One of the most adorable, distinct and supposedly oldest breed of toy dogs is the spaniel kind Papillon. Translated, its name means butterfly in French and true to its name, this dog appears with ears as beautiful and as similar to a butterfly and a temperament that’s as carefree as well. But not only does this dog wins the heart of many people but champions fields of agility, competitive obedience and tricks performance as well.

Atop its head, the Papillon’s ears are swaying and standing like a big, free butterfly. Its body, filled with a single coat, lush and soft hair, is colored in many combinations of white and other colors. Usually, these colors are white and black, white and lemon, white and sable, black, brown and white, black, red and white and more.

With this dog being a toy dog, it is natural that you expect it to be high maintenance like its other breed mates. Surprisingly though, this creature is just the opposite of it meaning, you don’t have to spend much in order to make this dog neat and clean. Aside from being naturally clean and odorless, the Papillion’s coat only requires daily brushing or combing and a once in a while bathing and dry shampooing.

The history of the Papillon goes back to nearly 700 years of recorded existence and was depicted in a plethora of 13th through 15th century Italian frescoes. During the Renaissance period, this breed was flourishing all over the Italian countryside and cities and proof to this is the discovered paintings of well-known artists such as Titian. This breed went from many developments and many breeders and thus had been called by many names such as Continental Toy Spaniel, Squirrel Spaniel, Epagneul nain Continental and the present day Papillon name or Butterfly Dog and Pap.

In a glance, this dog appears to be staid, too tiny to be hyper and calm but surprisingly, despite of its little size, this dog is overflowing with energy and intelligence that can compete with a large dog. Those who own a Papillon can actually prove that their Papillon is a “big dog in a little dog suit”. Despite from being cute and being a toy dog, it possesses unbelievable athletic qualities, superb intellect and infinite amount of energy.

According to Stanley Cohen’s Intelligence of Dogs, the Papillon ranks number eight as the most intelligent dog in the world. Because of this, this dog is very easy to train, can perform tricks superiorly and can outwit and outrun its contemporaries during agility contests and competitive obedience. Most of the time, this breed competes not only in the local circuit but in the national and international level of dog trials and would defeat even the Blue Collie, a breed three times larger in size, in some courses.

Despite the Papillon’s recognition and talent in the competitive world, however, its primal instinct as a companion and lap dog is still conspicuous through its unending affection, playfulness and protectiveness of its master. Outside the competition, this dog is often at a sedate state, always being patient, gentle and calm and at the same time kingly and elegant in posture. Moreover, aside from being a champion sports dog and a gentle human companion, the Papillon is also an outstanding watchdog, observing possible threats and guarding its master and possessions against unfriendly faces.

It is definitely a surprise that the Papillon is a tiny dog with an enormous ability. The adage small but terrible fits it perfectly well and is proven by its many triumphs over the years. From then till now, the Papillon has remained credible as a useful and unique companion and is gaining more and more popularity as the days go by.

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