Papillon Dog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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[ The Papillon comes in several colors. This one does not meet the breed standard criteria for facial coloration. ] |
The Papillon is a small dog with large, luxurious 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.
Appearance
The modern Papillon bred according to the official breed standard is required to have an abundant, flowing coat, which is considered proper only if it is a single coat (i.e., has no fluffy or cottony undercoat), short on the head but profuse around the neck, chest, and pantaloons or culottes or britches. The tail should be a plume of long hair.
A proper single coat ensures relatively low maintenance in grooming. The large, erect, and fringed ears are the most notable physical attribute of the erect-eared breed today. The Phalène is the same as the erect-eared Papillon except for its dropped spaniel-like ears. The AKC considers the Phalène a variant of the Papillon and judges them together as the same breed; countries whose breed clubs follow the FCI standard consider Papillons and Phalènes two separate breeds. This belief is common, but the fact is that Papillon is a variant of the much older race Phalène. Papillons should always be white with another color.
Most common are the black and white, sable and white, red and white, and tri-color papillons. The color should always cover both eyes and the front and back of the ear to give the proper butterfly look. A white blaze and noseband are preferred as they also contribute to the correct butterfly look of the dog. 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.
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The Papillon is a highly athletic breed. ]
Dog Agility
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 even Border
Collie speeds on some courses. At the same time, Papillons excel in
companionship and lap dog sweepstakes, and take it very seriously. The
first dog to ever earn a MACH title in Alaska is a Papillon.
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.
Temperament and History of Papillon Dogs
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Papillon Dog".
