The Papillon takes his name from the look of a butterfly given by the wide erect ears; there is a drop-eared variety of the breed,known

as Phalene which is French for moth.  The Papillon and Phalene were developed as lapdogs in France and Belgium at the same time as the

King Charles was being established in Britain and have a common ancestor in the Toy Spaniels which then existed.

The Papillon was a great favourite in the French Court and his famous owners included Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour, and

can be seen in paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt.

He is up to 11" tall but weighs only 4.5kg which makes for a dainty little dog.  The Papillon has a fine-boned structure together with the

coat pattern which hugs the body and has no undercoat giving him a very fragile look.

His coat, which is silky and fine, is white with patches of any colour except liver.  He is wonderfully alert, intelligent and lively and makes

an excellent companion dog