For Love of a Dog: Barbra Streisand and Sammie, her Coton de Tuléar

Barbra Streisand (born April 24, 1942) is multi-talented, having carved impressive niches for herself as singer, actress, film producer, director. But one of her most personally satisfying roles is as a dog lover. Barbra has been accompanied throughout her adult life by a succession of dogs, totalling four. Her canine friends have all been variations on a theme: petite, snuggably portable, hypoallergenic, snowy white canines with expressive dark eyes.

First there was Sadie, a white French poodle puppy gifted to her on his 23^rd birthday, on April 24, 1965, by the cast of the hit Broadway musical, “Funny Girl,” in which Barbra was starring.

Barbra serenaded Sadie with “Look At That Face,” from the musical “The Roar of the Greaspaint The Smell of the Crowd,” during the star’s March 30, 1966 televised special, “Color Me Barbra.”

Sadie was photographed contentedly snuggling against Barbra for the cover of the March 18, 1966 issue of Life. Apparently storied photojournalist Bill Eppridge (born March 20, 1938) was experiencing unending difficulties in the photo session and finally in exasperation thrust Sadie into Barbra’s arms and vented:

“Here, take this damn dog. It’s the only friend you’ve got in the place.”

Startled but immediately put at ease by her beloved pet, Barbra broke into a smile, and Bill got the perfect cover shot. (Bobbi Baker-Burrows, “Bill Eppridge: A Personal Reflection on the Photographer in a Tumultuous Time,” The Digital Journalist, June 2008)

Sadie apparently passed away in the 1970s and was succeeded by Sadie II, a miniature white French poodle who closely resembled her predecessor and was a gift from Barbra’s then-boyfriend, movie producer Jon Peters (born June 2, 1945).

Sadie II joined Barbra on the cover of Barbra’s 22^nd album, Songbird. 

Barbra’s next dog, Sammy, was a male bichon frise whom she selected on January 15, 1994. Barbra was immediately drawn to him:

“He was so calm, he calmed me.” (Marilyn Bethany, “Barbra Streisand shares the album of the house she called home for 20 years,” In Style Magazine)

During an appearance on “Oprah” on October 14, 2003, Barbra Streisand sang  “Smile,” which she dedicated to Sammy, who had passed away earlier that year. “Smile” was included on Barbra’s 32nd album, The Movie Album.

Barbra’s current canine companion, Sammie, who was only five months old, was then brought out for Barbra to hold and introduce to Oprah's audience. Barbra explained:

“This is my new little baby. I’ll tell you what happened. I went into an antique store. I didn’t know when I could get a new dog. And my friend had this baby.

“Oh my God look at this face. (Licks Barbra’s face)

“Look at this face. Could you die?

“I mean, I went into this antique store. My friend had this little dog.

“Look at this girl. (Licks Barbra’s face)

“Look at this girl.

"And this is a coton, and my husband saw how I loved this little dog that my friend had, and he bought it for me for our fifth anniversary.

"And she’s a girl. She’s a girl named Samantha, after Sammy. So she’s my new little girl Sammie.” (Oprah Show, October 14, 2003)

Sue Balmforth, friend, antiques dealer, and coton de Tuléar aficionado

Barbra became familiar with Sammie's breed through her longtime friend, Sue Balmforth, owner of Bountiful, an elegant American and European antique shop in Venice, California. Sue is an aficionado of Sammie’s breed, coton de Tuléar, and has several cotons of her own.

Marilyn Smart and Simply Grand Cotons

James Brolin was determined to gift his dear wife with a coton de Tuléar puppy. He was ultimately referred to breeder Marilyn Smart, whose kennel, Simply Grand Cotons, is located in Phoenix, Arizona. James subsequently purchased Sammie from her.

Barbra to Oprah: “Jim made the perfect choice for me”

Several years later Barbra reaffirmed to Oprah Sammie’s importance in her life:

“My puppy, Sammie, has that kind of unconditional love for me, and it’s so satisfying. She’s happy every time I walk into a room. Jim made the perfect choice for me.” (“Oprah Talks to Barbra Streisand,” O The Oprah Magazine, October 2006)

Sammie Streisand’s eighth birthday in May 2011

In May 2011 Sammie Streisand will celebrate her eighth birthday, and her birthday --- like all of her days with Barbra and James --- is sure to be filled with love and joy.

Every year Sammie is gifted with an antique as a birthday present from Sue. One of the birthday gifts, an antique doll bed, is one of the items in the “Antique Shop” in the basement of Barbra’s farmhouse-barn, which she designed and which is the subject of My Passion for Design, Barbra’s venture into a new niche as author (My Passion for Design, pp. 202-203) 

Not only does Sammie play a cherished, prominent role in Barbra's personal life, but she is also an integral part of Barbra's professional life.

Touring with Sammie in 2006 and 2007

Sammie accompanied Barbra on her 2006 North American Tour, which opened in Philadelphia on October 4 and closed in Los Angeles on November 20, 2006.

Barbra was also escorted by Sammie for her 2007 European tour, which opened in Zurich on June 18 and closed in London with three concerts on July 18, July 22, and July 25.

French Legion of Honor Medal

During the European tour, Barbra performed on June 26 at Paris’ Bercy Stadium (Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy). Sammie joined Barbra onstage while Barbra regaled the audience with her final song, “Smile.”

Two days later on June 28, 2007, she was awarded an honorary Legion of Honor Medal by French President Nicolas Sarkozy (born January 28, 1955). Her son Jason Gould (born December 29, 1966) and her husband James, as well as her beloved Sammie, posed for photographs after the honor, which was the first bestowed by President Sarkozy since assuming his office on May 16, 2007.

Sammie appears on the back cover of Barbra’s 34^th --- most recent --- album, Love Is the Answer, which was released on September 29, 2009.

Certified Gold on November 13, 2009, Love became Barbra’s 51^st Gold record in the United States.

In 2010 Sammie appeared on the cover of Barbra’s venture into authorship, My Passion for Design. References to Sammie are interspersed throughout the book, which details Barbra’s designing, overseeing construction of, and decorating a living museum for her beloved antique furnishings and artwork on her three-acre property in Malibu, California.

Sammie is lovingly included in the Acknowledgments, in between Barbra’s representative Marty Erlichman and her husband James Brolin:

“Samantha, my furry little girl who never takes a bad picture, as you can tell from this book” (My Passion for Design, p. 295)

The breed of coton de Tuléar (“cotton from Tuléar”) is a small dog, with medium to long hair (not fur), in the bichon family. Its coat of hair is likened to the softness of cotton. Now known as Toliara, the major port city of Tuléar is the capital of the southwestern region of Atsimo Andrefana, which is the island’s largest region.

Cotons were developed from the coton de Réunion (“cotton from Reunion Island”), now extinct, which developed from the Canary Islands’ bichon Tenerife. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries cotons de Réunion were transported to the pirate haven island of Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa, and developed into the modern-day cotons de Tuléar. As companions of the island’s ruling tribe, the Merina, in the nineteenth century, cotons de Tuléar became known as the royal dog of Madagascar.

From Madagascar to the United States

In terms of the United States, cotons were discovered by Robert Jay Russell (Ph.D., Anatomy and Zoology, Duke University) in 1974 while he was conducting a two-year field study of lemurs on the island. Dr. Russell subsequently began exporting the rare and pure breed, distinctive for its natural selection, to the United States.

Coton appeal

Referred to as the Malagasy Royal Coton de Tulear, the CTCA breed comes in three color varieties: white, white and black, tricolor.

Cotons have a soft, fluffy coat that is hair, not fur. They do not shed (i.e., leave traces of their coat on furniture, etc.) but their coat does tangle and mat without regular brushing. Their dander level is low, which makes them a hypoallergenic dog breed (i.e., they produce fewer allergens and therefore induce fewer allergic reactions).

Cotons are considered to be affectionate, companionable, intelligent, and playful.

I am especially grateful to Marilyn Smart, coton de Tuléar breeder-owner of Simply Grand Cotons Kennel in Phoenix, Arizona, from whom James Brolin purchased the amazing Sammie for his amazing wife Barbra Streisand. Marilyn’s personal communications to me as well as her websites are invaluable, interesting sources of information:

www.simplygrandcotons.com

http://simplygrandcotondetulear.blogspot.com

www.cotondetulearbreedersclub.com

My special thanks to dimidimxxx for making available on YouTube the magical moments of Barbra singing "Smile" to Sammie in Paris in 2007.

My special thanks also to Matt Howe of Washington, D.C., for his exceptional website, "Barbra Streisand Archives," which he has maintained since launching it on May 28, 2003. http://barbra-archives.com/

Baker-Burrows, Bobbi, “Bill Eppridge: A Personal Reflection on the Photographer in a Tumultuous Time,” The Digital Journalist, June 2008. http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0806/bill-eppridge-a-personal-reflection-on-the-photographer-in-a-tumultuous-time.html

Bethany, Marilyn, “Barbra Streisand shares the album of the house she called home for 20 years,” In Style Magazine, June 1994. http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/90s/in_style_streisand.html

“Oprah Talks to Barbra Streisand,” O The Oprah Magazine, October 2006. http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/00s/oprah_2006.html

Smart, Marilyn. “Sammie Streisand.” Simply Grand Cotons: Capturing the Joyful Spirit, Health & Beauty of the Coton de Tulear. http://simplygrandcotondetulear.blogspot.com/search/label/Sammie%20Streisand

Streisand, Barbra. My Passion for Design: A Private Tour. New York: Penguin Group, 2010.

Waldman, Allison J. “Her passion for pooches.” simplystreisand.com (Last accessed April 1, 2011) http://simplystreisand.com/passionforpooches/Her_Passion_For_Pooches.html

Waldman, Allison J. The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook. New York: Kensington Publishing, 2001.

Copyright April 1, 2011 by Stessily