"Coton de Tulear lovers throughout the world can rejoice: We finally have the first in-depth, informative, well-written book about our breed written in English! A book of this caliber has been long-awaited and is greeted with much excitement.
This book delves with great depth into many major topics of interest and concern to every Coton owner. Discussed in great detail are the breed's colorful history, characteristics of the breed, as well as breed standards. Also explored at great length are the topics of training for our home companions, as well as obedience and show training, health concerns and maintaining the good health of the Coton, breeding of quality dogs, and responsible ownership. The author's experience as a professional groomer brings the reader an abundance of useful grooming techniques and coat care. Although mentioned, it must be reiterated here that all "foreign substances" such as coat dressings, chalks, powders, etc. are fine to use at home, for the pet dogs, but are prohibited in the show ring, as is scissoring except for neatening of the feet.
Mrs. Carrière has written a book of great significance to all admirers of this charming breed. From prospective or first-time owners, to the professional and experienced exhibitors/breeders, this book is a wealth of knowledge. So much information has been shared with the reader that, I, having bred and exhibited in the show ring for twenty years, as well as judged on a limited basis, still gained an incredible amount of knowledge from this book. This book is a must for every Coton lover!
"Kennette Tabor / Cottonkist Cotons de Tulear
. . . . . REQUIRED READING
. . . . DETAILED CARE HAS BEEN GIVEN
BY LESLIE RUGG (RARE INSIGHT MAGAZINE WEST COAST EDITOR)
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1998
You're the kind of voracious researcher who seeks
every bit of information available on your chosen breed of dog. You've combed the
'Net, bought the magazines, found the breed book in French. Then you discover the
source (in English)--Monique Carriere's book all about the Coton.
It has always been my practice to comment on all that's positive before bringing up the negative. Not only is it polite and respectful to the author, but it prizes value and worth above problems. I've been fortunate in the books I review for RARE INSIGHT. This one, like the others to be presented in future issues, has great merit. But I'm going to break with my own tradition and get the one picayune, albeit personal, stumbling block out of the way first. It is purely an editor's issue, but one I feel can be repaired if Care and Grooming Of The Coton de Tulear goes into a second printing. Authors aren't necessarily perfect spellers or grammarians. Sometimes their manuscripts are chockful of niggling errors that a competent computer spelling checker should catch but doesn't for whatever reason. That's one job a similarly competent editor should perform for his/her author. No one seems to have done it for Ms. Carriere. Occasionally, the reader is going to have to stop and reformat sentences. It is a minor inconvenience; just be prepared to deal with it and enjoy plowing through the thirty-three chapters of quality content that will satisfy your thirst for Coton insights.
Ms. Carriere presents an organized and well-developed learning process for the novice Coton fancier. Even for the experienced enthusiast, the book is so thorough, one can always pick up a previously untried tip. Both interesting and illuminating, about one-third of the book is devoted to grooming. This preponderance of content on hair care should be well heeded in advance of purchasing a Coton and well read and reread when the Coton has come to its new home. When a breed book concentrates so much attention on a single subject, that tells you something significant. In this case, Ms. Carriere covers the gamut from grooming aids and their purpose to grooming implements and supplies, through useful tips in general and specific methods of grooming puppies and weekly grooming sessions, to details about bathing, styling, tipping, and shearing.
The other two-thirds of the book deal with all aspects of care. Caring also encompasses a wide range of meaning. The Coton de Tulear owner must care about the history of this breed. To understand where the breed came from, how it developed, what its purpose or function was all tell the owner something about the nature of this fluff ball, now a member of the family. Indeed, not only is it important to care for the dog in your family but it is also imperative to know the history of the dog's pedigree. All official papers provide clues and establish guidelines concerning breed qualities and temperament, registration value and responsibilities, etc.
A dog may be just a dog, but we breed enthusiasts know that each kind of dog is unique unto its breed. Ms Carriere makes sure to spell out the characteristics of the Coton, including those psychological elements so crucial in picking the puppy that best suits your family. She guides the family through each developmental stage; by the time you're done reading, your understanding and appreciation of all the skills a puppy must acquire not only fill you with knowledge but prepare you for patience and the proper commitment necessary to help the Coton realize its potential.
That potential may be to aspire to the title of ultimate couch potato, an obedience CD, a conformational show championship, and/or parenthood. Whatever the goal, Ms. Carriere tells you the prerequisites and the means for achievement. Part of those plans include health and nutrition, neither of which has Ms. Carriere overlooked. Without a heavy-handed approach, Ms. Carriere gives us ample guidelines to determine if our puppies are show quality or breeding quality. Breed standards are included as is information regarding spaying/neutering when called for. Ms. Carriere even goes so far as to suggest ways to curtail human allergies to cottony coats.
While Care and Grooming Of The
Coton de Tulear is meant to be breed specific, a lot of the content is useful
to an enthusiast of any breed, long-coated or not. The book was published through DC
Publication, 823 Champlain Street, Orleans Ontario Canada KIC IK2. ISBN
0-9698798-0-6.