dogage.co
ToyToy Group

Papillon

The Papillon is a continental toy spaniel documented in European noble portraits back to the 16th century — Titian, Rubens, and Goya all depicted the type.

Calculate Papillon age
Lifespan14.5 yrrange 14–15
SizeToyToy Group
Weight5–10 lb2.3–4.5 kg
Senior at9 yrgeriatric at 13

Gallery (3)

About

About the Papillon

The Papillon is a continental toy spaniel documented in European noble portraits back to the 16th century — Titian, Rubens, and Goya all depicted the type. The erect butterfly-ear form is breed-defining; drop-eared Phalène is a variant of the same breed.

Aging

How Papillons age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 14.5 years (n=1,542) — among the longest-lived breeds. Patellar luxation is the defining orthopedic concern; progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) is DNA-testable and tracked by the breed-club eye programme.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 14.5 yr · range 14–15Senior careSenior at 9 · geriatric at 13Common health issues5 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
5–10 lb(2.3–4.5 kg)
Height
8–11 in(20.3–27.9 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
White & BlackWhite & LemonWhite & RedWhite & SableWhite Black & TanBlack Brown & WhiteBlack Red & WhiteBrown & WhiteFawn & WhiteRedRed White & SableSable
Temperament

Temperament

How Papillons tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

happyalertfriendlyathletic
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Papillon physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

Compare

Compare Papillon to another breed

Pick any of the 200 breeds in the library and we'll open a side-by-side comparison.

Start typing a breed name.

References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.