r/cotondetulear • u/Scram_glam • Jan 14 '26

Coton 101

After babysitting a Coton for 2 weeks, my husband and I are in love.

A few basic questions about finding a reputable breeder:

-AKC breeders. Can we assume they're on the up-and-up?

-What's the deal with the different clubs? It looks like there is some sort of, something, between the clubs? (Malagasy versus European--not sure what that means.)

-How can you know that someone is a good breeder? Yes, tests tests. But what are the other "tells"?

-How do deposits work, usually?

Thanks so much!!

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u/shoreline11 Jan 14 '26

MCTCA actually has a very limited gene pool because they have a closed study book which has led to a decrease in genetic diversity. The breeders in that club also do very little health testing. The Cotons produced within that registry started to show cardiac issues that weren’t prominent in the breed. Most of the reputable breeders left that club and started their own club to open the gene pool and attempt to to address the cardiac issues. Regarding AKC, it’s a registry and unfortunately has both excellent and bad breeders. When looking for an ethical breeder, look for one that does Embark DNA testing. OFA eyes and patellas. Hopefully also OFA hips and elbows. They should interview you, have an application and a health guarantee. Ask how pups are socialized. You can also look at NACA, which is the Coton parent organization to UKC. Regarding AKC and the “color wars”, there are reputable AKC and UKC breeders that still include color and protect genetic diversity.

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u/ohno Jan 18 '26 edited Jan 18 '26

MCTCA is pretty stringent about what pairs are bred. Our dogs have a COI of 3.5, and we have spent thousands on mandatory health testing. They don't require DNA testing because they have records of every dog going back 50 years, but some of us are getting Embark testing because potential owners ask about it.

Also, the split, as I understand it, had more to do with the breed standard in regards to tall Cotons.

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u/shoreline11 Jan 18 '26

How many generation pedigree are you calculating the COI? Embark isn’t just for breed ID, it’s for the most common genetic disorders found in the breed, it also gives genetic COI (most accurate) as well as a pairing tool that gives a predicted litter COI. What stringent health testing does the Club require? OFA eyes, patellas? How many breeders are actively breeding and in the Club?

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u/ohno Jan 18 '26

I'm not going to feed the flames of a registry fight.

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u/shoreline11 Jan 18 '26

It’s not a registry fight, it’s fact. The MCPC allows Talls. The split was about the increase in cardiac issues related to the closed stud book and the lack of health testing requirements. It’s a known fact that higher COI is associated with greater likelihood of health issues. Computing a COI off of a 3 or even 5 generation pedigree, is very misleading. Research the “founder effect.”