Butterfly Dog - Papillon - Papillon Means Butterfly in French

Papillon - the Butterfly Dog

If you are considering getting a small, lap dog that is a great indoor companion, the Papillon breed may be the right breed of small dog for you. Papillons are loving, friendly, and can enjoy being held. They often seem to form a special bond with one person, although they are friendly with others in the family as well.

Papillon, pronounced pap-ee-on, means butterfly in French and the Papillon was given this name due to the butterfly look of the ears when they are held upright.

Papillon dogs are sweet and loving small dogs who are loyal and a relatively easy breed to train and have in the family. In France, they are sometimes known as Le Chien Ecureuil or Squirrel Dog in reference to their tails.

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Are you interested in papillon shelters or becoming a foster parent to a papillon or other small dog breeds?  Click here:  I Love Dogs!

Papillons have friendly dispositions, but can be kind of shy to strangers. They are dainty, light, and elegant and usually weigh no more than about 12 pounds.

The papillon breed has been around for hundreds of years. There are some reports of the breed being around since before the 1500s and as far back as 700 years ago, it is one of the oldest type of Spaniels.

The papillon breed was recognized in England in 1923 and in the United States in 1935.

According to the American Kennel Club, there are two types: the Papillon, which has the erect type ears, and the Phalene, which has more droopy ears. They can both be born in the same litter and are considered to be one breed with two types.

From the American Kennel Club

The Papillon is a small, friendly dog. Their height ranges from about 8 inches to 11 inches at withers. The weight is reportedly proportionate with the height of the dog. The body must be a little longer than the height of the dog. My Papillon weighs a little over four pounds, but I haven't measured height.

Papillons are happy-go-lucky dogs and enjoy playing and running around. They need plenty of exercise, like any dog, and enjoy the outdoors. Regular brushing is a good idea but other than that, they require little grooming and they do not shed a lot.

My son went to visit his girlfriend (at the time) Christina last December (2009) over Christmas break. Apparently, there was a bunch of puppies and they were trying to get rid of them. I asked him what kind of dogs they were and he said, "You know mom, those little long haired dogs you like", but he couldn't remember the name.   He sent me a picture of them and asked to bring one home. Since we already had two dogs, I was hesitant about a third one, but I didn't want the puppies to go to the shelter either.

So, I agreed that he could bring one home. He picked the one that came up to him and was the most friendly. He made his return trip with Tina wrapped in a blanket in a box.  

I am so glad I agreed to allow him to bring her home.

When Tina gets scared, she likes to climb up on my shoulder.

Tina curls up into a little ball when she sleeps.

Tina's Squidoo Lens

I started using Squidoo prior to joining Hubpages. I prefer using Hubpages because, although Squidoo has some cool features that Hubpages does not, I found that there is much more interaction with other members here, at least for me. It seems like I was more easily accepted at Hubpages and as if people may be more friendly. Before finding Hubpages, I created a few lenses on Squidoo, but then once I found Hubpages, I wanted to create Hubs on the same subjects as I did on Squidoo, and that's why there are duplicate topics, but the content is different. I do however enjoy creating spelling quizzes on Squidoo and there is a whole section on quizzes. So while I do like writing and the member interaction here at Hubpages, I really enjoy creating and taking spelling and other types of quizzes on Squidoo.

To see some of the spelling quizzes I've created on Squidoo, click this link: Erin's Spelling Quizzes at Squidoo.

Tina is a really great dog. When I take her out somewhere, she just sits on my lap. Tina was born in September of 2009 and she is full grown at about a little over 4 pounds.