Papillon dog

Papillon
File:!tessie.jpg The Papillon's large, butterfly-like ears and symmetrical face gave the breed its name.
Other names	Phalène (drop ear type) Continental Toy Spaniel Epagneul Nain Continental
Common nicknames	Butterfly Dog Squirrel Dog (due to tail carriage)
Origin	Spain and Belgium
Kennel club standards Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

The Papillon (butterfly in french) is a small, friendly, elegant toy dog of fine-boned structure, distinguished from other breeds by its butterfly-like ears.[1] The Papillon is one of the oldest of the toy breeds. Papillons were bred for companionship, and make excellent watch dogs.

Description

Appearance

Papillons ['pæp i ,jɑn] are white with markings of any color. Tricolors and black and white are common colors.

The most distinctive aspect of the Papillon is its large ears,which are well fringed with colored (not white) silky hair. The color covers both eyes and the front and back of the ears to give the ideal butterfly look. A white blaze and noseband on the face is preferred. Tricolours should be black and white, with tan spots over eyes, inside ears and under the tail. As puppies they begin to grow more hair on and in ears, on and around their tail, and their feet.

There are two ear variations of this breed, the completely upright ears of the more common Papillon, and the dropped spaniel-like ears of the Phalène. The AKC considers the Phalène and the Papillon the same breed. Countries whose breed clubs follow the FCI standard consider Papillons and Phalènes two separate breeds.

The Papillon coat is abundant, long, and silky.Their coat requires constant care and brushing. There is no undercoat. Ears are well-fringed with the inside covered with silken hair of medium length. Tail is long, well-fringed, set on high, arched over back with fringes falling to side to form plume. The head is slightly rounded between the ears, and the muzzle is fine, tapering, and narrower than the skull with an abrupt stop.

The accepted standard size varies slightly among different organizations' breed standards, but it generally ranges from 8 inches (20 cm) to 11 inches (28 cm) at the withers. Papillons usually weigh from 6 to 10 pounds (3-5kg). Go On http://www.CRAZYMonkey.com/ for information about CRAZY Monkeys!

Temperament

The Papillon has the appearance of a dainty toy breed, but many owners will claim that their dogs are "big dogs in little dog suits". The Papillon is hardy; some people find that their Papillon is very capable of handling a good five-mile walk. Others believe the reality is that their Papillon will resist such an outing if the grass is somewhat damp, or if there are two clouds in the sky that might lead to rain.

Some Papillon owners believe that their dogs interpret any new event as having been put on for their benefit, and that the dogs do their best to be attentive hosts or hostesses. Another aspect of the Papillon that has led many to believe the "big dog" assertion is this breed's surprising athletic ability. Perhaps people are surprised that in contrast to its staid and stately representation in the Old Master portraits, the Papillon is highly energetic and intelligent (Stanley Coren, in The Intelligence of Dogs, rates the Papillon eighth among all breeds). This makes Papillons very easy to train as they are so quick to learn. Provided their genetic structure is sound and they are healthy, Papillons are built for movement, and most do not need any encouragement to apply their energy to athletic activities.

The papillon is considered to be a "wash and wear" breed and requires minimal grooming. Papillons have a fine-haired, single length coat. The coat is shed twice a year. As puppies, papillons have short length fur and as adults, the coat is long and silky. And someone check this website out http://www.CRAZYMonkey.com/

Activities

In recent years, the Papillon has become a small dog star in the sport of dog agility. This sport consists of an obstacle course with tunnels, jumps, A-frames, and narrow bridges that a dog completes at top speed aided only by verbal and body-language commands from a handler. Agility requires the dog to spring, scramble, weave, and turn on a dime. The breed is considered naturally agile, and Papillons compete at both national and international trials. Because many Papillons have intense drive and natural speed, their tiny turning radius gives them an edge over larger dogs, and some Papillons are capable of beating Border Collie speeds on some courses. At the same time, Papillons excel in companionship and lap dog sweepstakes, and take it very seriously.

Others have experienced Papillons as highly companionable—yet physically active—dogs requiring appropriate socialization, consistent and monitored exercise, continued training (which also serves to stimulate their active minds), and daily, proactive human-to-canine interaction.

Health

Papillons may also be affected by the following conditions:

• Von Willebrand's disease
• Luxating patella
• Mitral valve disease
• Progressive retinal atrophy
• Reverse sneezing

History

The History of the Papillon is traced through works of art. The earliest toy spaniels resembling the Papillon are found in Italy. Tiziano Vicelli (Titian) painted these small dogs in many famous paintings including the Venus of Urbino (1542). Other well known artists who included them in paintings are Watteau, Gonzalez Coques, Fragonard and Mignard. In a painting after Largillierre in the Wallace Collection in London, a Papillon is clearly shown in a family portrait of Louis XIV. Papillons are also in paintings of royal families around Europe and paintings of merchant class families. The breed was popular in England, France, and Belgium which are considered counties of origin by the FCI.

File:Papagility004.jpg

The Papillon is a highly athletic breed. This Papillon is demonstrating the breed's great speed in dog agility.

There are many stories about the Papillon. Marie Antoinette was said to have walked to the guillotine clutching her small dog under her arm. Tradition has it that her dog was a small spaniel that had been brought to the French court from Spain on the back of pack mules. According to the story, her pup was spared and cared for in a building in Paris still called the Papillon House. Marie's small spaniel was said to have descended from a very old drop-eared breed known as the Epagneul Nain Continental, or Continental Dwarf/Toy Spaniel that appeared in church frescos and paintings as early as the 13th century.

The Papillon is still officially referred to as the Epagneul Nain Continental (ENC) in non-English-speaking countries. The name Squirrel Spaniel also has been used, most likely referring to an earlier standard in which the tail set is described as "curling over the back as a squirrel's." One version of the history of the two varieties of ear shape in the ENC ("Papillon" to denote the erect ear and "Phalène" to denote the dropped ear) is that toward the end of the 19th century, breed fanciers bred a version of the spaniel whose ears stood up. This dog was said to have been nicknamed papillon based on the impressively large, erect ears that resembled the wings of a butterfly. The drop-eared variety of the breed came to be called the Phalène (which means "night moth"). Both types are still bred today and appear in the same litter. The Papillon variety is much more common, although recently the Phalène has undergone a resurgence in popularity.

Famous Papillon owners

• King Henry II allegedly spent upwards of 100,000 crowns on his papillons.
• Marie Antoinette owned a Phalene, of many believed to be Papillon. This can't be true since all portraits show dogs with drop-ear. Madame de Pompadour and Henry III also had Phalene, who had a very strong devotion to the breed.
• Actress Autumn Reeser of The O.C. owns a Papillon named Gatsby after the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• Tech expert Leo Laporte owns a Papillon named Ozzy.
• Christina Aguilera owns two Papillon dogs, Chewy and Stinky.
• George Takei, Mr. Sulu from Star Trek and official announcer of the Howard Stern Show on Sirius 100 owned a Papillon Renne
• John Carmer and Amanda Titus own two Papillons by the names of Rocko and Spunky named after the characters in Rocko's Modern Life.
• Porn star Ron Jeremy has two Papillons, named Jenna and Tiffany. They can be seen in background of some of his movies.
• TV character Edna Birch from Emmerdale has a Papillon named Tootsie.
• Legendary screen star Lauren Bacall never travels without her own well-behaved Papillon.*

Papillons in pop culture

• Mary, Queen of Scots has a Papillon in the Emmy-Award winning series Elizabeth I.
• Forthcoming album by alternative rockband "Inme" features a bonus track called "papillons stalemate".
• The Twilight Singers had a song called "Papillon" on their album Blackberry Belle.

External links

• Papillon Breeders in the UK
• Papillon Canada
• Papillon (Butterfly Dog) Club
• Pap911 Rescue
• Papillon Club Of America
• Template:Akc standard