How did you met the breed?
In 1993  I was looking for a friend to my Tibetan Spaniel male, who was very dominant. So I tried to find a breed which has a funny and non-dominant character. I read about Cotons and then I decided to go to a dog show in Helsinki in the same year and to meet a few Cotons there. After that I called to one breeder and I went to visit her place. I asked before visiting that if she has available puppies and she said she hasn´t. However I wanted to know cotons better and drove there to see her cotons. So when I drove back home, there was sitting a six months old Coton male next to me. This breed took my heart very quickly! Today Cotons are my lifestyle - I love this breed.

Who were your first Cotons?
My first Cotons are Fin Ch Cecicans Armas Aarre and Fin Ch Kin-Sei Khalid and they  came to us in 1994. When my Tibetaan Spaniel was only 4 years old and became blind of Cataract he was put to sleep.Then I reserved a new Coton male puppy and Fin Ch Kin-Sei Zephaniah came to us 1995. Because I was a student I had only males.

    
  Here is my first Cotons from the left:  Cecicans Armas Aarre, Kin-Sei Khalid and Kin-Sei Zephaniah

Can you explain the choice of your kennel name?
Of course! It comes from the Coton being! People are always asking if they have never seen Cotons, that what duster this is... Then they are wondering that how he is so funny. And I wanted the name which tells something of the character of this breed. I got Droll Duster name in 1997, when I didn´t have any females, but yes, I had made a reservation for one.

Orfeo Cristal de Mira Ceti, my new lovely and adorable male from France

What do you think about the Coton evolution these last years?
The Coton has changed, earlier was different types of size, coats and characters. Today is better time and heads became better with expression too. Nowadays I don't understand how can I see so many cotons with high legs or too big size otherwise and also in the dog-shows. Today I can see also more Cotons with bad temperaments. But I think that today we have more homogenies type what earlier - Of course I can see that different breeders have a little different types of cotons. I like types what we have today.

What quality(is) do you favoring in a Coton? What are your selection criterion for your reproductive?
Absolutely funny and sweet temperament (always important for me), hairy coton ball with small but little strong size. Head is very important to me.  Body proportions have to be correct. I mean that so funny breed have to look also sweet. But the whole package is important to me! Pedigrees are very important to me also and a pleasure if there are no sick or carrier names. I am interested of all pedigrees:I´m studying pedigrees and lines very much..

Droll Duster Miss Chifonette, Mr Chat-Cider & Mr Cleaner at 7 weeks old

Health: I look a pedigree always with 5 generations or more. I check if there are carriers and sick names and if so, which place they are.Then I check linebreeding for these and after that I count inbreeding percent. I use for breeding only dogs which have eye and patella tested. I checking my own Cotons every year. Today we have in Finnish Kennel Clubs  PEVISA-program for breeding whats mean by Cotons that both parents of puppies have to be eye and patella checked before mating and results from patellas not effect  to the registration, but both parents have to be free of PRA and HC (Hereditary Cataract) . This program start 1.1.2003 with Cotons.

Type: Absolutely Coton with a typical character what makes of a dog just a Coton: sunshine and funny character, Cotton quality coat, background and tail like a question mark. All them with open and adorable moves. Body relations are important to me, I can't like Cotons with much too high legs for example. I like small size (about 25 cm high) with little strong and around body, wide front and back and straight legs, much and thick coat with a perfect structure. And last but not least I like Coton with sweet being.
        
Head: Absolutely important to me! Sweet expression comes from wide scull, little bit short but wide muzzle and where eyes are placed far away between. If muzzle is too long and eyes are placed between too close, expression comes too obvious. Pigment is always important too.

Tail: I like a tail what looks like a question mark, so it is little open.The tail is also a very visible part of the Cotons.

 
Droll Duster Mr Chat-Cider at 8 months old

When you're breeding, what are the éléments you're taking into account to choose the dam and the sire ?
My breeding plans comes always from these:

Pedigree of  parents and for become to future puppies: I always start my plans with pedigrees. I am a person who wants to keep Cotons base wide, so this is also reason why I´m looking for the new different lines. And the same time I´m always planning my future breeding dogs so pedigrees have to be interesting and different. When I find an interesting possible male for my female, first I put them together in my generation program and check how this health pedigree looks and what inbreeding percent will come and I have to say that by my own rules, it´s not easy to find what I want with a pedigree. I try to keep inbreeding percents on the down, but I know that sometimes have to make linebreeding too.This time is good to know for example PRA sick and carrier names and look by this eyes on the pedigree. Third: at the same time I look for a pedigree how many popular names are found in there.

Both Cotons: Ok, if I like the pedigree, I check better these both dogs. First I looking for dogs with same types. What faults and what adorable parts they have - faults have to go always crisscross. I have a little feeling what could possibly come from this combination and I try to find combination where all the good qualities from the both parents come to the puppies. But I know, we breeders make co-operate with genes and always there can come surprises too.

Impression: A whole is more than the sum of its parts. And together the coton being and type make THE COTON. Perfect character makes a beautiful Coton more better! I have seen Cotons many times with too much dominance and I can't like them. Coton is a very easy breed with character and I want to keep it that way!

Can you describe the "ideal" Coton ?
The standard of Coton is rules for this breed and for breeding. Every breeder look of it little differently and my ideal Coton looks like I wrote on this interview. I think also that we have a special breed among other dog breeds and this should be the one criterion for what we should keep up. Like I wrote: typical character that makes the dog just a Coton: sunshine and funny character, Cotton quality coat, background and tail like a question mark

If you're participating to dog shows, what are your motivations, and what are your criterion for choosing them?
Dog shows are important to me too. I want to meet other Cotons and their owners same all my good friends.The dog show is also a place where we can learn about the breed. Of course I hope that my Cotons win and get CACs, but still I think that more important than this show is to be with friends and other Cotons.

Me and Zephaniah in Kuopio Show 2002 - he was BOB		Me and Real Candy du Domaine de Luniray Judge: Mr TarmoViirtela, Finland   i n Oulu Show 2002 - she was BOS and got her first CAC

Is there a question that you would like we answer you ? If yes which one ? And can you answer ?
What are we going to do when all the pedigrees have the same popular names? So we have to make line breeding and we wait for the coming super puppies... And some day when we use these superpuppies for breeding we can't find a pedigree without the same names what she/he already has in her/his pedigree many times. I can see that many breeders get beautiful puppies like this, but what are we going to do if some popular names get for example inhereditary diseases??? Or have you ever thought that maybe that is one reason why we have PRA today in this lovely breed? I don't know but it's will be possible... All we can check our Cotons and pleasure many times!

Answers and Pictures by Pauliina Koivunen - kennel of Droll Duster