Continental Toy Spaniel

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Continental Toy Spaniel (also called Papillon) originated in Europe, its exact whereabouts is unknown although Spain, Belgium and Italy have the most historical facts of this dog dating back 700 years! They were bred to be a companion dog and basically entertain their masters. These little dogs were popular back when Marie Antoinette owned them and they still keep their charm to this very day. They are a charming little dog that will excel in agility, obedience, and tricks.

The Continental Toy Spaniel or Papillon is most commonly known for their large 'butterfly ears'. They have long wispy fur that is silky and smooth to the touch. The have a slender face, rectangular muzzle and large bright eyes. This breeds body is athletic, their legs delicate and their tail is in a loose curl which touches their back.

This breed is a true companion dog, they love human attention, they're affectionate and they're animated. These little dogs can put on an entertaining show just being themselves. The Papillon is a smart dog which will make it easy to train them because they have the intelligence and the motivation to please their owners. This breed can be protective of their family and will make great watch dogs as their bark is very piercing!

Color

The Continental Toy Spaniel has a white base coat with a mixture of any colour. Most commonly they are a black and white or a red and white.

Coat

This breed has a silky long coat that will need to be brushed regularly. They have cascading fur from their ears, underbelly and tail giving this dog a charming look. The Papillons legs and face have shorter fur but overall the appearance is a thick smooth coat. Like most long haired dogs, monthly trimmings will be needed to keep the coat looking its best and weekly combing will keep tangles from occurring.

Personality

The Continental Toy Spaniel is a bright, alert and entertaining dog that lives for their owners. They can be very relaxed when their owner is at rest yet very animated for the owners attention. This dog does not normally bark often and will enjoy learning new little tricks to entertain people. They will make a great pet for families with older children as they are much to delicate for younger children to play with. They get along o.k with other dogs but have been known to be a bit combative. Other family pets such as cats will co-exist well with this breed as long as they are raised with them from puppy hood. This breed is thought to have a 'big dog complex' which means they think they are bigger than what they actually are. They are exceptional when it comes to obedience training as they can pick up tricks quickly.

Care

This dogs coat will need moderate grooming maintenance for it to look as best it can. Considering their coat is long, this breed will not need to be brushed more then twice per week. Bathing is up to how often the owner would like it to be done. The Papillon is prone to luxating patella's, progressive retinal atrophy, mitral valve disease, and a soft spot that is not protected by their skull.

Training

The Papillon will need to be trained in a gentle manner that is consistent and repetitive. They can become very successful in obedience and when practicing little tricks because they are intelligent and eager to please their owners. House training this breed is known to be a bit more difficult as they can have a stubborn streak when it does not suit them to do something. Socialization with other dogs, and small pets will be great for this dog as a puppy so they can become well adjusted as adults.

Activity

The Papillon will need regular walks to burn off their energy. They don't require excessive amounts of exercise because they can be tired out from a long day of entertaining their owners! This breed will do well in an apartment because they are small dogs that don't require a lot of space. It would be preferable to have a smaller backyard so they can frolic around outside but this is not a necessity.