Many thanks to clydajo for introducing us to the absolutely adorable Coton de Tulear! Here's some information on the breed so you can get to know it a bit better, too.
"The Coton de Tuléar developed on the Island of Madagascar. and is to this day their national dog. The Coton's ancestors were brought to Madagascar in the 16th century by sailors from Spain and Portugal. Tuléar is a port, which is now also known as Toliara. Sailors at the time routinely kept Bichon- and Maltese-type dogs on their ships to control the rat population. The Coton is believed to be related to the Bichon family of dogs, perhaps linked most closely to the now-extinct Bichon Tenerife.
Legend has it that there was a shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar, and all the dogs on the ship made it to shore. They may also have simply escaped while ships were docked, or have been let go. In any case, for over a century the Bichon and/or Maltese-type dogs lived ferally on Madagascar, and during this time developed into their own breed. The Coton is, in fact, one of the few modern breeds which developed on its own through natural selection, as opposed to human selection for desired traits.
The breed acquired its cottony coat which is thought to be the result of a single gene mutation. This small, friendly dog 
caught the fancy of the Malagasy royalty, and for another hundred years, they were the only people allowed to keep Cotons. Cotons were then given as a gift to a visiting French dignity, and the breed became quite popular in France, where its French name comes from (Coton is French for Cotton). The breed is also known as the Royal Dogue of Madagascar."
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