Breeder F.A.Q

1. Why did we choose the Coton de Tulear for breeding?
We love the temperament, beauty and overall companionship of this wonderful breed.

2. How long have you been breeding and the Coton de Tulear?
15 Years

3. How do we keep ourselves educated and informed as a breeder?
We belong to the parent club, research articles, keep informed regarding health issues from other breeders, both USA and Foreign.

4. Are you a member of an AKC Parent Club or any other dog-related club?
Yes, we have been members with the Coton parent club for 15 years.

5. What is the name of the club you are a member of?
United States of America Coton de Tulear Club

6. Are you actively supporting the breed by volunteering your services?
Yes, we have served on the board as President, Vice President, Representative, Past President, Show Committee Chair, Breed Education Committee, Standard Committee, By-Laws Committee, COE Chair, Website Chair, Registrar, and Newsletter Editor.

7. Are you a Code of Ethics Breeder?
Yes

8. Do you do health screenings prior to breeding a litter?
Yes, WindCrest Cottage is a Code of Ethics Breeders that carefully selects our breeding stock from bloodlines that often have champions in the pedigree, are health tested and have no history of clinical signs of illness, structural abnormalities or temperamental defects.

9. What health testing do you perform prior to breeding a litter?
You may go to website to check health testing of our breeding Cotons. Health tests and screening on breeding stock that includes but not limited to:
Patellar evaluation
Dilated eye exams by a certified veterinary ophthalmologist
Radiographs of all major joints such as the hips and elbows
Cardiac evaluations Genetic Marker testing as needed
10. Do your Cotons live in a kennel or in your home?
WindCrest Cottage Cotons take extreme pride in our Coton family and puppies. Our puppy parents liveinour home, not in a kennel environment; never locked away in a cage without love and socialization. Cotons have a wonderful temperament, but it must also be nurtured by the breeder and the new puppy owner. Early socialization begins on day of birth of our puppies.

11. What sort of educational and support system do you offer to new puppy owners?
Our puppy parents have only to pick up the phone at any time day or night if they have questions. WindCrest Cottage loves our puppies and wants only the best for them. Our puppies are still our babies even if they are 12 years old.

12. What is the commitment of WindCrest Cottage Cotons?
We ensure that our puppies have crucial early socialization in order to help the puppy properly develop. We assist the new puppy buyer with any question or concern regarding their new family member. Weplace our puppies with only the best possible families. Potential buyers must complete a screening questionnaire and/or go through an interview. We have a lifetime commitment to each of the puppy we sell. We continue to have contact with each new family, welcoming photos and enjoy stories regarding their new puppy. WindCrest Cottage Cotons willing will take back any dog we breed, regardless of age, if the owner is unable to keep the dog for any reason.
We require that if circumstances arise in which the puppy/dog must be re-homed, WindCrest Cottage must be contacted prior to re-homing the dog. We never want to see one of our Cotons in a shelter. Companion puppies are sold under a spay or neuter contract with the goals of protecting the individual dogs health and the breed’s future by only allowing the best possible specimens to be bred.
We give up personal time to volunteer for the breed and club in addition to the time they spend with their own personal dogs.
We take time with prospective puppy buyers to help educate them on the importance of buying from a reputable breeder who does health testing and genetic research into the bloodlines of their breeding stock. Oftentimes when Cotons ARE NOT purchased from a Code of Ethics breeder, you will find that you may buy a dog cheaper, but you may pay more for the discount dog in the long run in visits to the vet with ongoing health problems. Why not put the money you may be giving the veteranian towards a quality Coton. The first few vet visits for a sick discount puppy could involve blood work(s) that will exceed the purchase price of the discount puppy. One thing puppy mills and pet stores count on is that after the sale when you take your sweet puppy home, you are willing to keep this sick puppy and pay the vet bills in order to prevent it from going back to the “breeder”. The seller many times will guarantee the puppy by saying, “they will replace the sick puppy”. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, would you want another sick puppy from this person? WindCrest Cottage commits to a higher standard of breeding by only breeding the best quality, health tested puppies. We would remove a treasured dog from our breeding program if they do not meet our health requirements. Our goal is to produce and preserve the best quality, healthy Cotons. We have a passion to learn as much about the Coton de Tulear as possible, we are in the breed for the long haul. WindCrest Cottage Cotons are involved with our dogs. Weshow and compete with our home bred dogs in order to obtain unbiased professional opinions of our dogs and have opportunities to see them compared to dogs from other kennels.

13. What kind of guarantee do we provide for our puppies?
One year guarantee of any genetic disorder.

14. How do we socialize our puppies?
Well-socialized puppies usually develop into safer, more relaxed and enjoyable pet dogs. This is because they’re more comfortable in a wider variety of situations than poorly socialized dogs, so they’re less likely to behave fearfully or aggressively when faced with something new. WindCrest Cottage newborn puppies are held and kissed on starting right after their birth. We want to make sure our puppies are comfortable within human society-a society that includes many different types of people, environments, buildings, sights, sounds, smells, animals and other dogs. Most young animals, including dogs, are naturally made to be able to get used to the everyday things they encounter in their environment-until they reach a certain age. When they reach that age, they are naturally made to become much more suspicious of things they haven’t yet experienced. Mother Nature is smart! This age-specific natural development lets a young puppy get comfortable with the everyday sights, sounds, people and animals that will be a part of his life. It ensures that he doesn’t spend his life jumping in fright at every blowing leaf or bird song. The later suspicion they develop in later puppyhood also ensures that he does react with a healthy dose of caution to new things that could truly be dangerous.

WindCrest Cottage puppies are exposed to classical music when the ears are open. Once they are comfortable with their environment, we will change the CD to different type of sounds. Phone ringing, vacuum cleaner sounds, cars horn honking, children laughing, children crying, screaming noises, different animal sounds. When our babies are 6 weeks old we will take them out in public. They are usually in a baby stroller or a puppy purse. We will visit department stores, banks, Lowes, drive thru windows. They have the opportunity to see different sights and sounds while being protected. Once they have their first and second set of shots, we will let them be touched and held by children and adults. We will also take them to a petstore to view different sights of other dogs and the smell of the petstore. We frequently have playtime with other breed puppies when available. Coton puppies are most accepting of new experiences between 3 and 12 weeks of age. After that age, they become much more cautious of anything they haven’t encountered. We encourage the new puppy parent to continue socialization.