Papillon Info & Papillon Breeders

The Papillon (from the French word for butterfly), also called the Continental Toy Spaniel, is a breed of dog of the Spaniel type. One of the oldest of the toy spaniels, it derives its name from its characteristic butterfly-like look of the long and fringed hair on the ears. A Papillon with dropped ears is called a Phalène (French formoth). The small head is slightly rounded between the ears with a well defined stop. The muzzle is somewhat short, thin tapering to the nose. The dark, medium sized, round eyes have thin black rims, often extending at the junction of the eyelids towards the ears. The large ears can either be erect or dropped with rounded tips. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The long tail is set high carried over the body, and covered with long, fine hair. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The straight, long, fine, single coat has extra frill on the chest, ears, back of the legs and the tail. Coat color is white with patches of any color. A mask of a color other than white covers both ears and eyes from back to front.

The Papillon is a very intelligent and self-assured dog that has a very easy time learning new tricks. This dog can be sociable with children and strangers, but are generally reserved around new people. Young children should never handle Papillons without direct supervision as they are very fragile and have a propensity for injury. They can also be socialized to get along well with other pets, but care should be taken with rambunctious pets or cats with claws as they may injure it. If not properly socialized, Papillons can be distrustful and exhibit aggressive tendencies toward other dogs and people. Papillons may also be very playful and affectionate. Widely known as great companion dogs, with the spirit and energy to keep up with active families, but calm enough to be happy with sleeping in the arms of an equally affectionate owner. Due to their high energy level, they demand an augmented exercise routine, relative to the average companion breed. Papillons are known as excellent watchdogs as they will alert their owner to changes in their environment. They may be considered garrulous like many other toy dogs. The Papillon can withstand heat but is more sensitive to cold temperatures because of their single-coated fur, and should not be left outside unattended in cold weather.

The most iconic aspect of the Papillon is its ears which are large and well fringed, giving them a butterfly wing-like appearance.  Paw pads vary in color from black to pink, depending on the coloring of the dog.

Like any other dog, Papillons need a daily walk. Play will take care of a lot of their exercise needs, however, as with all breeds, play is not sufficient for all exercise. Daily walks or runs are an excellent way to exercise a Papillon. They will also enjoy a good romp in a safe open area off leash, such as a large fenced in yard. Papillons are a very active breed of dog and enjoy having a job to perform. Papillon Breeders recommend dog agility and rally obedience for Papillons because of their intelligence and energy level.