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15 Coton De Tulear Haircuts & Styles in 2024 (With Pictures)

Chantelle Fowler

By Chantelle Fowler

coton de tulear dog sitting on grass

Coton de Tulears are a rare breed known for their long and cottony soft coat. As you can imagine from taking a look at this beautiful dog breed, their coats require a lot of grooming and maintenance. While you can certainly take care of some of your Coton’s grooming needs from home, most of the time, they’ll require the assistance of a professional groomer to keep the coat looking its best.

You can ask your groomer to cut your Coton’s hair however you like, and since there are countless doggy hairstyles out there, the possibilities are endless. Read on to find 15 different cuts and styles you might consider trying at your dog’s next grooming appointment.

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The 15 Coton de Tulear Haircuts & Grooming Styles

1. Puppy Cut

Coton de Tulear puppy Cut
Image Credit: Eric Isselee, Shutterstock

The puppy cut stands out as a favorite hairstyle for many Coton De Tulear owners. This style requires a more uniform cut, where the hair is kept the same length throughout the entire body. It is designed to make the pup in question look young (hence the title). This style is easy to manage, though you’ll still need to brush it a few times weekly to keep the coat looking its best.


2. Summer Cut

The summer cut runs short throughout the entire body, offering the Coton some respite during the hot months of the year. Because the coat is kept short, mats and tangles become much less of a problem, making your grooming sessions easier and shorter.


3. Show Cut

The show cut requires a lot of daily grooming. It allows the hair to flow out long, naturally, and gives the dog the appearance of floating. Owners may choose to add a topknot to the head and splay the tail fur to make it look as if it is a fountain.


4. Natural

The natural cut celebrates your dog’s natural coat by essentially not cutting it at all. Instead, owners who choose to allow their dogs to have this hairstyle will let their pup’s hair grow naturally and freely. This coat is long and flowing like the show cut and will require brushing and bathing to keep it looking its best. The biggest difference between the natural and the show cut is that you can make this style include rounding of the feet or even add a “false skirt” by shaving the underside of the belly and chest for easier maintenance and cleanliness.


5. Teddy Bear Cut

The teddy bear cut is a lot like the puppy cut in that it keeps the hair one to two inches long all over the body. The face, tail, and ears are often kept round to give the dog a cuddlier, teddy bear-like appearance.


6. Top Knot

The top knot is less of a haircut and more of a hairstyle, but it is great for keeping long hair out of the eyes. Many different haircuts for Coton de Tulears can be made into the top knot style for special occasions. All you need to do is smooth out the hair from the outside corner of the eye to the crown of the head. Gently back-comb it to add volume and secure it with a ponytail. You may wish to add a little bow to the ponytail for a little extra something-something.


7. Fancy Top Knot

Why commit to just a single top knot when your Coton has long enough hair to make it fancier? This hairstyle features lots of small ponies to keep the topknot tangle-free, make a fashion statement, and also keep your pup’s hair out of their eyes.


8. Shaved

Shaving may become necessary for your Coton if their mats and tangles get out of control. Shaving will be much easier on your dog and is the only humane way to de-mat them. Excessive mat brushing can cause hair breakage anyway, plus it is very painful for them.


9. Asian Fusion with Top Knot

This adorable Asian fusion style with a top knot has rounded paws, trimmed ears, and hand-scissored chest and legs.


10. Square Head

The square head haircut, as seen in the photo, leaves the dog with around two to three inches of length on the body. The fur around the ears is cut shorter to make the square head appearance.


11. Round Head

This sweet style is perfect for Coton de Tulear owners who love the look of the round Bichon Frise-style head. Like the square haircut above, groomers keep the ears shorter to accentuate the round shape.


12. Puffy Haircut

Though “puffy haircut” may not be the official title for this style, there’s no denying how accurate it is. This adorable cut is achieved by groomers by hand, scissoring the body and leaving the legs slightly beveled. The Asian fusion-inspired head gives a sweet, poofy finish to this charming cut.


13. Pet Trim

This haircut requires everything – body, legs, head, ears, and face – to be trimmed shorter for easier maintenance. Owners can decide what exact length works best for them.


14. Beveled Legs

The beveled legs look is achieved via hand scissoring. The head and ears are kept round with a shorter chin area. The beveled look is accentuated by the shorter body length.


15. Unicorn Tail

How about this fun pop of color for this Coton? If you are thinking of dyeing your dog’s hair, know that there are plenty of dog-safe dyes available to professional groomers. These dyes have been approved by the Creative Grooming Association and are non-toxic and often vegetable-based. This particular haircut has an Asian-fusion-style square head with rounded ears. The body and legs have likely been hand-scissored.

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What Is the Coton De Tulear Coat Like?

The Coton de Tulear’s coat is their main distinguishing feature. In fact, the breed’s name comes from the coat, after all. Their long, soft, and cottony coats are a huge part of what makes this such a popular breed.

The long, soft coat is actually considered hair, not fur. It is white, though it may have some gray or red roan shading on the ears. Coton puppies are either born all white or white with some yellow or brown spots on their head and ears. As the puppies grow, these colored spots disappear and may leave behind spots that are champagne or gray in color.

The coat requires brushing daily unless you give them a short puppy clip. Bathing will be necessary around once weekly to keep it looking its best.

Cotons shed very little, mainly during the springtime. Because they don’t shed much and are a low-dander breed, they are considered hypoallergenic. However, it is important to point out that no dog is truly 100% hypoallergenic.

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Final Thoughts

There certainly is no shortage of haircuts and hairstyle options for your Coton de Tulear. However, because every groomer has a different vision, name, and cost for each style, we recommend bringing plenty of inspiration photos to your next appointment. A “teddy bear cut” can look different to each groomer, so having examples of what you want your Coton’s hair to look like is the best way to ensure you’ll wind up with the style you’re envisioning.


Featured Image Credit: BIGANDT.COM, Shutterstock

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