PAPILLON: “Butterfly” in French, ‘Delightful Companion’ in English By Angela Pickett Wildfire Papillons F ine-boned, dainty, elegant. Th ese three words describe a Papillon to perfection! However, a prospective owner of this delightful breed should be aware that
Th e hallmark of the breed is the big beautiful butterfly ears. Th e ears are large, round and should be well fringed. When you look at a Papillon you should never think Chihuahua! Th e Phalene is equally as beautiful with their dropped ears. Th e Papillon coat is silky, much like human hair. When you touch a Papillon coat it is cool to the touch. Th ey should not be double coated like a Pomeranian. Papillons are small, measuring between 8"-11" at the withers and usually weigh 5-8 pounds. Papillons are a generally healthy breed. Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) has been linked to Papillons; however, recently the DNA marker was found for PRA in Papillons. A simple DNA test swab can
those words do not correlate to a couch potato or a lap dog! Papillons love to play and just be dogs. Given a choice, a Papillon would much rather be running around the house chasing a ball than sitting quietly watching boring television. Th ey are not hyper dogs, but outgoing dogs with fun- loving personalities. Th ey want to be the life of the party and will work the crowd if given the opportunity. Papillons are very intelligent dogs, excelling in obedience, tracking, & agility. Th ey can also be trained to do service work. Th ey are big dogs in a little package and are the “do-it-all” toy dog. Most are happiest with a job to do that involves interaction with their owner. Th ey love to please and can be trained with consistent positive reinforcement. With their intelligence, they can easily manipulate their owner to get their way. Suddenly, you will realize that you have been outsmarted by a Papillon! “FINE-BONED, DAINTY, ELEGANT. These three words describe a Papillon to perfection!”
now give a definitive diagnosis for the blinding disease on a Papillon and more importantly, on dogs used in breeding programs. Responsible breeders are very careful not to breed dogs with genetically linked problem in their breeding programs
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