Cavatons and Cotonpoos are Coton de Tulear crosses, and both are marketplace names with no registry recognition and no written standard. We do not publish a size figure for the Coton itself, because we cannot source one we trust. Every range on this page is therefore anchored on the other parent only.
Why there is no Coton number on this page
Most of our collection pages open with two parent standards and a bracket between them. This one cannot. We can tell you what the Coton de Tulear’s coat is like, because that is the breed’s defining feature: a cotton texture, which is where the name comes from. What we cannot give you is a height or a weight for the breed from a source we will stand behind.
So we do not give one. You will find Coton figures elsewhere, and some may well be right, but we cannot trace them to a breed standard, a national breed club or a veterinary source, and this site does not print numbers it cannot trace.
Read every range below as one-sided. It tells you where one parent sits, not where the cross will land. That is less than you wanted, and it is the truth.
The two crosses
Cavaton (Coton de Tulear and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)
The Cavalier is the anchored half here. Its standard gives 12 to 13 inches and 13 to 18 pounds, unusually complete for a small breed; most give no weight. The Cavalier coat is “free from curl”, a real contrast with a cotton texture, and a Cavaton’s can favour either side or land between. The standard asks for a friendly, non-aggressive dog with no tendency toward nervousness. That is a breed on paper, not a promise about one puppy; individual dogs vary. Our Cavalier mixes page covers that family.
We will not take the Cavalier’s 13 to 18 pounds and present it as the Cavaton’s range. A cross is a bracket between two parents, and here we know one end of it.
Cotonpoo (Coton de Tulear and Poodle)
Ask which Poodle variety is behind the litter first. A Toy is “10 inches or under”, a Miniature “15 inches or under, with a minimum height in excess of 10 inches”. The Poodle standard gives no weight for any variety, so the Poodle side supplies inches and nothing in pounds. Our Poodle size chart covers the varieties.
The Poodle coat is “curly: of naturally harsh texture, dense throughout”, and the standard describes a dog proud in carriage, very active and intelligent. Cotton against curly is the interesting part of this cross, and the unpredictable one: some come in soft, some tighter and coarser, and littermates differ. Either way it is a coat for brushing and a standing groomer appointment.
| Parent breed | Size in its standard | Coat |
|---|---|---|
| Coton de Tulear | No figure we can source, so none published | Cotton-textured |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 12 to 13 in; 13 to 18 lb | Free from curl |
| Poodle, Toy and Miniature | Toy 10 in or under; Miniature over 10 to 15 in; no weight | Curly, naturally harsh, dense |
What that means for you as a buyer
It means asking better questions than “how big will he get”. Ask to see both parents. Ask what those adults weigh on scales you can watch, and treat it as information about two dogs, not a forecast for the puppy. If a seller quotes an exact adult weight for a Coton cross, ask where the figure came from.
Veterinary guidance from Dr. Jerry Klein is that small breeds finish growing around six to eight months and reach full adult size by about twelve months, so you will know your own dog’s size inside its first year. Once grown, judge condition as VCA’s Body Condition Score system does: feel for the ribs and look for a waist rather than trusting the scale, which matters with a coat this full.
Neither cross has a written standard, so nothing above is a specification for either one. It is two parent documents, one we can read and one we cannot. Come and see the dogs themselves in Lawrenceville; available puppies by breed shows what is here.
Common questions
How big does a Cavaton or a Cotonpoo get?
We will not give a number, and here is why: we cannot source a size figure for the Coton, so half of the parentage is unmeasured as far as this site goes. The Cavalier side is 12 to 13 inches and 13 to 18 pounds; the Poodle side gives heights by variety and no weight. A cross lands between its parents, and we see one end of the line.
Why will you not just publish a Coton size range?
Because every figure here has to trace to a breed standard, a national breed club or a veterinary source, and for this breed we cannot make that trace. A plausible-looking number would make the page look more helpful and be worth less. We would rather tell you what we do not know.
What is a Coton coat actually like to live with?
Cotton-textured, soft rather than wiry, and it holds what it collects: Georgia red clay, grass seed, pollen. Crossed with a Cavalier’s curl-free coat or a Poodle’s curly one, a puppy can inherit either texture or something between. Plan on brushing several times a week and a groomer on a cycle.
Come and meet a Coton mix
Every puppy here is health-checked by our on-staff veterinarian, raised in our family home nursery, and waiting to say hello.
1848 Old Norcross Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Mon–Sat 12:00–7:00 PM • Sun 2:00–6:00 PM
