Some of the best examples of this little dog are bred right in Morgantown’s South Park.
➼ Morgantown’s prizewinning breeder of Cotons de Tulear, Adrianne Dering, has done it again. In February, her dog Mimi won Best of Opposite at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York—that’s best of the opposite gender from the dog that wins Best of Show. Then, in March, Mimi took Best of Breed at Crufts in England, the world’s largest dog show, and Mimi’s father, Elvis, took Best of Breed at the United Kingdom Toydog Society Championship Show.
The Coton de Tulear is a small dog named for the Madagascar city of Tuléar and the French word for “cotton.” Its origins on Madagascar are uncertain, but 17th century French colonists fell in love with the dogs and took them to Europe. Several hundred years later, they’re prized for their sociable nature.
Dering bought her first Coton de Tulear in 2006. When she won a ribbon at her first dog show, in 2007, she was hooked. Her breeding program, Hopecrest Cotons, has raised
15 American Kennel Club champions and six European title holders in the Federation Cynologique Internationale. Mimi is the
No. 1 coton in the United States.
Today, Dering has four cotons in addition to Mimi and Elvis. Their next show will be the USA Coton de Tulear Club National Specialty show in Lexington, Kentucky, in September. “Hopecrest Cotons” on Facebook
written by pam kasey
photo provided by Adrianne Dering
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