Hearts Of Joy™ Cotons
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Availability
Our next litter is expected to be ready for new homes the second week of March, 2026 – From Mo and Teddy. Mo generally has 4 pups per litter, with a variety of colors.
After this March litter, we do not anticipate having another litter available until October of 2026.
We are now taking deposits, so contact us soon to reserve your puppy. The order of choosing a pup is based on the same order of deposits/contracts received, so first deposit gets first pick, etc.
We require a filled out puppy contract (click on the link above) to be sent along with a deposit of $500 to reserve a pup. Our pet puppies are $3,500 each. The deposit goes towards that total.
We are Code of Ethics Breeders, with the American Coton Club. You can find us as listed breeders on the ACC breeder page.
We raise our puppies in our home as part of the family, and are very intentional about providing lots of socialization as they grow, taking them for car rides, visiting our local music studio where they get to hear all kinds of sounds, and meet lots of people – especially children, grooming sessions at home including the use of the blow dryer, so they go to their forever home well able to adjust to their new surroundings!
Our pups are crate trained at our house, and are usually able to make it through the night without an accident by the time they go to their new home. They are ready to go at 8 weeks, but we are flexible on pick-up time, within a reasonable time-frame on request. Your pup will go home with a puppy kit that includes some of the food he/she has been eating, as well as a blanket that smells like the litter mates for ease of transition. The pups will have had their first shot, and a health check from our vet, as well as fecal testing to ensure no parasites.
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook – Hearts of Joy Cotons – to see our vidoes and photos of these wonderful pups!
*Website updated on 12/12/25*
About the breed
Coton De Tuléar: The Royal Dog of Madagascar
The Coton de Tuléar, or “Coton” for short, is a wonderful companion. They make an excellent choice for families with children and are the perfect addition to the family. They bond to humans quickly and become extremely devoted and affectionate making an excellent loving companion. The Coton de Tuléar can be quite intuitive and is often used as an emotional support dog in therapy programs, helping those with special needs. They are sturdy and fast making them great in agility which is fun for the Coton and its owner.
Cotons were bred and developed for the purpose of being a loyal loving companion dog as well as being an excellent watchdog who will happily alert you to the arrival of visitors. They are well suited as loving companions because of their happy personalities, adaptable character, loving nature, intelligence, entertaining mannerisms and overall cuteness. Cotons tend to adapt to the lifestyle of their family which make them a wonderful pet for a broad spectrum of people. They are happy couch potatoes or thrilled to take a long hike in the mountains with you. Just let them know and they will happily follow.
Cotons have been referred to as the “anti-depressant” breed because of their general happiness and abilities to cheer their humans with their smile, playful antics, and general empathetic personality. Cotons are generally a cheerful breed that with encouragement are able to adapt to most anything that comes their way. Cotons are a relatively healthy breed and look forward to living a life of 15+ years.
Cotons are very smart and aim to please their owners. When given verbal praise and the occasional yummy treat, they catch on quickly to training and new commands. They are always up for a new challenge. Many Coton de Tuléar do very well in the show ring with their lovely long coat flowing as they walk around the ring and most Cotons love the attention from people and judges.
The Cotons de Tuléar derive their name from their beautiful long cottony coats and from their original Bay of Tuléar location on the island of Madagascar. The beautiful Coton de Tuléar coat actually has a dual purpose of providing excellent insulation from both heat and cold. The cottony coat is airy and fluffy allowing for air to circulate creating a cooling effect in Summer and an extra layer of warmth in Winter. A Coton in full coat requires daily care but it’s also possible to keep them in a somewhat shorter “puppy cut” for easier maintenance.
In the various Show/Fancy Standards such as European Federation Cynologique International (FCI), American Kennel Club (AKC), & United Kennel Club (UKC) Show Standards, Coton coat color has been bred to be predominantly white in order to win in the show ring but Cotons do have color in their genetic heritage. This intentional elimination of native color works only to the detriment of the genetic diversity and health of the breed as evidenced by current genetic research!
Traditionally bred Coton markings can be black, fawn, champagne, cinnamon, or a tri-color combination. Coton de Tuléar also possess a strong color dilution gene which means coat color will often fade to the appearance of white in the case of Tricolor and Black & White Cotons as a Coton matures though champagne on the ears will often be retained… It’s not uncommon to see a white adult Coton which was very dark in color as a small puppy.
The Coton de Tuléar coat does not shed, thus they are regarded as being hypo-allergenic making them an excellent choice for those who may suffer from dog allergies.
Once you are loved by a Coton, there is no turning back from this charming creature which brings great joy and happiness to your life and will warm your heart for many years to come. (American Coton Club)
Our Story
Bethia and I are a mother-daughter team, and began raising these wonderful dogs together! We found the breed, after a traumatic event happened, where Bethia’s wonderful little mixed breed dog had been hit by a car and killed. I knew how much her dog had helped her, as an emotional support dog, and I really wanted to find her another little dog to fill that role.
We looked at soooo many breeds, but never could find just the right breed for us, until one day, we found this breed called the Coton De Tulear.
Neither of us had ever heard of this breed, and the more we read about them, the more we knew that they were the exact breed of dog we were looking for! We began talking to breeders in California, and soon came home with our first little puppy, Ivy! She has been a joy to own, and is Bethia’s very special doggy friend! We have a beautiful black male, Teddy, who has made some gorgeous babies with Ivy – many happy puppy and people matches have come from these two. But now Ivy is living a happy retired life here on the farm, and our girl Mo (Ivy’s daughter) is giving us some beautiful pups with Teddy -(they are not related).
Teddy is a very special boy, he has had training to be an emotional support dog to our dear friend – who has some disabilities. Teddy has gone to visit her once a week since he was 10 weeks old, and he knows when that day comes each time! He LOVES getting a good brushing and jumping in the car to go see his Bari 🙂
The temperament of this breed is pretty incredible! Many of our puppies have gone to homes where they are being used and trained as emotional support dogs, both for their owners and for the local community. Some are being taken around to local hospitals to visit with patients, going to hang at a local gym for children with sensory challenges and disabilities, and one is serving in a special program, as a therapy dog for all the children that have to go through our local court system! We love this breed, and think that you will too!
Our family lives on the Central Coast of California, out in the beautiful rural countryside. This land has been in our family for generations, and we have been blessed to be able to live here, raising our families together on this big family ranch. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters all live out here! My husband, Douglas and I have a small farm, where we are working to raise/grow most of our food, raising cattle, dairy sheep, rabbits, chickens and pigs, and have done homeschool all the way with our 4 daughters. Our eldest daughter just recently graduated college and got married, Bethia (our second) is currently away in bible school and the younger two are in high school. We are working and learning to raise all of our critters in a holistic way, using the wonderful things that God created to keep them healthy and strong!
Contact
Christine Navolt
Phone: (805)801-9872
Email: joyfulsongfarms@gmail.com
Gallery
Ivy 
Ivy 
Ivy Helmvine Cotons Ivy 
Grapevine Coton’s Teddy – We love this sweet boy! This pic is from when we first brought him home. 
Ivy 
Little girl pup from Teddy and Ivy’s first litter together
Download & View Contract
Testimonials:
“Hi Christine! Teddy (named for his dad) is doing great. As you can see, he and our youngest son style their hair similarly. We love him so much and he is so into other dogs and people. We keep thinking we should get a second… I’ve been bringing him to the hospital with me (since he was tiny, to get him used to it) on the inpatient psychiatric unit and it’s going very well. He’s so loving and outgoing and it’s heartwarming to see the way withdrawn psychotic people will come out of their shells and lay down on the floor and let him love on them. Some of them probably haven’t been touched in years. Homeless people with schizophrenia, etc. It’s pretty amazing. I’m going to get him certified so he can be with me on the unit most days..” Heather
“Hi Christine!
Wow! Sophie is already 13 weeks now and is everything I had hoped for and more in a Coton de Tulear. She is about 7 lbs now, I will get her weight at her 2nd vet appointment this coming Tuesday. She has been sleeping through the night in her crate since day 3 and is about 98% potty trained. She is incredibly smart and curious about everything! Her gorgeous coat is changing color everyday and she loves to be fussed over and have her tears cleaned and coat combed out.
I met with Eva the trainer at my house and Sophie made her look like a rock star! Sophie will do anything for a yummy treat. I was going to do 5 sessions with Eva but cost wise it’s a bit cheaper to take a group class out at Thousand Hills Pet Resort and both Sophie and I could benefit from getting out and socializing with other pups and people, so we start basic puppy classes this coming Monday. If I start to have issues at home I will definitely call Eva back, she is a very good trainer.
Sophie took to walking on leash very naturally.
She is very self confident and walks down the sidewalk with a real business purpose, so funny! Yet she is a real cuddle bug and likes to be held and snuggle when she runs out of gas. She has been retrieving and playing fetch since I brought her home and loves her squeaky pink giraffe the most. I say give, and she will drop it!
She is of course teething and we will both be glad when that’s over!
She is also a little thief! she takes every opportunity she can when I’m doing dishes to steal my socks or clothes! sometimes I forget to shut laundry room (it’s puppy proof) but she knows she hit the lottery of clothes stealing in there and is very quick to drag her stash to her bed and look so satisfied 
She’s extremely sensitive to my feelings and so comforting when I’m feeling tired or have a touch of the blues. I see why they are called the “anti depressant breed” it’s hard to be down with her happy personality.
Everywhere I go people ask what breed she is and that she’s sooo fluffy! When I tell them, they shake their heads and say, I have no idea what that is. So my Coton de Tulear story begins and it takes me 30 extra minutes to get where I was going! 
Anyway, Sophie is the most delightful little companion and my grandkids and I love her so much! She especially likes it when my 4 year old grandson reads books to her, she falls asleep listening 
Thank you again for such a wonderful little pup!
Sophie & Annabel
3 month photos!”
Joyful Song Farms 