Papillon, Breed of the Week
Today’s Papillon, Breed of the Week, is obviously gently recycled. We’ve had Chewy, the clownish lap dog, for nearly three years, so I wrote this just before we found him. We’ve had Gadget, the tubby, clingy lapdog, nearly two years. Hunny absolutely adores his lapdogs, and he’d probably love to brush a little Papillon every night. What a sweet breed.
My Hunny is still requesting a lap dog, so the breed of the week, lately, has been selfish. I’m looking for the perfect lap dog for Hunny, while secretly trying to convince him he doesn’t want such a small dog. Looking for evidence. So today we explore what it means to own a Papillon.
Dona, a Bark World attendee, brought her lap baby Papillon. This cutie pie is so tiny! And sweet! And … and … *SQUEEEE* But it’s not my type of dog. Slim Doggy asked this morning, on FaceCrack, “Do you have a favorite breed of dog and if so, what is it about that breed that draws you to them?” My favorite breed is not any of the toy breeds. And as toy dogs go, the Papillon is one of the smaller ones, much smaller than, say, a Pug or a Shih Tzu. Here’s what the AKC Breed Page has to say about the Papillon:
The Papillon is a small, friendly, elegant toy dog with a fine boned structure. He is light and dainty, yet still lively, and is distinguished from other breeds by his beautiful, butterfly-like ears. They are known to be happy and alert little dogs that are not shy or aggressive. The breed must be either parti-color or white with patches of any color.
Fine-boned, dainty, elegant – these qualities are perfect for elegant Dona, but not farm girl Flea. It might just be the dog YOU are looking for, however. Let’s see what makes a Papillon special.
What Makes Up a Papillon
The Papillon is named after a butterfly because of it’s large ears, fringed with fur. I admit, the ears are adorable.
The Papillon is depicted in paintings hundreds of years ago, in the laps of Spanish and French noblewomen (oo la la).
The fur of a Papillon is long and silky, single coat, beautiful.
Some Pros and Cons for Papillon Ownership?
Pros:
- Friendly and intelligent – if a dog is going to be tiny, best that it have a good head on its shoulders, and this dog does, as well as being generally easy to train
- Affectionate, gentle and patient – sounds like the perfect lap dog, doesn’t it?
- Steady dogs, not yappers
- Love to play outdoors – a good romp a day, a long walk daily
- I’m not finding too many health problems – mainly the patella and the fontanel
- Usually clean and odorless
Cons:
- Being so small, quite prone to small dog syndrome – think Napoleon complex – don’t let little dogs be in charge
- Difficult to housebreak – if you’re good with pee pads in the house, go for it
- Small dog syndrome leads to a high-strung, neurotic Papillon who snaps at children, but this is really determined by you, the owner, and how you train your dog, so we can’t blame this on the breed – read, ask questions, learn, go to obedience classes, take agility with your Papillon – educate yourself and your dog
- Not a good apartment dog – they’re not yappers, but they will bark at random noises
- Grooming – the Papillon requires daily brushing and maintenance
There’s a lot to this little dog. Who knew? Papillon owners seem to be loyal to the breed. I’ll hazard a guess that those who love them do, in part, for some of the cons I’ve listed. I would NOT want to brush a dog’s coat every day. I’m guessing that there are people who would LOVE that. An older person may love that one-on-one time spent brushing. They may also love that the pee pads are more convenient than having to get a large dog outside several times a day. For the right person, this is probably the best breed in the world.
This little diva belongs to a wonderful woman, Dona, but I can’t remember the dog’s name.
Giveaway
And what Jones Natural Chews would a Papillon like? I know that the ones I’ve given Beef Liver Taffy to have liked it. But I’m thinking they’d also love the Windee Rings, as well as Lamb Trotter Bones and Lamb Lung Puffs. Lamb Lung Puffs are candy for small dogs. And because our current giveaway, the Canine Christmas Crunchers, is full of the perfect single ingredient treats for small to medium sized dogs, I’m pretty sure the Papillon would be in dog treat heaven. The Pig Ear alone would last a month of chewing for this tiny thing. Click this sentence to be taken to the giveaway page, then scroll down and follow the simple entry instructions.
So! I hope that I’ve been helpful if you’re also considering a lap dog. Subscribe to the blog if you’d like to read the breed post every week!
Spreading the good chews …
Flea