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Animal register · DogIn the app

Papillon

Continental Toy Spaniel, Phalène (drop-eared variety), Butterfly Dog

The Papillon is the erect-eared variety of the Continental Toy Spaniel, a breed from Belgium and France; the drop-eared variety is called the Phalène. The FCI standard describes a small, elegant toy spaniel with long hair and a lively personality, about 28 cm tall and weighing up to 4.5 kg for males and 5 kg for females. Its large ears are carried like the spread wings of a butterfly, and the coat is always white with patches of colour.

The Royal Kennel Club recommends up to 30 minutes of exercise a day and grooming more than once a week, notes that the breed sheds and can live in a flat, and gives its lifespan as over 12 years. The PDSA describes gentle, playful, very obedient dogs that get along well with everyone and need training and socialisation at a young age; it suggests grooming two to three times a week. PetMD adds that Papillons need daily mental stimulation, may develop separation anxiety and should have their teeth brushed every day, and that very young children can accidentally injure such a small dog.

Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).

Updated:

Papillon — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
small — The Royal Kennel Club S397
Adult weight
males 1.5–4.5 kg, females 1.5–5 kg — FCI S396
Daily exercise
up to 30 minutes a day — The Royal Kennel Club S397
Brushing
more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S397
Shedding
sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S397
Lifespan
more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S397

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

  • apartment livingS397
  • family lifeS400
  • families with childrenS400
  • homes with other petsS400

Keep in mind:

  • needs brushing several times a weekS397S398
  • needs mental challengesS400
  • loves company — best with someone home most of the dayS400
  • shedsS397

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: up to 30 minutes a day — The Royal Kennel Club S397

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S397
  • Brushing: more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S397
  • Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S397

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S397

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 8–12 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S397
  • Height at the withers: males 28 cm, females 28 cm — FCI S396
  • Adult weight: males 1.5–4.5 kg, females 1.5–5 kg — FCI S396

Training

  • No. 8 in Stanley Coren's ranking of working and obedience intelligence. — Wikipedia S35
  • FCI standard no. 77, group 9 (companion and toy dogs); origin: Belgium / France. — FCI S395

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Papillon need?

According to our sources, the Papillon needs this much exercise: up to 30 minutes a day — The Royal Kennel Club S397.

How long does a Papillon live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Papillon is: more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S397.

How big does a Papillon get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Papillon, according to our sources: Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S397; Adult weight: males 1.5–4.5 kg, females 1.5–5 kg — FCI S396.

How much grooming does a Papillon need?

Coat and grooming of the Papillon, according to our sources: Brushing: more than once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S397; Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S397; Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S397.

Who is the Papillon a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Papillon as a good fit for: apartment living — The Royal Kennel Club S397; family life — PetMD S400; families with children — PetMD S400; homes with other pets — PetMD S400. Keep in mind: needs brushing several times a week — The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S397S398; needs mental challenges — PetMD S400; loves company — best with someone home most of the day — PetMD S400; sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S397.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 3,000 from month 3
Young dogmonth 923,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)23,000 steps
Seniormonth 108 (9 years)22,300 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 30 minutes, so 3,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands 1.8× as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
  • Becomes a senior in month 108 (9 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing 3 times a week.
  • Care: brushing the teeth every day — a task for the child.
  • Care: checking and cleaning the ears once a week — a task for the child.
  • Care: trimming the nails every 4 weeks — a task for the child.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine, PDSA S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S397S398S400

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • Luxating patellas, where the kneecap temporarily slips out of place, occur in the breed. — PDSA S398
  • Progressive retinal atrophy, an inherited eye disease that can slowly lead to blindness, can occur in the breed. — PDSA S398
  • Von Willebrand's disease, an inherited problem with blood clotting that can cause excessive bleeding, occurs in the breed. — PDSA S398
  • Cataracts, which cloud the lens of the eye and can lead to vision loss, can occur in the breed. — PDSA S398
  • An open fontanelle, a soft spot on the skull that does not close fully, can occur in the breed. — PetMD S400
  • A collapsing trachea, a weakness of the windpipe that can cause coughing and breathing difficulty, can occur in the breed. — PetMD S400
  • The breed is prone to gum (periodontal) disease, so brushing the teeth every day with a dog toothpaste is advised. — PetMD S400

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Other screening schemes for this breed

  • DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy in Papillons (Pap-PRA1) — The Royal Kennel Club K26
  • DNA test for von Willebrand disease type 1 (vWD1) — The Royal Kennel Club K27
  • DNA test for neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) — The Royal Kennel Club K27

These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S395FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — CONTINENTAL TOY SPANIEL / EPAGNEUL NAIN CONTINENTAL (77)https://fci.be/en/nomenclature/PAPILLON-77.html
  11. S396FCI — FCI-Standard N° 77 — Continental Toy Spaniel (Papillon and Phalène) (EN PDF; date of publication 17.09.1990)https://fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/077g09-en.pdf
  12. S397The Royal Kennel Club — Papillon — breed page (older address; key facts, Breed Watch, health testing headings)https://thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/display.aspx?id=6161
  13. S398PDSA — Papillon breed informationhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/small-dogs/papillon
  14. S400PetMD (updated Feb. 25, 2025) — Papillonhttps://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/papillon
  15. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  16. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  17. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  18. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  19. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy
  20. K26The Royal Kennel Club — DNA test - Pap-PRA1 (Progressive retinal atrophy - Papillons)https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health-and-dog-care/health/getting-started-with-health-testing-and-screening/dna-testing/dna-test-pap-pra1
  21. K27The Royal Kennel Club — Papillon Breed-specific package (with DNA profile included) — Kennel Club DNA testing services, Toy grouphttps://thekennelclub.org.uk/shop/dna-testing/the-kennel-club-dna-testing-services-toy-group/papillon/

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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