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Pet Quality, what do you mean pet quality??? What better quality do you want from me
anyway? I’ll be your constant companion, I’ll love you even if you’re fat, ugly, dumb and
maybe even more if you have bad breath!
And therein lies the truth. A pet Coton has the same qualities that attracted you to the
breed in the first place. Most people couldn’t tell the difference between a pet and
show quality Coton if their lives depended upon it! The fact is, oftentimes you may be
getting a show quality Coton with a spay/neuter contract for a pet price. Rumor has it
that roughly 30% if Cotons from a litter may be of show/ breedable quality. Not all of
those dogs get sold as show and therefore go as pets.
So, what exactly makes a show quality dog you might ask? There are structural aspects
we look at such as the angle of a joint, the set of a tail, the length of the loin, the
proportion of muzzle to total head, the position and length of the ears, the shape of the
skull, the ratio of length to height, the pigment of the eye, nose and paw pads, the
number and alignment of the teeth, the feel, color and texture of the coat, the way the
dog walks…are you bored yet? Nowhere is there included a three legged dog, a dog with
kidney disease, a blind and deaf dog in the category of pet quality dog. This is not to say
that there aren’t puppies born with health problems; I did actually have a 3-legged dog
whom by the way, made an excellent companion. Needless to say though, the extent of
his disability was fully disclosed. A puppy with a pre-existing health problem may be a very
good pet but these aren’t what we are referring to when we say pet quality.
Bottom line is this, if you are purchasing a pet quality dog, you are getting a dog that
displays the characteristics of a Coton but may not be the best choice to contribute to
the improvement and continuing quality of the breed. A less than perfect bite will not
impact your puppy but continuing to breed a dog with a poor bite perhaps to another
dog with a poor bite may result in a Coton with a less than functional bite.
anyway? I’ll be your constant companion, I’ll love you even if you’re fat, ugly, dumb and
maybe even more if you have bad breath!
And therein lies the truth. A pet Coton has the same qualities that attracted you to the
breed in the first place. Most people couldn’t tell the difference between a pet and
show quality Coton if their lives depended upon it! The fact is, oftentimes you may be
getting a show quality Coton with a spay/neuter contract for a pet price. Rumor has it
that roughly 30% if Cotons from a litter may be of show/ breedable quality. Not all of
those dogs get sold as show and therefore go as pets.
So, what exactly makes a show quality dog you might ask? There are structural aspects
we look at such as the angle of a joint, the set of a tail, the length of the loin, the
proportion of muzzle to total head, the position and length of the ears, the shape of the
skull, the ratio of length to height, the pigment of the eye, nose and paw pads, the
number and alignment of the teeth, the feel, color and texture of the coat, the way the
dog walks…are you bored yet? Nowhere is there included a three legged dog, a dog with
kidney disease, a blind and deaf dog in the category of pet quality dog. This is not to say
that there aren’t puppies born with health problems; I did actually have a 3-legged dog
whom by the way, made an excellent companion. Needless to say though, the extent of
his disability was fully disclosed. A puppy with a pre-existing health problem may be a very
good pet but these aren’t what we are referring to when we say pet quality.
Bottom line is this, if you are purchasing a pet quality dog, you are getting a dog that
displays the characteristics of a Coton but may not be the best choice to contribute to
the improvement and continuing quality of the breed. A less than perfect bite will not
impact your puppy but continuing to breed a dog with a poor bite perhaps to another
dog with a poor bite may result in a Coton with a less than functional bite.
Pet Quality
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