Breed History

Simarron Kennels




			*The Papillon*

	The Papillon is believed to be one of the oldest toy breeds of dogs originated in continental Europe and was a favorite at the French court. The most famous owner was Henry III – documentation of his devotion to the breed lies in his declaration of the Papillon as the official dog of the Royal Court during his tenure. Other famous owners are said to have been Marie Antoinette, and Madame de Pompadour. There is evidence that these small dogs were favorites of predominantly French royalty during the time of the Old Masters, as the Continental Toy Spaniel (Phalenes and Papillons) were included in many Old Master royal portraits from as early as the sixteenth century.

The are many stories about the Papillon. Marie Antoinette was said to have walked to the guillotine clutching her small dog under her arm. It is said that her dog was a small spaniel that had been brought to the French court from Spain on the back of pack mules. The story goes that that her pup was spared and cared for in a building in Paris still
called the Papillon House. Marie's small spaniel was said to have descended from a very old breed drop-eared breed known as the Epagneul Nain Continental, or Continental Dwarf/Toy Spaniel that started showing up in church frescos and paintings as far back as the 13th century.

Still today, this breed is officially referred to in non-English-speaking countries as the Epagneul Nain Continental (ENC). Some say that the name Squirrel Spaniel has also been used, most likely referring to an earlier standard in which the tail set is referred to as "curling over the back as a squirrel's." One version of the story of the history of the two varieties of ears in the ENC ("Papillon" to denote the erect ear and "Phalene" to denote the drop ear) is that toward the end of the 19th century, the breed fanciers bred a version of the spaniel whose ears stood up. This dog was said to have been nick-named Papillon based on the impressively large erect ears that resembled the wings of a butterfly. The drop eared variety of the breed came to be called the Phalène (which means "night moth."). Both types are still bred today and can show up in the same litter although the Papillon variety is much more common.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papillon_%28dog%29)

MORE FUN BREED FACTS

The Papillon is one of the oldest breeds of dog, with a recorded history in Europe going back nearly 700 years. The breed was originally called the epagneul nain or dwarf spaniel, and sported spaniel-type dropped ears. The dog was later known as the Continental Toy Spaniel (or sometimes just toy spaniel), which is the main name the FCI standard goes by. This tiny breed is recognizable in 13th through 15th century Italian frescoes. It was featured in many paintings of the Renaissance period; in fact much of the breed's development is known because of its depiction in paintings. The breed was widespread in Italy during the Renaissance and later perfected by French breeders. Over time, an erect-eared type, fringed as to resemble the ears of a butterfly, developed (Papillon means "butterfly" in French).

In the United States and according to the AKC standard, Papillons (erect-eared) and Phalenes (drop-eared) can be born in the same litter and are shown together as one breed.
The AKC calls the breed a Papillon, with the Phalene being the name for the drop eared variety. Where as the FCI calls the breed a Continental Toy Spaniel with two varieties, the Papillon for the erect eared dogs and the Phalene for the drop eared dogs.

While the AKC allows for the Papillon and Phalene to mix mate, the FCI strictly prohibits mix mating because of problems with the position of the ears. One FCI breeder states, "When a Papillon and Phalene are mixed most of the time incorrect ears on both varieties are the result, i.e one ear erected one dropped or both bended on top or a different combination of the mentioned problems. The correct position of Phalene ears is to lay close to the side of the head showing no gap, but when you mix the two the ears they do show a gap which is called "open ears". If there are the opposite genes in either variety incorrect ears will always show up in the litters."

Some of its talents include: watchdog, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks.


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