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Papillon History
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The Papillon is one of the oldest Toy breeds. Its roots can be traced back almost 700 years to a trading route between Asia, France, Italy, and Belgium. It is believed that when Marco Polo opened up the trading route between China and Italy, he also opened the path by which the small breed was transported from China to Italy. The Italians brought the dropped-eared variety of the breed into other European countries, such as France and Spain, where the nobility became fascinated by the tiny personable dogs. European royalty loved the dogs because they were friendly, easy to train, and light-weight. The dog became most popular in French courts, where they were named Papillon (French for “butterfly”), and also where they were featured in tapestries, sculptures and paintings with their owners.
Until 1923, the Papillon still predominantly consisted of the dropped-eared variety. Around this time, the Papillon was cross bred with the Pomeranian in an effort to create an erect-ear Papillon. Luckily, the erect ear of the Pomeranian is a dominant trait, and the breeders were successful in creating their hybrid. From then on, the popularity of the erect-eared Papillon skyrocketed. The Papillon was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1935.
