The Papillon dog gets its name from the French word for butterfly. One only has to see one of these cute little dogs to understand why. They look as though they are going to a masquerade party wearing a beautiful butterfly mask. It is the upright feathery ears of the Papillon dog along with their facial coloring that gives them this masked appearance and is part of what makes this little dog so appealing to so many people.

Small in stature the Papillon dog is big on personality, courage and affection for its owners. The Papillon also called a toy spaniel and even squirrel dog is one of the oldest known toy breeds with pictures of these little dogs dating as far back as the 1500. There are really two types of these dogs the ones with the erect ears known as the papillon and ones with dropped ears called Phalene for the moth dog. Some countries consider these dogs two different breeds but in the United States they are at least currently considered to be the same breed.

Standing between 8 and 11 inches high and weighing a mere 8-10 pounds these dogs look extremely delicate but, don’t let their looks fool you they are extremely hearty dogs who have few if any major health problems as a breed.

General Looks

Cute and cuddly is most people’s first impression of these dogs. They have a small rounded head and a short muzzle that tapers to a point with dark round eyes. Many times their eyes are blacked rimmed as though they are wearing mascara. Their coat is long, fine and silky with extra feathery frills over the ears, chest and the back of the tail. They are usually white in color with patches of any other color mixed in. The ears are any color other than white and the coloring on the ears extends to cover both eyes and can be seen in both the front and back which helps to create the butterfly mask appearance.

Personality

Bred as a companion dog the Papillon dog’s normal personality is one of a happy, friendly nature who gets along with other pets and animals and is loving, affectionate and extremely devoted to their owners. They are not however, what you would consider to be a traditional lap dog as they love to run and play and be challenged intellectually.

These dogs are quick learners and exceptionally easy to train if one is consistent with training and take well to both obedience and agility training and love the mental stimulation that both of these types of training supply. They can also be taught all kinds of tricks simply and easily and actually love the challenge of learning new things.

They are also extremely energetic little dogs that will keep you smiling at their antics but, do need an average amount of exercise. They love their walks and need them as well as playtime in order to stay calm and happy when in the house. While these dogs love to run and play they prefer to do so in the company of their human family and become very attached and loyal to those they bond with.

Papillon dogs are fun and delightful little dogs to own and will help to keep you feeling young and will make you laugh.