About The Papillon

The Papillon is a small dog breed with distinctive large, fringed ears that earned it its name, the French word for butterfly. The Papillon is believed to be one of the oldest of the toy breeds.

According to the AKC breed standard, the Papillon has an abundant, flowing coat, short on the head but with a profuse frill on the chest. The Papillon has no undercoat. The tail should be a plume of long hair. The Phalène is the same as the erect-eared Papillon except for its dropped spaniel-like ears. 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.

Papillons are a white dog with colored markings. Any colored markings are permitted. The color must always cover both eyes and the front and back of the ear to give the proper butterfly look. A white blaze and noseband on the face are preferred. Size should range from 8 inches to 12 inches at the shoulder (11 inches in the UK) with the average papillon being between 9 and 10.5 inches in height and weight in proportion.