Like most other toy breeds, the Papillons are also quite popular all around the world. Their availability and demand are pretty decent in India as well. And, their good tolerance to hot and humid climatic conditions certainly helps them to comfortably thrive in most parts of India where the temperatures could go fairly high especially during the summer months. The Papillons are quite friendly and amiable in nature and are fairly easy-going too. They listen to their owners’ commands sincerely and are not that hard to train. And, all these reasons make the Papillons a really good option for anyone who is looking to raise a toy breed or a small sized canine.
The Papillons are small, light, compactly-built and elegant canines who are quite famous and easily distinguishable because of their distinct butterfly-like ears. The official standards for the Papillons are given as follows:
The average height and weight of the Papillons lie somewhere around the range of 8-11 inches (at the shoulders) and 2.2-4.5 Kg, respectively. There is not a lot of difference between a male and a female Papillon in terms of size and stature.
| Â
GENDER |
WEIGHT |
HEIGHT |
|
MALE |
2.2-4.5 kg |
8-11 inch |
|
FEMALE |
2.2-4.0 kg |
8-11 inch |
The Papillons possess a long and flowy coat which is fine and silky in texture. The coat should be a bit smooth and short around the muzzle, skull, and front of the legs. But, apart from that, the coat should be profusely spread all over the body in an even fashion.
The Papillons have a light but fine-boned structure and a well-proportioned body. Their neck is of medium length and is uniformly covered with long strands of hair. Their chest area is moderately deep with well-sprung ribs and the back region is fairly straight and flat. The tail is heavily feathered, long, set high on the back and is carried quite gracefully by these canines. The forelegs and hind legs are slender, fine-boned and are fairly well-developed and well-angulated.
The head is small and the skull is slightly rounded between the ears. Talking about the ears, they are large in size with rounded tips and are of two types: erect or drop. The ears of erect type are carried obliquely and when they move, they appear to be the wings of a Butterfly. The ears of drop type as the name suggests are carried in a drooping fashion. And finally, the eyes of these canines are also quite expressive in nature. They are round, medium in size and are dark in color.
They have finely-built jaw region in which their teeth meet in a scissors bite when the mouth is closed. Their overall muzzle is slightly thin and it tapers going towards the nose.
Papillons are energetic, alert and friendly canines who make excellent family dogs. These pooches are immensely lively and spirited in nature and they know how to spread positivity wherever they go. These canines are happy to learn new things from their owners and are quite responsive during the training sessions. They can be a little naughty and unpredictable around kids and other canines, so it is better to keep an eye on them whenever they are in the company of some child or a pooch. Papillons are excited to meet new people and they extremely warm and friendly with the strangers. The behavioral traits of the Papillons are listed below:
The word “Papillon†is a French term which literally translates to “Butterfly†in English. And, it is believed that these dogs were given this name due to their beautiful ears which resemble the outspread wings of a Butterfly. The other common name for this breed is Phalene which means a Moth, and the Papillon canines whose ears are of drop type, are usually called by this name.
This breed is highly admired all around the world due to its looks, size, and friendly nature. People love the spirited and vivacious personality of these canines and they are one of the more popular toy canines present today in the world. But, like any other breed, these canines are also not perfect. They don’t gel that well with other pooches, they can be a bit temperamental around small kids, they can become restless if they are not receiving the proper amount of exercise on a regular basis et cetera.
But, the Papillons also are immensely kind and affectionate towards their family members, they are easy to train, they are friendly with the strangers, they get along well with cats and other small animals, they are highly adaptable in nature and they are fairly intelligent and smart. Hence, like all other canines, these small-sized, furry pooches also bring a lot of positive traits and qualities to the table to counter some of the negative aspects which are linked to them. Therefore, the potential owners who are looking for a tiny and bubbly canine can surely consider this awesome breed, if they are fine with some of the undesirable traits that these pooches might possess.
The Papillons are of two types which are based on the different kinds of ears that these canines can have. These two types are as follows:
The Papillons are also available in several different colors which are as follows:
|
Adaptability |
**** |
Sensitivity Level |
*** |
|
Affection Level |
***** |
Potential for mouthiness |
*** |
|
Apartment-Friendly |
*** |
Drooling Potential |
* |
|
Barking Tendencies |
**** |
Energy Level |
**** |
|
Friendly towards dogs |
** |
Health Issues |
*** |
|
Friendly towards other animals |
**** |
Intelligence |
**** |
|
Child Friendly |
*** |
Playfulness |
***** |
|
Exercise Needs |
**** |
Shedding Level |
** |
|
Grooming Needs |
*** |
Social Needs |
***** |
|
Good for novice owners |
**** |
Stranger Friendly |
***** |
|
Trainability |
***** |
Watchdog Ability |
*** |
|
Tolerates Heat |
**** |
Tolerates Cold |
** |
Papillons do well on a high-quality, nutrition-rich dog food which can be either prepared at home or it can be purchased from a pet store. The quantity of food given to these canines should be according to the pooch’s age.
Although the Papillons are awesome house pets, they still require a decent amount of exercise and outside time on a regular basis to remain fit and healthy. They love to play various games with their family members either inside or outside the house, they enjoy long walks in a park with their owners and are happy to be involved in some kind of physical task or activity.
Training these canines is not very hard. They are generally, very compliant and responsive during the training sessions. They have an eager to please personality and their high intelligence level certainly helps them to learn all the new commands and tricks faster than some other breeds.
These dogs only shed on a seasonal basis and that too in a limited fashion. Their grooming requirements are also not that high, considering their long and profuse coat. Brushing them once or twice a week, occasional bathing and trimming of nails are more than enough for these canines. Also, their teeth should be brushed regularly to maintain the dental health.
Health-related problems which are commonly seen in the Papillons are as follows:
Frequent visits to a vet’s clinic are not required for the Papillons because they generally tend to remain fit and fine throughout their life-span.
The Papillons are believed to have descended from early toy spaniels who had drop ears. This is a fairly ancient breed as there are many paintings from the 16th century that had portrayed Papillons alongside their royal mistresses.
These small canines were the favorite companions of the European royalty and they were considered a symbol of greatness and nobility. In the 17th century, the small spaniel canines who had upright ears where given the name of Papillon because their ears resembled the wings of a Butterfly.
And, although the Papillons were developed in France, their popularity and demand both boomed when they came to Spain and Italy. And, after several years of existence, in the year 1915, they were finally recognized by the AKC as a distinct breed.
