Where the Papillon came from
The Papillon is a small Belgian and French toy spaniel. Tiny spaniel-type lapdogs appear in European paintings from the 1500s on, including works by Titian. A 1737 painting shows Queen Sophie Dorothea of Prussia with one.
The name means butterfly in French, for the shape of the upright ears. A drooping ear version is called the Phalene, which means moth. The AKC and the FCI treat the two as one breed.
The AKC recognized the breed in 1915, and the Papillon Club of America was formed in 1935. The club stopped during World War II and started up again in 1948. Today they are lively companions that also do well in dog sports.
- 1500s Toy spaniel-type dogs appear in European paintings
- 1737 A painting shows Queen Sophie Dorothea of Prussia with a Papillon-type dog
- 1915 AKC recognizes the Papillon
- 1935 The Papillon Club of America is formed
The job a Papillon was bred for
The job was being a lively, alert lap dog at court. That shaped a smart, social dog who notices everything. At home they are quick learners who can bark at every sound.
Sports that fit a Papillon
- Agility. Very athletic for size
- Trick dog. Smart
- Rally. Fun
- Obedience. Eager
- Scent work. Good fit
Training tips for a Papillon
- Use gentle rewards and short sessions. They are sensitive and quick.
- Build confidence with slow, positive meetings of new people and places.
- Teach a quiet cue early, since alert barking comes with the breed.
- Carry or guide small dogs on stairs and high furniture to protect their legs.
Body and health
Small and fragile. Watch knees and avoid high jumps.
Fun fact. Papillon means butterfly in French. The drop-eared version is called the Phalene, which means moth.
Breed is where we start
A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Papillon is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.
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