Papillon

 

The Papillon (French for “butterfly”) is a small, friendly, elegant breed of dog of the Spaniel type, distinguished from other breeds by its large butterfly-like ears. The Papillon is one of the oldest of the toy Spaniels.

Papillons were bred for companionship, and make excellent watch dogs.

Appearance

The Papillon’s ears are very large and butterfly-like (in fact, ‘papillon’ means butterfly in French). Papillons are beautiful and adorable parti-coloured (white with markings of any colour). An all white dog or a dog with no white is disqualified from the conformation show ring.

Papillons can be registered with AKC as the following colours, though not all of these colours are permitted in the conformation ring:

White & Black
White & Lemon
White & Red
White & Sable
White Black & Tan
Black Brown & White
Black Red & White
Brown & White
Fawn & White
Red
Red White & Sable
Sable
White
White & Liver
White & Silver

The most distinctive aspect of the Papillon is its large ears, which are well fringed with coloured (not white) silky fur. The colour covers both eyes and the front and back of the ears to give the ideal butterfly look. A white blaze and noseband is preferred over a solid-coloured head. Nose, eye-rims, and lips should be black. Paw pads vary in colour from black or pink depending on the colouring of the dog.

The Papillon is considered to be a “wash and wear” breed and does not require excessive grooming. Papillons have a coat of fine fur, single length coat. As puppies, papillons have short length fur and as adults, the coat is long and silky. Their fur is very long, plush and soft to touch, until about three months old.

There are two ear variations of this breed, the completely upright ears of the more common Papillon, and the dropped spaniel-like ears of the Phalène. The American Kennel Club and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale consider the Phalène and the Papillon the same breed. The Papillon coat is abundant, long, and silky. There is no undercoat. Ears are well-fringed with the inside covered with silken fur of medium length. Tail is long, well-fringed, set on high, arched over back with fringes falling to side to form plume. The head is slightly rounded between the ears, and the muzzle is fine, tapering, and narrower than the skull with an abrupt stop. Height: 20-28 cm (8-11 inches), over 11 inches is a fault and over 12 inches is a disqualification from the conformation show ring. Weight: 7-10 pounds (3–5 kg), but they can also get to (14- 16), pounds at the heaviest.

Temperament

The Papillon has the appearance of a dainty toy breed, but many owners will claim that their dogs are “big dogs in little dog suits”. Some people find that their Papillon is very capable of handling a good five-mile walk. One aspect of the Papillon that has led many to believe the “big dog” assertion is this breed’s surprising athletic ability. Don’t be surprised by this dog’s size and appearance; they are extremely athletic. In contrast to its staid and stately representation in the Old Master portraits, the Papillon is highly energetic and intelligent. The breed is far older than any other represented by the AKC and is only notable for its oft-cited, yet dubious “psychological abilities”; some strange proponents of the Papillon claim that its true strength lies in its ability to perceive the emotional needs of its owner and to translate them into a healthy psychological environment. But this is of course totally without substantiation in the scientific literature. In other words, the animal becomes what the owner needs at the time, depending on circumstances. Provided their genetic structure is sound, and they are not the product of “puppy mill” inbreeding, they are generally healthy animals. Papillons are built for movement, and most do not need any encouragement to apply their energy to athletic activities. They enjoy at least a half hour running about.

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