Cotons are one of the most allergy-friendly breeds you'll find, and it's one of the most common reasons families reach out to us. While no dog is ever 100% allergen-free, Cotons come about as close as it gets.

Hair, not fur

Unlike most breeds, Cotons have a single coat of soft, cotton-like hair — which is exactly where the breed gets its name (coton is French for cotton). It feels more like a child's hair than a dog's coat. They don't shed the way most dogs do, so you won't find tufts of hair drifting across your floors or settling into your clothes and furniture.

Less dander, fewer reactions

Most people who are allergic to dogs are actually reacting to dander — the tiny flakes of skin that shed along with fur. Because Cotons shed so little, they release far less dander into the air and around the home. For many allergy sufferers, this makes a noticeable difference, and we've placed plenty of puppies with families who'd long given up hope of ever having a dog of their own.

An honest note on allergies

Allergies are very personal. Some people react to proteins in dog saliva or urine rather than dander, so a Coton may still trigger symptoms in particularly sensitive individuals. If anyone in your family has dog allergies, I always recommend spending time with an adult Coton before joining the waitlist — you're very welcome to come and meet our dogs. It's the only way to know for sure how your body responds, and it's important to me that every puppy goes to a home where they'll be loved without anyone suffering for it.

A little extra care for that lovely coat

The trade-off for a low-shedding, allergy-friendly coat is that it does need regular brushing and grooming to keep it tangle-free and beautiful. But most of our families tell us it's a small price to pay for a dog who doesn't leave hair all over the house.

A Cotonrun puppy is a genuine investment — not just in a beautiful little dog, but in years of careful breeding, health testing, registration and the peace of mind that comes with buying from a registered, ethical breeder.

Securing your puppy

A AUS$1,700 deposit secures your place on our waitlist for a Coton de Tulear puppy. From there, we'll keep you updated as litters are planned and born, and walk you through every step until your puppy is ready to come home.

Total puppy price

The full price for a Cotonrun puppy is AUS$7,700 including GST. That covers far more than just the puppy — it includes everything we believe a new family should have to start their puppy's life confidently and safely:

• Two formal vet health check certificates

• Microchipping

• First vaccination

• One month of Knose puppy insurance while in Australia

• Parentage DNA testing

• Registration with Dogs Queensland, who issue the pedigree certificate in your family's name

• A sales contract with warranties included

• A comprehensive new-puppy information booklet

Why a Cotonrun puppy is worth it

Coton de Tulears are still a rare breed in Australia, and every Cotonrun puppy is the result of years of careful work — importing quality breeding dogs from world-renowned kennels, DNA testing for genetic health, following ANKC and Dogs Queensland best practice, and raising every litter at home with constant care and socialisation. When you bring home a Cotonrun puppy, you know exactly where they come from, who raised them and what they've been raised with.

Ready to take the next step?

Join our waitlist →

I'd love to hear from you and tell you more about welcoming a Cotonrun puppy into your family.

If you'd love a Coton puppy to join your family, the first step is simply to fill in our waitlist form. From there, I'll be in touch personally to talk through the process, answer your questions and help you decide whether a Cotonrun puppy is the right fit for your family. There's no pressure — this is as much about you choosing us as it is about us choosing the right home for our puppies.

Breeding for families, not for sale

As an ethical, registered breeder, I only breed for the loving families on my waitlist. I'm not a puppy farm or a backyard breeder, and I never have litters sitting around looking for homes. Every puppy born at Cotonrun already has a family waiting for them, and that's exactly how it should be.

Meeting your puppy

Once your puppy is born, you're warmly welcome to visit until they're ready to come home with you. Watching your puppy grow over those first weeks is one of the loveliest parts of the journey, and I love sharing it with my families.

If you're not local, that's perfectly fine — many of our interstate families have had friends or relatives in Brisbane pop in on their behalf, and I post regular photos and updates so you can follow every milestone from afar. Transparency matters to me. You should always know how your puppy is growing, who's caring for them and what to expect when the big day finally arrives.

Ready for the next step?

Join our waitlist →

I'd love to hear from you and tell you more about what makes our Cotons so special.

In a word: yes. Their wonderful temperament around children and other animals is one of the main reasons families fall in love with this breed — and one of the reasons we fell for our Gypsy all those years ago.

With children

Cotons are patient, playful and gentle by nature. They're sturdy little dogs, not as fragile as some toy breeds, but small enough that very young children should always be supervised around them — not because the dog is a risk, but because little ones can accidentally hurt a small dog by handling them roughly. What I love about Cotons is how beautifully they read the room: bouncy and silly with older children who want to play, calm and cuddly with toddlers who want a soft companion on the couch. They're not yappy or nippy, which makes them a far easier fit with family life than many small breeds.

With other dogs

Cotons are social little creatures who genuinely enjoy the company of other dogs. They're rarely scrappy and usually settle happily into multi-dog households. In fact, many of our Cotonrun families end up coming back for a second puppy — Cotons keep each other company beautifully and a pair is often easier than one, especially in homes where the family is out during parts of the day.

With cats

This usually depends more on the cat than the Coton. They aren't strongly prey-driven, so they'll generally accept a family cat as one of their own, particularly when introduced young. Plenty of our puppies have gone to homes with cats and we hear lovely stories back about them curling up together.

With smaller pets

Sensible supervision is wise around rabbits, guinea pigs and birds, as it would be with any dog. But Cotons aren't bred to hunt, and most take small pets in their stride.

One honest note

Cotons are what we affectionately call velcro dogs. They bond deeply with their family and don't love being left on their own for long stretches. That's part of what makes them so wonderful with children and other pets — they want to be in the middle of everything — but it's also why they suit households where someone is home for most of the day, or where there's a second pet for company. If your home is busy and full of life, a Coton will be right in their element.

One of the loveliest things about this breed is just how long they stay with us. A healthy, well-cared-for Coton de Tulear will typically live 14 to 16 years, and it's not unusual for our boys and girls to push past 17. Because the breed was relatively isolated on Madagascar for so long, the gene pool stayed clean of many of the hereditary problems that affect more heavily bred toy breeds — they're genuinely one of the healthier small breeds you can welcome into your family.

That said, a long life isn't a given.

The things that make the biggest difference are:

• Keeping them at a healthy weight (they're charming little food thieves and easy to overfeed)

• Regular dental care, as small breeds are prone to dental disease

• Good quality food suited to their life stage

• Regular vet check-ups and up-to-date vaccinations

• Plenty of play, gentle exercise and mental stimulation — Cotons thrive on being part of the family

Health conditions to be aware of

While Cotons are generally robust, the conditions occasionally seen in the breed include hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, progressive retinal atrophy and a small number of autoimmune conditions. This is exactly why we DNA test all our breeding dogs at Cotonrun, even though Australian Quarantine doesn't require it. It's also why we follow ANKC and Dogs Queensland best breeding practices, and why we're so selective about the lines we import. Healthy parents give us the best possible start for healthy, long-lived puppies.

When you welcome a Cotonrun puppy into your home, you're not just getting a dog for a few years — you're gaining a small, devoted shadow for a decade and a half or more.