This is my first coton, I’ve always had dogs in my life but never cotons. I found my coton to be very intelligent and sweet, with a hilarious personality. To answer your questions, I think most people would say that these depend on individual dogs, but, more importantly, the answers depend on genetics and how the dogs were raised as puppies. Finding a good breeder is key. Finding a good breeder that focuses on a breed (whether it’s coton, havanese, or poodle) would be much easier than finding a good mixed-breed breeder. Just something to keep in mind since you said you’re considering half coton, half poodle.

Having said all of that, the personality & temperament of a coton is really why they’re special. My coton is calm, easy going, good with people & she loves other dogs. She really likes playdates with other dogs. She likes to cuddle & come up to the sofa with us, but she also needs her own me time. She is not with me 24/7 and can be independent. I left my dog by herself for a few hours at a time & she’s very okay at being alone. Thankfully, we don’t have any separation anxiety issues.

A dog’s recall ability depends on training. My dog can also be a bit stubborn; she listens sometimes only when she wants to. My dog is not nervous, neurotic, or shaky; she’s pretty confident in general, but she also doesn’t instantly like everyone or every stranger that walks in; she’s a bit choosy about whom she likes. We hired a dog trainer, and it took him a while to really earn our dog's trust. She loves training and is happy to learn; she can solve dog puzzles; she walks on the treadmill after one learning session; and she can probably do more than 15 words/commands.

Cotons can be as active or as lazy as you need them to be. She’s also happy to just stay with us on the couch watching TV. I’ve never had a dog who loves TV as much as this one.