Papillon

AKC Group: Toy

Club: Papillon Club of America, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Carol Morris
Address: 3609 Robb Ave, Cincinnati, OH , 45211-4509
Website: www.papillonclub.org
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Papillon is a small, friendly, elegant toy dog of fine-boned structure, light, dainty and of lively action; distinguished from other breeds by its beautiful butterfly-like ears.

Size:

Size - Height at withers, 8 to 11 inches. Fault - Over 11 inches. Disqualification - Over 12 inches. Proportion - Body must be slightly longer than the height at withers. It is not a cobby dog. Weight is in proportion to height. Substance - Of fine-boned structure.

Coat:

Abundant, long, fine, silky, flowing, straight with resilient quality, flat on back and sides of body. A profuse frill on chest. There is no undercoat. Hair short and close on skull, muzzle, front of forelegs, and from hind feet to hocks. Ears well fringed, with the inside covered with silken hair of medium length. Backs of the forelegs are covered with feathers diminishing to the pasterns. Hind legs are covered to the hocks with abundant breeches (culottes). Tail is covered with a long, flowing plume. Hair on feet is short, but fine tufts may appear over toes and grow beyond them, forming a point.

Temperament:

Happy, alert and friendly. Neither shy nor aggressive.

History:

The dwarf spaniel of the 16th century, depicted in many paintings by the Masters of that era, is the dog that became known as the Papillon. Although the Papillon owes its name and much of its breed development to the French, it was Spain and Italy that gave rise to its popularity. The Bologna region of Italy probably developed the largest trade, selling many dogs to the court of Louis XIV, transporting the dogs through Spain on the backs of mules.

This little hardy dog acquired it name as the breed developed the distinctive erect-ear type, the ears being set obliquely on the head and so fringed as to resemble the wings of a butterfly. Papillon is the French word for butterfly. This breed-type is said to have developed during the days of Louis the Great but the cause of the change remains largely theoretical. It is noteworthy that both drop-eared and erect-ears occur in the same litter and are judged together in AKC shows.

First represented in the American Kennel Club in 1935, this delightful little dog enjoys great popularity in both conformation and performance competitions. As ratters, they are extremely useful. Too small to kill a rat outright, they will worry it until it is exhausted then dispatch it quickly.

Interesting Facts:

• The name Papillon means "butterfly" in French.
  
  
• The Papillon was known previously as the "Dwarf Spaniel."
  
  
• Marie Antoinette was an ardent admirer of Papillons.
  
  
• They were not fully represented in the AKC by their own breed club (Papillon Club of America) until 1935.
  
  
• In Europe, the drop-eared variety of Papillon is called Phalene, and it competes with equality in the ring against the erect-eared type.
  
  
• Papillons rose to fame in Spain.