotton had to give, and how much joy we weregoing to experience with our new puppy.Kintana was born March 18 th and we brought him to his newhome in White Rock, British Columbia on June 1 st , our 18 thwedding anniversary! There at the airport, to greet us, was ourdarling granddaughter Georgia Emily who was 3-1/2 years old,and that very evening we were at our son and daughter-in-law’shome for a BBQ to celebrate our wedding anniversary and towelcome Kintana. Our grandson Joshua Aaron who was 1 yearand 3 months then was the first to walk Kintana on a leash!There started the impact Kintana was to have on all our lives.On the way from the Airport we received a phone call that a dearfriend of ours was in ICU and we went to visit her a day or solater and that was Kintana’s first Pet Therapy visit with residents

The Coton Malgache Volume 10 IssueGeorgia Emily, Joshua Aaron,& Kintana relaxing togetherat the Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock … within minutes wewere being asked if he could visit the patients in the adjacentrooms and it was very obvious that he had a very positive impacton their lives and brought lots of joy to them.We practically did not have to do any ‘potty training’ as Kintanahad been well trained already and within a week or so Richardhad erected a screen door with a doggy door so Kintana had freeaccess in and out of the house … the yard being very secure withfencing all around and locked gates.First was the Dog Obedience classes and socialization, and Idetermined very quickly that ‘Agility’ was an area he was veryinterested in and had a natural aptitude for. Next came theHandling classes and getting ready for the first show which wasPage 3the CFC show in Nova Scotia in October 2009. He showed verywell there, winning 4 Best Puppy in Breed and 2 Best Puppy inShow . And, as luck would have it, I came down with a bad fluand we were blessed to have a junior handler handle him – again,divine provision!The end of October saw Kintana at the Abbotsford InternationalDog Show where he won his first CKC point. Little did we knowthat a couple of weeks later we would be contacted by TSN asthey had taped the final Group Show and wanted informationregarding the Coton de Tulear as Kintana was going to be one ofthe dogs that would appear in the Toy Group and TSN was airingthe show 3 times in December. What a great opportunity forpublicity of the Coton de Tulear breed! And Kintana, when heheard his name mentioned on T.V. stopped in his tracks and keptstaring at the television, and of course we watched all 3 airings ofthe Dog Show!We had already met other Coton owners/breeders and had a gettogether,and our circle of friends now included several beautifulCoton owners/breeders. We have been at Handling classes andshows together and keep in touch with each other veryfrequently. We even were there for dear friends with Richardassisting them in a ‘search and rescue mission’ when their femalecoton, with puppies just weeks old, went missing … I got my firstopportunity to puppy-sit the little ones and look after the olderones too. So, we’ve been there for our friends during good timesand not so good times … Isn’t that what friends are for?Kintana has been in the ring a fewtimes since the end of October, and thefirst Dog Show for the new season willbe over the Easter long weekend.There should be 5 Cotons there and weplan on having a Coton de Tulearinformation booth to make ourpresence known in a big way.Lorna Christie, Kintana with ribbons, & grand-daughter, Georgia EmilyIn the meantime, Kintana has beenbringing joy and love to numerouspeople and as all Coton owners willagree, one cannot go for a walk with aCoton without being stopped every fewyards because the breed just ‘standsout amongst the crowd’! White Rockboasts a beautiful promenade by theOcean and it is just such a pleasure towalk Kintana there as everyone wantsto know what breed of dog he is andthe kids just loving enjoying the manykisses he gives them. Ourgranddaughter has demonstrated andexpressed great interest in Handlingand we hope to have her go to PeeWeeHandling classes! Our grandson lovesto feed him one pellet of food at a timeand Kintana waits very patiently!

Page 4From One Pearl to Another (cont’d from page 3)The Coton Malgache Volume 10 IssueKintana even enjoyed the 2010 Winter Olympics and was a great‘hit’ amongst the myriad of people who visited Vancouver andhis picture is all around the world as people were continuouslyasking us for permission to take pictures of him! He even had hispicture taken in a Bobsled and was graciously received by all thestaff at Birks, where the Bobsled was located and pictures couldbe taken!!They say: ‘Every cloud has a silver lining.’; this couldn’t bemore truer than in my case. After a career spanningapproximately 35 years, I had to go into early retirement throughmeans I wouldn’t have dreamed of. I kept wondering what was instore for me around the bend. Now I see the formation of the‘silver lining’ – the granting of my heart’s desire: either to be aVeterinarian or Psychologist. As I look to the future andbreeding Cotons, I see the meshing of both these disciplines.What an answer to prayer! I am doing things I never thought Iwould ever do: me, handling a dog in the ring and Richard beingin the ring with Kintana too! We are learning more about theCotons all the time and that is excellent for the brain – it will surekeep us young and more knowledgeable.In conclusion, we have to say that getting Kintana was the bestthing that we could have done for not just ourselves but forMANY people, and we are so blessed to have him … he is atypical Coton Clown: full of energy and always ready to playand have fun. Now, what could be better than that? It is thegreatest therapy one can get!Richard Christie, Lorna Christie, & Kintanawith a bobsled and an Olympic torch while enjoyingthe Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.Above: Tissac’s Misty Blue in Team Canada shirt.Left: A Dreamsports Coton after the hair-raising CanadaUSA gold medal hockey game.

Page 6The Coton Malgache Volume10 Issue1Cotons Cheer for CanadaDuring Vancouver 2010 Winter OlympicsDreamsports puppy with his official Olympic T-shirtAbove: Chris Wasylishyn’s CCTC red jacket was perfectfor cheering on Team Canada.Below: Everyone has a pair of those famous red mittens,including this lovely Dreamsports puppy.

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Page 11Coton Malgache Volume 10 Issue IA WARNING TO ALL DOG OWNERSOur little Cotons are fun-loving, inquisitive and fast on therun. Unfortunately sometimes their greatest attributes canlead them to tragedy. This January I lost my wonderful littlecompanion “Tabou.” As responsible dog owners it isimperative that we adhere to a very important rule. NEVERallow our precious companions off lead unless they areenclosed in a safe and secure area. I entrusted my Tabou tomy groomer of 6 years and when I did so I gave her explicitinstructions to NEVER allow him off lead to run freely unlessin a secure play area. As a result of her ignoring myinstructions, Tabou was hit by a car and died of severe headinjuries. I hope by sharing my story, Tabou's short life wouldnot have been in vain; that we as dog owners ensure thesafety of our little companions at all times, because it is us towhom they so freely entrust their precious lives.Valerie Ford of CotonnelleIN REMEMBRANCE OF NISGA’AIt has been a very sad few months in the CanadianCoton world. Not only did Valerie Ford lose herbeloved Tabou and another of her puppies to tragicends, but Sonja Paterson of Dreamsports also losther precious Nisga’a in a very unfortunate mishap.Here is a photo of Lil Snow Drop (Lusha),daughter of Esprit de Tulear Spirit Bear andNisga’a.In Sonya’s words:“We have decided to keep her after much discussion.In the end I could not part with her as she is Nisga'a'slegacy. I miss Nisga'a so much. “Nisga’a’s spirit will live on through her puppies

Page 12 Coton Malgache Volume 10 Issue 1Dog YarnSubmitted by Marie-France PrayalA woman, Delia Burge, who lives here in Nova Scotiacame for a visit to see my Cotons. Delia spins andknits. She asked me for some Coton hair to try forspinning and knitting.Right: Photo of a skein of Coton yarnBelow: Mitts knit with Coton and alpaca yarnHere are Delia’s comments about her experience withCoton hair:“It was quite hard to spin but I didn't want to mix it withsheep's wool - it is very soft - and very much like cotton!!!. ““I knitted fingerless mitts. The bottom lacey section andthe white stripes are dog hair and the light beige isalpaca. They are so soft and cuddly just like your Coton deTulear!”More Dog YarnSubmitted by Chris WasylishynMarie-France’s story comes as quite a coincidence. Just before Marie-France submitted her story for thenewsletter, I met a fibre artist at the dog park one morning. This woman also spins her own yarn andexpressed interest in my three Cotons as she thought the longer hairwould be better for spinning than the shorter hair of many dogs.This woman, Eliza Lau, has a shop in Vancouver called GentilleAlouette. I offered to save some hair for her to try. Our encounterhas had an unexpected benefit. It has motivated me to comb mydogs more often and to keep them cleaner so the hair I save doesn’tlook brown instead of white.My former next door neighbours, who have now returned to live inAustralia, used to refer to my Cotons as “the sheep.” I guess itshould come as no surprise that their “wool” is now being soughtafter to be spun into yarn and knitted into mitts!Who makes better mittens? Coton or sheep?

I Want Two Scoops and Not Just One!Beaujolais (who also answers to Beau andBeauj) at almost 1 year is a most remarkabledog. He very healthy, strong, agile, full ofmischief and very intelligent. He plays verycreatively with his toys. For example he playshockey using one toy held in his mouth toswat a ball so he can chase it. He loves theoutdoors regardless of the weather. Here inFlorida we walk the beach 7 days a week at6.30 am rain or shine and he loves it. He isquite used to the ocean and the surf. He canalso exercise himself in the house running atfull speed from one end to the other for 2 or 3minutes at a time. He has good eyesight and anose like a hound. He obeys the followingcommands perfectly in the house: Sit, Down,Come, Leave it, Wait, and Stay. We are halfway through a training course of 8 weeks. Heis also a very affectionate dog and totallydevoted to Nancy. He follows her around thehouse all day. He is also a super watch dog.Beau travels beautifully in the car with noproblems. Everyone remarks on hisappearance and he is a very handsome dog.He does not need frequent bathing since he istotally without a doggy odour.Bill and NancyPayzac Beaujolais having twice the fun!The Canadian Coton de Tulear Club is implementinga litter accreditation program. To place a litterannouncement on the CCTC website, the minimumrequired health checks for BOTH parents must besubmitted, ie CERF and patella clearances. Inaddition, there is a Gold and Silver Medalprogram. Litter listings that have both parents with 4or more health tests (2 required, 2 elective) willreceive a silver medal accreditation; those with bothparents having 5 or more clearances will receive agold medal accreditation beside the listing.For 2010, health screenings/clearances documentationand should be sent to Marie-France Prayal either byemail polana@ns.symptaico.ca or by regular mail:418 Vaughan RdScotch Village, NS. B0N 2G0.CCTC Litter Accreditation ProgramMandatory Health ChecksCERFOFA PatellaElective Health ChecksHips (OFA or OVC)Elbows (OFA orOVC)Cardiac (OFA)Thyroid (OFA)CMR (Optigen)VWDSee Page 14 (back page)for litter listing prices.

Page 14The Coton Malgache Volume 10 IssueAbout Us….Denis Carriere founded the Coton Malgache Publication in 1994 so that breedfanciers might share their mutual interest. The club’s aim is to support, educateand advise owners, members and prospective owners about the Coton de Tulear.All members of the CCTC will abide by a code of ethics that will govern thebreeding and prosperity of these lovely animals, protecting and preserving thequalities of the Coton de Tulear, and striving for its betterment.CCTC publishes the Coton Malgache quarterly in March, June,September and December. We encourage your submissions! Please do not hesitateto send photos of, and articles about your Cotons. Photos will be returned uponrequest if you include a S.A.S.E.Deadline for the June 2010 Coton Malgache isAdvertising RatesCoton MalgacheColour B/W1/4 page ……. $35 $201/2 page ……. $60 $40Full page ….. $120 $80Business card $15 $10Ads may be submitted as camera ready or in draft.Draft text must be clearly typed.May 25 , 2010.Please send all submissions for the Coton Malgache to:Email: chriswasy@shaw.caSubscriptions to the Coton Malgache are included with a CCTC membership.Make your cheque or money order payable to CCTC. Fees for US and overseassubscribers are payable in US funds.The CCTC is a Canadian non-profit organizat.ion .The opinions expressed in the Coton Malgache are those of the authors and do notnecessarily reflect those of the publisher.The articles in the Coton Malgache belong to their authors and cannot be reproducedeither in whole or in part in any form without written permission of the author.Photos should be clear and in sharp contrast to ensurequality reproduction.Cheques should be made payable to the CCTC.Payment must be submitted before deadline.www.coton.caAdvertising is available on our website.Sponsor Advertising$25 per calendar year for a business card$45 per calendar year with a live link to a website*Breeder DirectoryMembers OnlyLitter Announcements$15 per litter for 3 months$60 per year for unlimited listings$10 per ad for one older dog*Send cheques to Marie-France Prayal418 Vaughan Rd Scotch Village NS B0N 2G0CCTC ExecutivePresident: Karen BlackEmail: karen@cotonwind.com Tel. 877-811-3699Past-President: Marie-France PrayalEmail: polana@ns.sympatico.ca Tel. 902-757-0826Vice-President & Interim Membership Chairperson:Thais FrookEmail: puppies@lakecountrycotons.caTreasurer & Interim Secretary: Barbara FennEmail: barbfenn@rogers.com Tel. 416-483-0780Ontario Director: Joanne MouryasEmail: payzackennel@hotmail.com Tel. 416-282-9253Eastern Director & Interim Western Director:Marie-France PrayalEmail: polana@ns.sympatico.ca (902) 757-0826Newletter Editor/CoordinatorChris Wasylishynchriswasy@shaw.ca 604-876-7106