Email

Could you please post this on your web page. It is urgent that all prospective clients of Jacque Sade know what type of conditions he raises his dogs in. The following is a copy of the letter sent to the CTCA Club, July 1996. Since this letter, Jay Russell has changed his policies concerning recommended breeders and will be inspecting Jacque Sade's kennel.

"Dear Jay,

I visited the house of Jacque Sade on Tuesday evening, July 2nd, 1996. The facts suggest that Mr. Sade treats his dogs inhumanly. According to the CTCA he has at least 28 full grown dogs and Mr. Sade told me at the time that he had 17 puppies in his basement. The dogs are never allowed to leave their enclosure, as stated by Mr. Sade himself.

Two dogs were brought upstairs to show my friend and me.. Both appeared extremely unkempt. One dog's fur was terribly matted and had caked feces all over it's rear. Both dogs were extremely skittish.. One of the males acted as if he had never been around humans, almost as if it has never been touched by human hands. He was terrified to go even near Mr. Sade. Mr. Sade admitted that this two year old dog had never been out of its enclosure.

We were both horrified by the condition of the dogs and asked for my deposit back. I would never buy a dog from someone who abuses and neglects his animals. This man should not be allowed to breed and sell dogs.

My fears are that if these were the best two dogs he could show me, what are the condition of the other dogs in his basement? Mr. Sade appears to be running the worst kind of puppy mill."

CTCA's Response to Sade Letter

Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 22:02:22 -0400

From: CTCACLUB@aol.com

To: All Current AND PROSPECTIVE Coton Owners

To date, the CTCA is doing or has done the following RE: Coton abuse at Sade's Plattekill Kennel:

(1) In a registered, Express Mail letter to Sade, we called for an immediate, official, on-site inspection of Plattekill Kennels. (No one but the government can enter his kennels without permission).

(2) We have published a warning about Plattekill Kennel which accompanies every email or snail mail club response to an inquiry (approx. 200 per month during the Summer; more than 300 per month in the Winter).

(3) We are sending a warning about Plattekill to everyone who has purchased "The Official Coton de Tulear Book."

(4) The Plattekill Kennel scandal is the front page story for the August CTCA Coton de Tulear News. The news is highly influential and has a circulation of nearly 500 (many times more than any other publication about Cotons). It is distributed to both the AKC and UKC Libraries.

(5) We are establishing a CTCA database for breed rescue, with details and a call for participation in the August newsletter.

(6) Of course we cannot physically take the dogs away from Sade, but perhaps the APPLICATION of local humane laws that govern Plattekill can be re-examined. Could you send us a copy of them? If so, then Laurie and I will be more than willing to supply any and all authorities with information about the special needs of Cotons including a Coton's need for proper human socialization. We can testify in person or via deposition, whatever it takes.

(7) We have written a very strong Code of Ethics which will be published in the August newsletter. The Code calls for, among other things, inspections of CTCA breeders.

(8) We will call for suggestions from subscribers to the CTCA Coton de Tulear News about how we or how anyone can handle the Plattekill situation. The club is filled with capable people of good intent.

We suspect that with all the current word out about Sade--and with all the information that will be circulated through the CTCA, CTCA newsletter, concerned Coton lovers, and the Internet, Sade will definitely suffer a huge decline in his business. BUT, Sade will still probably advertise in the next Dogs USA annual. He can place an ad in both Dog World and Dog Fancy. As you noted, Sade is not in violation of local humane laws, ergo, no citizen can legally stop him from breeding or doing business. Kevin Salo, a Nevada breeder who does not apparently run a mill but does breed Pet Quality Cotons, does a booming business despite his lack of any club affiliation. It would seem that all any of us can do is to publish the truth as we know it about how Sade keeps his dogs.

One ironic and terrible twist to this story. IF Sade cannot sell his dogs to his usual rare breed market, then it is our guess he'll start pushing Cotons into pet stores--our greatest fear. That should start a trend that has proven unstoppable for virtually all AKC and many rare breeds. It is, we fear, only a matter of time before mid-Western Coton puppy mills appear.

Please let us know your thoughts.

Jay & Laurie *** The Coton de Tulear Club of America *** Celebrating our 20th Anniversary, 1976-1996

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN - No Puppy Mill!

Subject: Re: Plateskill Kennel

Date: Tue, 16 Jul 1996 04:03:13 -0400

From: LUVCOTONS@aol.com

To: All Coton Owners

Regarding the NY Coton Puppy Mill charges:

This is in answer to Mr. Jim Calamis' outrageous letter on the Internet.

I am a Coton lover, I currently own two and am waiting for another one for my daughter. On Jan. 4th, 1995 my husband and I drove to Massachusetts and New York state to pick up 2 puppies. We purchased one from Jim Luippold and one from Plattekill Kennels. Mr. Jacques Sade of Plattekill drove 20 minutes one way from his (so called) "puppy mill" to meet us so it wouldn't be so hard for us to find his place in the dark. I had sent him the background information and pedigree that the breeder for my female had provided for me. Jacques Sade very carefully chose a little white male according to that information, and my goodness, what a pair they have become.

Well, when we entered the (so called) "puppy mill" --a beautiful newly built house with solid oak flooring and oak trim-- we were greeted by two beautiful white dogs, immaculately groomed. Jacques put them in a separate room because we had our Luippold puppy with us. He went into the downstairs and brought up a pure white puppy. We didn't ask to choose because we trusted his judgment, and we liked what we saw. We had already chosen a name so this puppy became "Siegfried of Plattekill!" Yes, he was shy but very cuddly, and he had just had a bath that day. We asked Jacques to let us go downstairs and see the other dogs, he explained that he doesn't let strangers go down to the dog area because he wants to protect them from outside germs. That made perfect sense to us, but since we were new to the world of the Coton de Tulear, we persuaded him to let us take a peek and he changed his mind. We tiptoed downstairs, and what we saw that evening we had definitely not expected: There was this huge downstairs of this huge house divided into four large rooms with doors to separate outside runs outside each room.

There were several large cages in each room, and in each were beautiful Cotons, all nicely kept. The dogs all had short cut hair so that they stay nice and clean and don't get matted. All Coton owners know how easily their dogs get matted. We were just extremely impressed with the cleanliness of the place and the condition of the dogs.

Jacques explained to us that he has four bloodlines which he keeps very carefully separated. That is why each room has it's own run outside. Mr. Sade is very concerned that his pups are treated well. He gave us a brand new kennel, a towel for inside the kennel and enough for more than a week (even though we would make it back to Chicago in 1 day). He is most concerned that the puppies not be bread too early. He stresses to wait TWO years. Does that sound like a person who runs a "puppy mill"? Have you personally seen what you have so eagerly described? Do you even own a Coton de Tulear? Those two women that you so fondly quote are liars. Short cut dogs could not have been in the condition they described. And the feces: do you really believe an owner who wants to sell a dog would bring such terribly looking dogs to a prospective buyer? How stupid would a person have to be to do such a thing? Mr. Sade has sold over 100 dogs in his lifetime and is an educated man and was formerly a teacher. My guess is that he did not like these two women and did not want to sell them one of his precious dogs.

Furthermore, Plattekill dogs are taking a lot of ribbons at the dog shows. I would suggest that you dig up the "Dogs U.S.A. 1995" yearbook, you will find about 5 Plattekill dogs in there.

Well, Coton owners, don't believe everything you read on the Internet and don't be afraid to contact Mr. Jacques Sade at Plattekill for a puppy, they are sound and healthy and totally wonderful. I just felt I had to set the record straight. For the love of the Coton de Tulear.

Rose Schliesske LUVCOTONS@aol.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: On July 15, 1996 I had a telephone conversation with Mr. Sade. He vehemently denies that his dogs are in anyway mistreated. He further states that there is a bit of animosity between himself and Jay Russell of the CTCA that may have resulted in a premature condemnation of his kennel. He said that he is still investigating the allegations, and will post a response when he has all the information.

Furthermore, while he has resisted having the CTCA inspect his kennel, he has offered to have me, as an impartial party, do an inspection. Since I will be in his area in mid-August, I expect to take him up on his offer and report back.

Even if, between now and then, the conditions, if they exist, are corrected, then the problem is resolved (at least for now), future owners will know what to look for, and the breed has been well served.

In response to the above email I received from Rose Schliesske, I wrote:

I'm glad to receive your response in defense of Mr. Sade. Just for the record, please note:

1. I do one a coton. About 2 years ago I contacted Mr. Sade to purchase one of his dogs. However, I became very uncomfortable when he refused to have me visit his kennel. He said he was in the middle of a divorce and that the kennel was "run down" so that his wife would get less money. All of this left a bad taste in my mouth, and a bought a coton elsewhere. He also used the divorce as a reason to not allow at least 4 other prospective coton owners visit his kennel.

2. Whenever anyone emails me for information on Mr. Sade, I tell them that there are a large number of champions which were breed in his kennel, and that in fact, "Macaroon of Plateskill" is my coton's sire. I also state that he is a recommended breeder on the CTCA's list. Finally, I relate my story about not being able to visit the kennel, and suggest that they contact him and arrange to visit the kennel to either see a pup, or the pup's parents.

3. Last week I had a pleasant conversation with Mr. Sade and received his reply. This reply was forwarded to everyone who had been sent the prior email.

4. Mr. Sade has invited me to visit his kennel, and I hope to do so in August. I hope to find the same type of kennel that you describe, and will post the results of my visit to the Coton Page.

Please note, I am not a breeder, I have no ties to any coton club, and like you, I am a coton lover. Hearing the stories about Mr. Sade was upsettling... finding out that they are true would be even worse. But after hearing story after story, I felt it important to let people know, so that if they buy from Mr. Sade, they will take the time (as you did) to check out his facilities. Hopefully, the complaints against Mr. Sade will prove unfounded, or at the very least, exagerated, but in the interim, both the breed and possible future coton owners are best served by being aware of the allegations and investigating ANY breeder before buying.

I going to add your email to the coton page, so that readers can read both sides of the story.

jcalamis@cotonpage.com

Subject: Cotons and Water

Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 20:08:34 -0500

From: "Lorraine St. Germain" <estoile@AZStarNet.com>

To: All Coton Owners

Does anyone own a Coton who is afraid of water? Mine shakes and runs to the other end of the house whenever the bath water is turned on. She is deathly afraid of anything related to bathing. Can someone offer some suggestions? Thanks!

Subject: Pig's ear chews -- a Hazard or Ideal Dental Exerciser?

From: CTCAClub@aol.com

Sent: April 8, 1996

To: All Coton Owners

Several years ago, a new chew object appeared in pet stores. This new chew object was a pig's ear, cut off as neatly as Van Gogh's amputation, basted in its own fat, and dried. There isn't a Coton alive that wouldn't kill for a pig's ear. A pig's ear is, hypothetically, all natural, completely digestible, and extremely high in fat; on the face of it, good for a puppy if not eaten to excess. An adult Coton could easily consume several a week. And a pig's ear offers a vigorous, dental-scrubbing, gum-exercising chew. So what's not to like about a pig's ear chew?

It has come to our attention that some (many?, all?) pig's ears are swept from the charnel house floor and possibly dried under unsanitary conditions. There are no quality control assurances on the package, and most pig's ears may be imported from Asia and South America. It is not known whether any have been preserved with salt or ethoxyquin (health hazards) or have not been preserved or properly dried (and may be contaminated by bacteria).

In the past, the CTCA has recommended pig's ears because they are so well accepted by even the fussiest Coton chewer and because they seemed to pose no danger to the Coton's intestinal tract. We have never seen a problem suffered by an adult Coton from eating a pig's ear. But, a CTCA member recently lost her three-and-a-half month old puppy to a massive intestinal bacterial infection. The bacteria noticed on autopsy were Escherichia coli, a common gut bacteria which, in proper balance, is essential for the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the mammalian gut. Too many E. coli, or E. coli in the wrong place (like the lungs) can cause serious disease. The attending veterinarian and the owner suspect that bacteria inadvertantly introduced by a pig's ear was the cause of this poor pup's demise. While alternative explanations are possible, we do not feel that pig's ears are entirely safe, especially for pups (who need chewies the most). Additional, recent correspondence on the internet, including one message from another veterinarian, also points out the possibility of bacterial contamination of pig's ear chews.

All this poses a Catch 22 for the Coton owner. All chew objects can potentially cause injury. Bones can fracture. "Nylon" (petroleum product) bones produce tiny slivers of indigestible, supposedly harmless, plastic that are swallowed by the dog. Raw hide can possibly form an intestinal obstruction. And pig's ears, the most avidly chewed toy of all, can potentially introduce bacteria. Yet, if your Coton is deprived of chew objects, it can chew inappropriate objects (your clothes, your furniture). Worse, a Coton who doesn't chew can soon develop serious dental problems which, in turn, can lead to myocardial (heart valve) infections, abscessed and eroded jaws bones, and even death. Even so, we conclude that given the slight evidence that pig's ear chews could be hazardous, and given that there are no quality assurances offered by the producers of pig's ear chews, the CTCA can no longer recommend pig's ear products to Coton owners. The search for safe chew objects goes on...

Nylabone recently introduced a new product line of bone-shaped, rawhide chews called "Roar-Hide." Nylabone grinds up rawhide, melts it, then reforms it into a bone-hard, sterilized chew. Sounds safe and good, no? Well, a "field test" (on our Cotons) showed that Cotons like it (3 out of 4), but not as much as they like pig ear chews. Also, the bone quickly becomes a sticky, tacky, dust magnet. The verdict: humans say, "Yuck"; dogs say "Yum."

For the health of Cotons everywhere,

Robert Jay Russell, Ph.D. President, the Coton de Tulear Club of America

Laurie Spalding, Secretary, the CTCA

Other email subjects

Subject: "Legal Actions" against the CTCA

From: ldamiani@netrix.com

Sent: Monday, April 01, 1996 2:45 PM

To: jcalamis@cotonpage.com

Jim,

Many of us have received copies of legal actions submitted to The U.S. Department of Justice lodged against the Coton de Tulear Club of America (CTCA) and owners Laurie Spaulding and Jay Russell for the following offenses: Mail Fraud (Federal Offense), Federal Communications Fraud (Federal Offense), Defamation, Slander, as well as being turned in to the Better Business Bureau. All of this is widely known about in Coton Circles. Other Coton owners and prospective owners should be advised of this serious situation, but no mention of this has been made on your Coton Page. Shouldn't you put an advisory up regarding this questionable club?

REPLY From jcalamis@cotonpage.com

I have received copies of these "legal actions", and from what I've read, it is my professional opinion (I'm an attorney in NY) that if ANYONE has an action its the CTCA and Dr. Russell. What I've read appear to be nothing more than incoherent ramblings from a rival club of the CTCA. I seriously doubt that any of the agencies to whom these papers were sent will consider them any differently. I've placed a section on the Coton Page for any club that has asked, and the CTCA has been the only club to make use of the section. Neither the person bringing these "legal actions", nor the other clubs, have provided me with any information to rebut my own, very favorable, impression of the CTCA and its officers. Without more, I have chosen not to publish these apparently groundless rumors.

Jim

ANOTHER REPLY From burch@cdepot.net

Okay, okay. Now I've got it. The "legal actions" that "ldamiani" referred to was the document from the FIC idiot from Alabama. Why does this remind me of junior high antics by adults? And isn't it slander to imply that the CTCA is charged with assorted crimes when there haven't been any true charges filed? I mean one man's ramblings sent to assorted government agencies isn't "legal actions," right. It's "allegations by an idiot."

Who do you think "ldamiani" is and do you think the motive is pure mischief? I would love to know who are the "many of us [who] received copies of...." - if that's true. Surely anyone who has seen that document - even a layperson like myself - would recognize it for what it is.

How's the blood pressure, Jay? Hang in there....a quote from the wonderful Anne of Green Gables series on PBS....."The truth will set you free." We also liked "Look smart and act respectful," but that probably doesn't apply here. Works great with kids and dogs, though!

Diane

SPECIAL NOTE: Anyone interested in discussing these "legal actions" at greater length should feel free to email jcalamis@cotonpage.com

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Subj: Heartworm medicine

Date: 96-03-09 21:01:11 EST

From: CTCA CLUB@aol.com

To: SJarman511, Jpccol, Tulear, burch@cdepot.net, ChezCoton, arf@eskimo.com, JFrame1028

Heart Worm--the Mosquito season fast approaches even as we shiver!

All Cotons located in mosquito-prone areas should receive a monthly heartworm pill. The medicine is Ivermectin. It has had a very long, safe history as a horse de-wormer, and it effectively kills the heartworm microfilaria--the heartworm larvae that are injected into a dog via the bite of a mosquito. Surveys suggest that as many as 60% of the dogs in the northeast harbor heartworm, a terribly debilitating parasite that leads to a slow, painful death. Andy, our Coton who lived 18 yrs, 11 months, always took heartworm prophylactic. So did all his long-lived Coton friends. So did every dog at Oakshade Kennel. No problems have surfaced that can be attributed to the medicine. An added benefit: Ivermectin helps prevent certain worms.

Once a dog has heartworm, it is difficult to diagnose until its too late; often open heart surgery is required to remove the parasites. So, it is best to prevent the disease. Ivermectin is available as a monthly pill or chewable called "Heartguard," available from your vet. The medicine is safe. We have heard of no negative reactions and it is virtually impossible to overdose on it. Your dog need not be taking heartworm prophylactics during the non-mosquito season, but should begin taking the medicine about 3 weeks before mosquitos appear. This year, we suspect that smart mosquitos in New Jersey have moved to Florida and California to avoid the Ice Age Winter of '96. The gods only know when they (and warmth) will return.

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Subj: Never leave a dog free and alone outdoors - Ianna and Belou

Date: 96-03-09 18:15:16 EST

From: boiselet@nbnet.nb.ca (Marguerite Landry)

To: jcalamis@cotonpage.com

Our coton de Tuléar, Ianna du Boiselet*, a female whelped on June 29, 1995, was spending the nights in our bedroom while the other cotons de Tuléar and the bichons frisés were sleeping in two different rooms in the basement. Before going to bed, I was putting the dogs outdoors in two enclosures at the back of the house. Our Ianna had the privilege of going out by the front door-and unattached. I was always watching her through the glass pane of the front door. It was just the matter of two or three minutes. A puddle and she was jumping and barking to come in. How easy and fast it was!

One cold night-it was on January 19, 1995-shortly after midnight, during a big snow storm, Ianna went out as usual. Suddenly a huge snowblower with flashers made the corner, and before I could realize what was really happening, the "monster" threw snow in my front yard. The projected snow fell only a few feet from Ianna. The poor little coton panicked and ran for dear life. I told my wife what had happened, I got dressed and rushed to my back yard. I arrived just in time to see Ianna running away between houses and disappearing in the dark. My wife and I searched the neighbourhood until sunrise. We could see her tracks. Nothing else.

We did all we could to find her. We posted notices in six grocery stores, four public libraries and three veterinary clinics. We alerted all the persons we knew, even the local police and the secretaries working at the town hall.

Two weeks later, we received a telephone call. A man by the name of Frenette had seen our notice on the bulletin board of the local library. He had found a female that answered to the given description. We rushed to his home. True, it was a white female with a white long coat, but she was a little too tall, without an arched back and without the tattoo CTB3C in the right ear. Shucks! As Mr. Frenette could not find the owner and could not possibly keep the bitch, he told us he was going to have her put down the next morning.

When I reached home, I gave Mr. Frenette a ring and begged him to keep the found female for a period of three days. Then he could have her put down on the fourth day if I could not locate the owner or find a good home. I even offered to pay him "room and board" for those three days. He finally agreed to my proposal. I could not find my Ianna, but maybe I could find Belou's owner. I alerted all the persons I knew. I made approximately sixty telephone calls. No immediate results. On the third day, I was talking to a lady on the phone. She said a friend of hers, Mrs. Doucet, had lost her little bitch. I contacted Mrs. Doucet right away and announced her the good news. She rushed to the Frenette's home. There was her Belou. My notice posted at the public library had not given me my Ianna, but it had helped to locate Belou's owner.

Fourteen long months have passed since we lost our Ianna. I am still searching. My friends are doing the same. We are still hoping one of these days a friend will phone and announce: "Merville and Marguerite, I have found your coton."

If this story had a moral, it would be: "Never, never leave a dog free and alone outdoor even while you are watching him through the window." The unexpected might happen. Just a few seconds and it is too late.

* Our Ianna du Boiselet was - and hopefully still is - the epitome of the the FCI standard. We miss her.

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Subj: Important information on registering cotons in Canada

Date: 96-03-06 12:00:37 EST

From: boiselet@nbnet.nb.ca (Merville Landry)

To: jcalamis@cotonpage.com

As much confusion already exists about the registration of the Coton de Tuléar in Canada, it is high time someone, in this instance, myself, Merville Landry, a Coton de Tuléar breeder, sets the records straight.

In this country, the registration of individual dogs pertaining to a breed recognized for registration in Canada, and the issuing of identification numbers to individual dogs pertaining to an evolving breed are governed by the Animal Pedigree Act (APA) of the Department of Agriculture of Canada. A club (registry body), who wants to register a breed or issue identification numbers to individual dogs pertaining to an evolving breed, shall obtain the approval of the Department of Agriculture of Canada before doing so. Certification numbers may legally be issued only by the registry body of the breed.

The Canadian Federation of Canada/Fédération canine du Canada is the only registry body who can legally register the Coton de Tuléar in Canada and issue certification numbers to the dogs of this breed. Other Canadian registry bodies, the CKC included, may not legally issue certification numbers to the cotons de Tuléar. A Canadian registry body may not issue certification numbers to individual dogs pertaining to a breed registered in the stud book of another Canadian registry body recognized by the Department of Agriculture of Canada.

AND, in Canada, a certification number only may not be legally used in place of a registration certificate. This applies to the Coton de Tuléar and other breeds.

AND, in Canada, a breeder selling a pure-bred coton de Tuléar shall supply an official registration certificate to the buyer within the six months following the sale of a coton de Tuléar. It is required by law. A certification number issued in Canada and a written pedigree (handwritten or typewritten) by the breeder are far from satisfying to the requirements of the APA. It may happen that new Coton de Tuléar breeders and new owners who are not aware of the existence of certain clauses of the Animal Pedigree Act (of Canada) will be misled and become victims of ignorant or ill-intentioned Canadian breeders.

The breeder who does not supply the new owner with the official registration certificate as required by the APA, within the six month period following the sale of the coton de Tuléar, may be prosecuted.

The buyer who does not receive the required certificate of registration required by law within six months following the sale of the dog may file a complaint against the breeder. The buyer may file the complaint with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The penalty is usually a fine of five hundred Canadian dollars for each dog sold without the required registration papers.

New breeders and new owners are asked not to accept Canadian-bred cotons de Tuléar who are sold without official registration papers. I must repeat that only a certification number issued by the CKC (or another Canadian registry body) and a pedigree written by the breeder do not meet the requirements of the Animal Pedigree Act for the sale of a coton de Tuléar in Canada.

A French translation of this message may be obtained from the author, Merville Landry

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Subj: A Dog's Story

In a message to jcalamis@cotonpage.com dated 96-03-04 22:55:16 EST, the writer questioned:

<< we want a dog that is not an excessive barker nor unfriendly to others - we have lots of friends. We also live on a golf course and don't want the little guy to be a distraction to golfers that are teeing off on our 2nd tee box. Any advice? Are they hardy despite their small stature? Are they easily trained through normal training classes? Are they smart? >>

Let me start by saying I am not a breeder. We first became aware of the Coton de Tulear from a dog magazine, and have had Snowball since September 1995. He quickly became the best dog we've ever owned, and our enthusiasm for him prompted the Coton Page.

BARKING: Except for the occasional bark when someone rings the doorbell or comes to the door, Snowball rarely barks. Even when someone does come to the door, he only barks until they pet him. He often just sits by the front door watching the world go by. (I always hated those little dogs that nip at your feet when you enter someone's house.)

HARDINESS: Snowball loves the snow, even if its over his head (which isn't hard). He literally "hops" over the snow, or burrows under it. When he comes in, the snow is usually caked to his coat, but he likes nothing more than a quick towel drying. I have an 11 year old boy who loves to play rough with Snowball (wrestling on the floor, playing tug-o-war, etc), while my 7 year old daughter just wants him to sit on her lap and watch TV. Snowball seems to know each one's personality and adjusts his play accordingly.

TRAINING: Yep, he's smart too. When we got him he was 12 weeks old. The breeder had him crate trained which was great. Of course, now he has the run of the house, although we limit him to the bedroom when we go out. He waqs easy to house train. The biggest problem was understanding what he was saying. When he would bark, we thought he wanted to play, but we often found a present on the kitchen floor. Snowball has since taught us to respond to his requests ... WE were easy to train. Sometimes he's too smart. If I wanted to brush him I would sometimes ring the doorbell and he would come running, only to be picked up and brushed (which he's generally not to fond of, but tolerates). After a few times he figured it out, and now when the bell rings, he waits to see if I let someone in before he rushes for the door.

Just one more quick story to give you a feel for the breed and I'll let you go. (God, I sound like a proud father)

The other day, while sitting at the computer in my bedroom, Snowball began barking at his reflection in the mirrored closet door. He was barking, growling, etc., apparantly thinking the reflection was another dog. Finally, he became brave and jumped forward towards this strange dog ... but the strange dog jumped forward too, scareing Snowball so much that he ran under the bed.

If you've never seen a coton, locate someone near you and see the breed for yourself. You'll quickly fall in love.

Jim (jcalamis@cotonpage.com)

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Subj: Know your dog better

Date: 96-02-18 00:28:13 EST

From: doucoton@mail.accent.net (SUZANNE LAVIGNE)

To: jcalamis@cotonpage.com

My name is Suzanne Lavigne, and as my name says I am a French Canadian. I too love my dog Bunny. She is beautiful, loving and everything else. But my real profession in Quebec, is astrologer, and I do radio & television appearances time to time.

I would like to give you a short analysis of your dog's temperament.

As you wrote your dog was born July 23, 1995. Well, to start you have a dog with a mind of his own, is very family oriented and needs a lot of affection (I can hear you say, "all dog's need this") you are right, but your dog is independent as long that he feels he is surrounded with family. Sometimes your dog will go into "fits". This is because he cannot express certain anxiety he has. But in all you have a very nice temperament dog. Congratulations.

PS. Please excuse my grammar, my English is not as good as my mother tongue. Ciao, au revoir et à bientôt.

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Subj: Conflicting Coton Standards

Dated 96-02-11 16:38:34 EST

From: jcalamis@cotonpage.com

To: JTaub@ns.net

CC: CTCA Club@aol.com, Amercoton@aol.com

You're right. There apparantly is a major conflict between the CTCA standard and the ACTA standard. You say that your puppy is "pet quality". If the only reason is its coloring, I believe it may still may be "show quality" under the CTCA standard if it meets the other criteria (ie: black nose, sissor bite, etc.), and if its sire and dam are CTCA registered as show quality.

As far as the health issue, from the little I know of genetics, breeding for specific characteristics such as all white dogs will probably only cause problems down the road. It appears to have done just that in other breeds.

I myself purchased a coton specificly because I wanted a white dog. My wife and I have been talking about getting another coton, and if we choose to get another white coton, I would probably look for one that is not from 2 white parents. My gut feeling is that this would make for a healthier and sturdier dog. However, after seeing some photos of tri-colored cotons, I may not choose a white dog for our second coton.

Am I confused by the contoversy between the 2 standards ... absolutely. Do I care ... not at all. I, like you do not want to breed or show my dogs. I just want to enjoy their very special personality. Let the "experts" fight on, while we sit back and enjoy our wonderful pets.

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Subj: Grooming (the eyes)

Date: 96-02-11 17:11:07 EST

From: CTCA CLUB@aol.com

To: SJarman511@aol.com

CC: burch@cdepot.net, arf@eskimo.com, ChezCoton

CC: Tulear, Jpccol, J 4547, writer@shoreline.com

Originally, the Malagasy specified no scissoring of a Coton because scissoring can be used all over a dog's coat to conceal a dog's conformation faults. The CTCA Standard reflects this by saying: "no scissoring..." However, if your dog is not going to be judged in a show ring (and 99%+ of all dogs never see a show ring), then a little trimming can benefit many Cotons. Specifically, many Cotons have difficulty seeing through the fall of hair that covers their eyes--a little trimming can greatly improve their outlook on life, so to speak. Our old male Andy used to periodically rearrange furniture with his head because he couldn't see it. He was happier and considerably less looney after a few choice swipes with the scissors.

Use blunt tipped, curved scissors (available in many pet stores and virtually all wholesale pet supply warehouses). Make sure Princeton is calm and not wiggling excessively. It is often best to have someone hold him. You pull a shock of hair forward with one hand and trim it off with scissors in the other hand. This is difficult to describe, so follow as I type: with your palm over the dog's face, clamp a shock of forehead hair between two fingers, then trim off what is sticking out beyond your fingers with the scissors. Done this way, you cannot possibly poke Princeton's eye (you can, of course, nick your knuckle, but human kuckles are rather odd looking things to begin with, don't you agree?).

Trim the hair above the eyes (on the forehead, albeit dogs do not technically have a forehead). Don't make him look too silly, and leave enough hair to jut forward above his eyes like the brim of a baseball cap. That will help protect his eyes from excessive glare. We usually try to keep this shock of hair uneven (ragged edged) so it doesn't actually look like you've put a bowl on his head and cut it straight across. Practice makes perfect. Laurie usually trims my hair before attempting the same sort of cut on any of our Cotons. She reasons that if I wind up looking like a dork, I can at least talk my way out of (or further into) that impression.

Brown stains. Brownish-pinkish-red (try cinnamin) stains around a dog's mouth are probably just the usual saliva and mouth drool that accompanies eating dinner or chewing a bone. Stains on a dogs feet, groin, butt, etc. may indicate that a Coton is chewing/licking those areas because of fleas (or even A flea) or some other irritation (nails too long, a burr in the paw, etc.). There could be many reasons. But it would seem Princeton's stains are about his eye or eyes--these stains are common in Cotons and are caused by excess tear production and/or a blocked tear duct. Note that glare, bright sun, and wind-blown sand or dust can all cause a Coton (or any other mammal) to tear excessively.

First, while trimming away the hair over Princeton's eyes, look at the inner corner of the eye/muzzle area. Do you see hair there that curls inwards toward the eye? Virtually all Cotons have this and it really irritates their eyes and causes many tears. Trim it down. While you're at it, cut away any other hair that is curling toward the eyes and that could potentially be irritating the eye. Be careful: use those curved scissors and keep the tips curved away from Princeton's face. If Princeton is calm, this is a piece of cake. If he's really quite wiggly, maybe you better let a vet/groomer do it until you get the hang of it.

After trimming, use a cotton ball to wipe away the excess moisture (that causes the stain). DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide to bleach the stain …. H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) can permanently scar a cornea. Note, however, you can use H2O2 to bleach out stains elsewhere on a dog's body--just don't let the solution get in their eyes.

After trimming the offending hair away from Princeton's eyes, wait a while (a week, say). If the staining persists, there may be something else happening here. He could have very long eyelashes that curl back in his eye every so often (this is uncommon, but it does happen). More likely, if the staining persists and his eyes do not look chronically overwatered, he may be suffering from a blocked tear duct. The tear ducts, located at the inner corner of the eyes drain tears down a pipe (duct) and into the throat. If blocked, the tears well over and pour down the muzzle, creating a stain. It's vet time... your vet can put a dye in Princeton's eye and, if the duct is patant (open), the dye will quickly run out his nose (this doesn't hurt a bit). Ask your vet if he'd recommend first to treat the blockage with some antibiotic/saline drops. After all, the duct could be clogged with crud (sort of like an ear canal can occlude with wax and nasty bacterial stuff). If the eye drops don't do the trick, then it might be necessary to physically widen the duct via relatively simple veterinary surgery. Years living with chronically and severely blocked ducts can actually lead to serious oral and even myocardial bacterial infections.

NOTE: it is wise to question (no, drill) your vet regarding what experience he/she has had opening up blocked tear ducts. How many times has he/she perfomed the surgery? Did he/she ever have complications? Do not assume that a vet is any good (just as you should not assume that an MD is any good). We suspect the ratio of good to bad vets may approach 1:1 in the real world. Shop around if you are uncomfortable.

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Subj: Coton Halitosis

Date: 96-01-02 18:09:02 EST

From: CTCA CLUB

To: jcalamis@cotonpage.com

CC: burch@cdepot.net

Dear Jim,

Hmmmm bad breath in a Coton, eh? Several possibilities here. We'll just go down a list in no particular order:

[1] Your Coton is eating its feces (rather commonplace, especially if the pup disappears in the backyard for a period of time and returns to your doorstep smiling). Pups learn ceacophagy from their mother (who dutifully cleans the whelping chamber by eating the pup's feces).

[2] Your pup is licking itself a lot (usually licking its genitalia).

[3] Your Coton has a dirty mouth. To check, pry open the mouth and examine the gumline and teeth. Are the teeth pearly white right down to the gums? Are the gums pink, but not red or overly white? Any other coloration may indicate bacterial gingivitis and potential caries--and the need for a professional dental cleaning and/or your own daily brushing of its teeth with an appropriate dental enzyme (available at your vet). Cleaning your Coton's teeth can be as much fun as, say, beating yourself with a sharp stick. People tell us that eventually, the pup learns to like it.

[4] Your pup has retained a deciduous (puppy) tooth which is now rotting. This condition, technically called "RD," is not uncommon in Cotons and is obviously worth a trip to the vet if you suspect this situation.

[5] An abcess (big knot of infection, usually at the base of a tooth), will also smell sometimes. Absesses in particular and gum infections in general can lead to myocardial (heart valve) infections.

[6] Cheerios, as I recall, are loaded with sugar [the carbohydrate goes right to sugar with the action of salivary amylase, a mouth digestive enzyme]. If so, the subsequent bacterial decomposition of sugar leads to the production of really yucky odors. It isn't very good for the gums and enamel, either. {Ed. Note: I had mentioned that I give my coton a small dish of Cheerios in the morning while I ate breakfast}

[7] In general, we've found that Cotons do not do well on lamb diet. Could be a sour stomach condition. Your little pup should still be on Growth food (like Science Diet Growth or Proplan Growth) until one year old. Note that Science Diet now makes a Lamb Formula Growth that two of our Cotons (a lactating mother and a 7-month old) seem to enjoy.

[8] Puppies have a strange sort of puppy odor. We've observed that women (humans) rather enjoy the smell of puppies ("Ahhhh, how cute," they say) whereas men (also sometimes considered humans) wrinkle their noses up and say "Oh yuch, puppy breath!" So, what does your WIFE think of your pups' breath? We've found that an occasional Milk Boner does help clean the teeth (just like the ad says) and clear the breath a bit (ditto). Of course by now, your puppy should not smell much like a puppy but should smell more like a juvenile.

[9] All bets are off if your Coton has bad breath AND is showing signs of excessive thirst (polydipsia), vomiting, and/or borborygmus (gurgling sounds from the gut). These can all indicate big problems not mentioned in this reply. Let us know.

You can pass these comments on to the page if you think them of use to others. Happy New Year to You and Everyone on the Coton Page!,

Jay Russell, Ph.D.,

President, the CTCA

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Subj: An inexpensive book

From: JSweetone

To: Jpccol, GLuddy, AND, CTCA CLUB

… I read a book named Small Dogs, a Barrons book, 250 Wireless Blvd. Hauppauge, NY 11788, by Armin Kriechbaumer, that costs only $7.00 in paperback, that describes the various breeds, Maltese, Coton, Havanese, and Bichon Frise, and various other small dogs simplistically and briefly, but well, with an incredibly endearing picture on the back inside cover of three Coton de Tulears and two little girls, that is worth the cost of the book…

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Email Other Coton Owners and Fanciers - The people listed here want to talk to other coton owners, or those interested in the breed. Feel free to drop them a line.

(Send an email to jcalamis@cotonpage.com to add your address to this site)

United States

Alabama - Tomboss@aol.com (Tom Argent)

Arizona - Foleytom@aol.com (); 102225.1623@CompuServe.Com (Alvin and Brenda Magnon); MTHanlon@aol.com (Robert and Maureen Hanlon); gram@primenet.com (Colleen Gyori )

California - EvelinD@aol.com; Ltlpanda@aol.com; jimhill@ix.netcom.com (Ann Hill); burch@cdepot.net (Diane); Linsifer@aol.com (Lindsey McConnell); Jsweetone@aol.com or Jsweet1@ix.netcom.com (Jennifer Sweet)

Colorado - Janibug@aol.com (Jan G.)

Connecticut - lyee@julian.uwo.ca (Leslie)

Florida - brucewinter@msn.com (Bruce Winter); 102225.1623@CompuServe.Com (Alvin and Brenda Magnon); destiny316@juno.com (Mark Hancock); Tcandela@aol.com; bem@htcc.com (Barbara and Joe Merkt);

Illinois - Cotonlovr@aol.com (Mary Fara); Doculabs@aol.com (Connie Fox)

Kansas - Jdavis4326@aol.com (Janet Davis); hamad@worldnet.att.net (D. Maddy)

Kentucky - shadow@mursuky.campus.mci.net (Lisa and Steven Tinsley)

Mayland - blair@connext.net (Michael Blair)

Massachusetts - gaudreau@capecode.net (Dawn Gaudreau); sally@midnight.com (Sally Eyring)

Michigan - Nellpet@aol.com (Kathy); Zigpet@aol.com (Kathy's Daughter)

Minnesota - CotonTimon@aol.com (Jerry)

Mississippi - CDES12@aol.com (Carol)

New Jersey - Mopsters@aol.com (Debbie Pleasic); Stefanie.Lichtstein@nbc.com (Stefanie J. Lichtstein)

New York - New York - jcalamis@cotonpage.com (Jim Calamis); Tkochan@aol.com (Tom & Cheryl); dsalmon@WEBSPAN.NET (Benedicte Caneill and David Salmon); WFBOR@aol.com (); SandeeSLS@aol.com (Sandy and son Ryan); GDS22@aol.com (Gail & Mark Silberman) mailto:mhonig@gte.net mhonig@tomhannock.com (Marvin & Nedda Honig); ASWR13@aol.com (Anne); Junmintz@aol.com (Ilisa & Guy Mintz)

North Carolina - HANNAJ@RJRT.COM (Joni Hanna); cranialone@mindspring.com (Pat Donohue)

Oklahoma - tharr@earthlink.net (Donna & Terry Harriman)

Pennsylvania - TSC1233@aol.com (Tim & Donna Jean Cobb); khirsch@juno.com (Jack & Kathy Hirsch), 1artlake@voicenet.com (Arthur & Suzanne Stapler); Aurelia521@aol.com (Maryaurelia Newlin)

Texas - Taracotons@aol.com (Carol Hughes); mailto:sylvia_j@texmed.org sjjordan@worldnet.att.net (Sylvia & Calvin Jordan); adcockfam1@aol.com (Barbara Adcock); blujean@mail.phoenix.net (Jeannie Harlan); CotonCasa@aol.com (Juli Renois); clover1@flash.net (Jane Arrington); sbearden@xroadstx.com (Sandra Beardon); nievesc@gdls.com (Carlos & Lyn Nieves)

.Virginia - Pamc@infi.net (Pamela C. Brown); WITSST@aol.com (Susan & Bill Teschke)

Washington State - mking@atl.com (Marty King); sammilou@owt.com ( )

West Virginia - jtuckley@miworld.net (Jan D. Tuckley)

Belgium - Didier.ulrici@ping.be (Jean Ulrici); vanrie@g-net.be (Elke)

Canada - boiselet@nbnet.nb.ca (Marguerite Landry); Paws@soonet.ca (Barbara McMillan - professional groomer); synergie@lannon.qc.ca (Sara France Saint-Pierre); doucoton@total.net (Suzanne Lavigne - professional astrologer, can give a free analysis of your dog's temperament); 71064,1600@compuserve.com (Carole et Jean); cyberperk@cyperperk.com (Jason has no computer, please correspond by mail to 110 Boteler St., Apt# 310, Ottawa Ontario kin 8w8 or phone (613)231-2936); ancoeur@info-internet.net (Annie Dumontier); fallist@tube.com (Francesca Falcone)

Finland - Anne.Mela@pp.inet.fi (Anne Mela); susannas@arlainst.fi (Susanna Sandelin); maasalo@dlc.fi (Maria Maasalo); jussijo@hoffi.hamkk.fi (Johanna Jussila); delete@kauhajoki.fi (Sirpa Nurmela); sari.penttila@pp.inet.fi (Sari Penttilä); nils.lindholm@pp.inet.fi (Nisse Lindholm)

France - o_dowd@worldnet.fr (Eric et Marie-Christine O'Dowd); WUHETGF@aol.com (D. Villa)

Germany - igcoton97@aol.com (Dieter & Silvia Faust); thomas.ana@planet-interkom.de (Ana Salgueiro)

Holland - mia@si.hhs.nl (Mia van Let); ttwubben@pi.net (Therese en Ton Wubben); a.white.challenge@pi.net (Jacqueline & Don Verschuren); kideros@wxs.nl (Karen Wagenaar); A.Kroon@net.HCC.nl (Cally Kroon)

Italy - mazzei@fastnet.it (Laura Mazzei); cotonbrie@wnt.it (Elisabetta De Luca)

Sweden - robert.stiverius@sommaren.pp.se (Robert Stiverius); mg12084@gaia.swipnet.se (Eva Swahn); lars_g_b@algonet.se (Lars Bengtsson); bryonys@swipnet.se (Monica Hjelm)

Switzerland - rosamar@active.ch (Nancy Hall Chumachenco)

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