papillon dog

History of origin

In general, several countries consider the Papillon to be their “property” at once: Spain, Italy, Belgium, but most scientists agree that the breed originated in France.

Papillon in French means “butterfly”, and these dogs were simply adored by aristocrats. For example, Henry III kept a whole family of papillons at court, and he spent a lot of money from the royal treasury on their purchase and maintenance.

Papillons received their main development in the 20th century, when English dog breeders decided to mix it with Spitz. The result was impressive – the dogs’ coat became thick and shiny, and in general they began to look healthier and richer. Papillons soon gained popularity all over the world, and in the middle of the XNUMXth century they also came to Our Country. Today it is an excellent companion and show dog.

Breed description

This breed has two varieties: there are “butterflies” with straight ears and lowered. These dogs are not large in size, some dogs even resemble toys. The size of the head is proportional to the body, the muzzle is slightly smoothed.

One of the signature “chips” of the breed is its “smile”: the mouth is slightly open, and a neat pink tongue is visible. Papillon eyes are large, but not protruding, almond-shaped and dark in color. The ears are large, erect, rounded at the ends. It is worth remembering that all Papillons are born with hanging ears, which rise only at 2-4 months of age. The inner surface of the ear is covered with fine curly hairs. The tail of the Papillons is set high and covered with long silky hair – while it never twists, and the tip of the tail does not touch the back.

The Papillon’s coat is long and wavy, very silky to the touch. The undercoat is practically absent. Papillons tend to have a fluffy collar and panties, and the coat is longer on the body than on the muzzle and front legs.

Standards allow almost any color with a dominant white color in Papillons: white and sable, white and black or tricolor combinations. White markings on the muzzle are also allowed.

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Character

Papillons are very loyal and cheerful dogs. Sometimes they are called tame because they prefer to sit in the hands of the owner, watching what is happening. Although many Papillon owners note that this is a very active and energetic breed that even loves to hunt mice, butterflies and moths.

You need to know that puppies of the breed have a tendency to bite when they are afraid of something, so they need very early socialization. Puppies need to develop a calm character.

Papillons get along well with other animals and involve them in their games. But such dogs are unlikely to be suitable for families with small children, as they are very fragile and can get injured when playing with children. Dogs are neutral towards children, and can even be jealous of their owner. Papillons are very intelligent and easy to train. These dogs need constant attention and communication: with a lack of attention, they become very irritable and aggressive.

Care and maintenance

Do not think that the hair of these dogs is difficult to care for – it is enough to comb it only twice a week, and it will always be in good condition. During molting (2 times a year), they need to be scratched more often.

For bathing, you need to choose a good shampoo that will not cause allergies in the dog and will not leave a yellow tint on the coat. Some breeders even use human shampoos for platinum blondes or gray hair. If you used shampoo while bathing, then you need to rinse it off thoroughly, and then dry the dog with a hairdryer.

The coat on the belly and around the paw pads is recommended to be trimmed for hygienic reasons. It is better to entrust this procedure to the groomer. You should also regularly check your ears for signs of infection – they should be dry and clean. Nails should be trimmed every two weeks.

Despite their small size, dogs need an active lifestyle. They need daily long walks to maintain good physical shape.

It is better to feed papilnov with premium dry food for small breeds. They need to be fed twice a day at the same time. As “snacks” you can give dried beef lung, carrots, apples. There should always be clean water next to a bowl of food.

You also need to go to the toilet and walk according to the regimen. Papillon should not have the habit of waking up the owner at night and asking to go to the toilet, the dog should endure until the morning.

Education and training

The Papillon is an easy to train breed. They are smart, obedient and love to learn. Education and training must begin at a very young age. You need to train in a varied and gentle way, only then you will be able to achieve a good result very quickly. Let the dog first learn the commands “Sit”, “Down”, “Give paw”. On a walk, the execution of such commands as “Next”, “Come to me”, “Stop”, “Get around” is very important. The Papillon can be trained by playing with it.

And although the Papillon loves to frolic and fool around, representatives of this breed show excellent results in competitions and exhibitions. For each completed command, you need to stroke the dog and give it a treat. The Papillon also loves to teach and do tricks.

The owner must make it clear what he wants from his pet. Papillons love to dominate – you need to immediately let the dog know who is the boss here. They are also very jealous – they can start snapping when guests come to you, this must be stopped immediately. In no case should you give in to the dog, you need to be strict with it.

Health and disease

The Papillon is a fairly healthy breed. But often they have such diseases as entropy (turning of the eyelid), cataracts, corneal dystrophy. Some puppies are born deaf.

With proper care, dogs can live from 12 to 16 years. It is necessary to process them in time from ticks, fleas, worms.

Popular questions and answers

Answered the typical questions of Papillon owners biologist and cynologist, author of a book on the upbringing and maintenance of dogs Irina Makarenkova.