Breed library

Papillon

Un beau représentant de la race épagneul nain continental papillon, photographié en plein air.
File:Outdoor Continental Toy Spaniel Papillon.jpeg by Gvdmoort, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0); source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Outdoor_Continental_Toy_Spaniel_Papillon.jpeg. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Breed overview

The Épagneul Nain Continental or Continental Toy Spaniel is a Belgian and French breed of dog of spaniel type and of miniature or toy size. It has two sub-types, distinguished only by the shape and carriage of their ears: those of the Papillon (French for 'butterfly') are erect, while those of the Phalène (French for 'moth') are pendent; in all other respects they are identical.

Breed facts

  • Lapdogs of miniature spaniel type appear in paintings from the sixteenth century onwards, in the works of Titian, Paolo Veronese, Pierre Mignard, Gonzales Coques, Antoine Watteau and Jean-Honoré Fragonard among others.
  • The Papillon was first recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1935 with the formation of the Papillon Club of America.
  • By the end of World War 2, the club was no longer functioning, but it was reactivated in 1948, with its first postwar specialty held in September 1954.
  • Loteki Supernatural Being (call name "Kirby") owned and handled by John Oulton of Norwalk, Connecticut, became the first Papillon to win the prestigious "Best in Show" at the annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show.
  • Kirby also won international success for the breed by taking the World Dog Show in Helsinki, Finland, and the Royal Invitational in Canada in 1998.

Size and appearance

The coat is predominantly white, with patches of any colour; only on the head the extent of the colour exceeds that of the white. The maximum height at the withers is approximately 28 cm; there are two classes for body weight, 1.5 - 2.5 kg and 2.5 - 5 kg. Two ear variations of this breed are seen, the completely upright ears of the more common Papillon, and the dropped spaniel-like ears of the Phalène. The Phalène are likely a throwback to their spaniel ancestors. The AKC and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) consider the Phalène and the Papillon the same breed.

  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: wavy

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

  • Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.20 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 1.64 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.99 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 1.13 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Energy (C-BARQ mean): 1.93 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.17 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.61 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.76 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.19 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.69 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.52 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 1.01 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 1.02 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Papillon.
  • Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.70 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Papillon.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: wavy

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 14.5 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

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Breed history

Lapdogs of miniature spaniel type appear in paintings from the sixteenth century onwards, in the works of Titian, Paolo Veronese, Pierre Mignard, Gonzales Coques, Antoine Watteau and Jean-Honoré Fragonard among others. The Papillon was first recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1935 with the formation of the Papillon Club of America. By the end of World War 2, the club was no longer functioning, but it was reactivated in 1948, with its first postwar specialty held in September 1954. In 1999, Ch. Kirby also won international success for the breed by taking the World Dog Show in Helsinki, Finland, and the Royal Invitational in Canada in 1998. Papillons also enjoy success today in competitive fields outside of conformation, including obedience and agility.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  3. File:Outdoor Continental Toy Spaniel Papillon.jpegWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. File:Outdoor Continental Toy Spaniel Papillon.jpeg by Gvdmoort, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0); source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Outdoor_Continental_Toy_Spaniel_Papillon.jpeg.
  4. Continental Toy Spaniel - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Continental Toy Spaniel, revision 1377558486. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Continental_Toy_Spaniel&action=history
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.