Frequently Asked Questions about our Breed |
A breed standard is a description of what the ideal or perfect dog would look like. It describes, in detail, the desired physical characteristics of the breed. In addition, it describes the desired temperament for the breed.
Click here STANDARD to read the papillon standard for a detailed description of a papillon. Reading the standard should answer any questions you have about a papillon's height, colors, markings, and coat.
Its not unusual for papillon puppies to have their ears down until they are 3-4 months old. It may take that long or longer for the muscles to develop and strengthen to where they can hold up the ear leather. And while a puppy is teething, you may notice that ears can go up and down. You may have a pup who has both ears up one day, and then the next day, one is down. A good rule of thumb is that if they have ever both been up, they will come up and stay up after the dog finishes teething.
Also, some dogs have ears that stay down permanently. This is a different variety and is called a Phalene. These dogs are identical in every other way to the erect eared papillon.
Overall, papillons are a healthy breed. The most common health problems are :
Patella Luxation (their knees) and you should be sure to have your vet check these regularly. Some patella problems are genetic but patella problems can also be caused by injuries to the knees. You should not let a young papillon puppy do serious jumping or other strenuous athletic activity until he/she is at least six months of age.
PRA is also something you should be aware of when looking for a papillon puppy. Progressive retinal atrophy in papillons causes the dog to go blind. In papillons, PRA is late onset, meaning it usually does not show up before the dog is between 5-8 years old or even older. Most reputable breeders know where PRA is being carried in their lines and are careful to breed away from it to minimize or prevent its occurrence. The Papillon Club of America has a Genetics Committee which has worked hard to fund research to help develop a DNA test that we hope will someday eliminate PRA from our breed.
Periodontal - like most toy breeds, papillons are prone to dental problems. It is not unusual for them to retain puppy teeth and these should be removed by your vet. You should brush your dog's teeth at least weekly and make sure he has regular cleanings by your vet.
Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar. Young puppies can be prone to this when they play hard and they use up all the sugar that has been stored. It is very important that puppies eat frequently to prevent this problem But if you do notice your puppy starting to tremble, stagger, gums are white and eyes begin to glaze, its possible that he may be "going down on sugar." Give him a little Nutrical (you can get this at most pet stores or from your vet). If you don't have Nutrical, you can rub honey or Karo syrup on his/her gums. You can also mix it with water and syringe it into the puppies mouth to make sure he doesn't dehydrate. Wrap the puppy in a towel and keep him warm and let him rest for an hour or so. You should see improvement almost immediately. Once the puppy is acting normal, make sure he eats a good meal. With hypoglycemia, the best cure is PREVENTION. Make sure your puppy eats frequently - several small meals a day are best!!
Papillons are extremely intelligent dogs and excel in agility, obedience and therapy work. They are also ranked in the top ten for intelligence of all AKC breeds. They respond well to positive training methods and to clicker training. Papillons do NOT need to be treated harshly when training. When looking for a training class for yourself and your puppy, be sure and check that they use positive reinforcement and that they are aware of concerns that you have with taking a toy dog. If possible, try to find a class that specializes in toy or small breeds. Ask to observe the classes before signing up. Watch how the instructor interacts with other dogs and that the other dogs are under control.
Papillons are also excellent at training and manipulating their humans. Be aware of this trait in them so that you don't end up with a spoiled bratty dog.
If a behavior wouldn't be funny or cute in a 100 lb. plus rottweiler, it is NOT funny in a 4-5 lb. papillon and should NOT be encouraged.
Papillons should be friendly!! They are people oriented and love to be the center of attention. If you find a papillon that is timid around strangers, this is usually a sign of poor socialization as a puppy. This can usually be overcome with time and patience.
Papillons can be hard to housetrain because they are a toy breed. They have small bladders and kidneys and they need to be let out on a regular basis. They can be paper trained as well as litter box trained. The key is to be consistent and to be sure they are let out on a regular basis and praised for doing their "business" in the desired location. Crate training is a wonderful tool which helps with housebreaking. But housetraining is NOT an overnight process and it can take up to a year for your puppy to become consistent in his habits.
Marking can also be a problem with unnetured males. For this, you might want to consider the use of bellybands (click on the Show products link on my home page for information about these housebreaking and marking aides).
Being a single coated breed, papillons shed a small amount of coat daily. They should be brushed at least once a week. Because they don't have a strong "doggy" odor, they can be bathed once a month or when needed. They do tend to mat behind their ears, so its a good idea to brush their ear fringe regularly. You should clip their toenails regularly and trim the hair between the pads of their feet to give them good traction. Regular brushing is also a must to promote good dental hygiene. Overall, they are low maintenance in the grooming department.
We use Vellus products for grooming our dogs and you can find these by clicking on the Show Product link on my home page.
Papillons are fine with older children when supervised. But they are not, because of their small size, a good breed for toddlers or with children who want a dog they can "rough house" with. Papillons are not a particularly fragile breed, but they don't like rough handling or rough playing.
Papillons get along well with other dogs and cats. But you should exercise care when around larger dogs. And if you have a dog with strong prey drive, then you need to be very careful introducing a papillon to your house. I have a saluki, an aussie, and a silky terrier in addition to my papillons. I am very careful and never leave the papillons unattended with the larger dogs or the silky. Also, I made sure that when I selected these other dogs, that I selected dogs that had low prey drive for their breed and had been temperament tested with other small animals and cats.
Always exercise care when your papillon is around animals larger than it.