Papillon is the French word for butterfly, which reflects the butterfly appearance of the breed's large upright ears covered in long, fringed hair. The tiny Papillon is one of the oldest toy Spaniels. An outgoing, intelligent dog, who excels at dog sports, including obedience competitionsl Other names for this breed are Continental Toy Spaniel and Dwalf Spaniel. Although they look like lapdogs, they are very inquisitive and active and tend to be always on the lookout for something to do.
The earliest Toy Spaniels representing Papillons are found in Italy. Tiziano Vicelli painted these small dogs in many famous paintings around 1500.
Famous Papillon owners include King Henry II, Marie Antoinette, Christina Aguilera, Mr Sulu from Star Trek, Edna Birch in Emmerdale.
FUN FACT:
Papillons can also be born with dropped ears. This variety is called a Phalene, which is French for moth.
The Papillon doesn't seem to be on the list of top 100 most popular dogs in Britain. It is however no. 30 in a list of top 100 cute dogs!