Reading a Pedigree
COI, health clearances, and titles are not decoration. A short literacy guide to reading a Coton’s pedigree the way a breeder reads it.
A pedigree is not a certificate of prestige; it is a record of decisions. Read correctly, it tells you what a breeder values and what they have been willing to refuse. Three things repay close attention.
What COI actually means
The coefficient of inbreeding — COI — estimates the probability that two copies of a gene are inherited from a common ancestor. Lower is safer: it widens the genetic deck the puppy is dealt and lowers the odds of doubling a hidden fault. A responsible Coton programme keeps COI deliberately low and can tell you the number for any planned pairing, calculated over a meaningful number of generations rather than a flattering few.
The clearances that matter
For this breed, the clearances worth their paper are eyes, patellas, hips, and heart, each issued by a named, accredited laboratory rather than a general vet’s reassurance. A clearance is specific, dated, and verifiable; a vague claim of “fully health-tested” is not a clearance. Ask to see the certificates, and ask who issued them.
Titles, in context
Show titles are not the point of a companion dog, but they are evidence that a dog has been assessed against its breed standard by people with no reason to flatter it. Read titles as a second opinion on structure and temperament — useful, not decisive.
Questions to ask any breeder
- What is the COI of this pairing, and over how many generations?
- May I see the parents’ health certificates, with laboratories named?
- What is your take-back policy for the life of the dog?
- Whom have you recently declined, and why?
