What is the history of the Papillon dog?
Papillons descend from the Royal Toy Spaniels of Europe. Although the breed’s origins are subject to debate (Italy, Belgium, France and Spain are the leading contenders, but a few argue for Asia or Latin America), the little spaniels were well-established as continental court favorites by the Renaissance. They appear in European art as early as the 1300’s, and portraits by many of the Grand Masters (e.g. Rubens, Watteau, Fragonard, and Boucher) often include a Papillon or two. Madame Pompadour and Marie Antoinette of France, Queen Sophia Dorothea of Germany, and Queen Ann of Austria are among the aristocratic ladies that allegedly owned Papillons. However, royal men also doted on these elegant little dogs: France’s King Henry III is said to have carried his to court in a basket! Papillons have not always been called Papillons. Over the years, they have been known as Epagneuls Nains, Dwarf or Continental Spaniels, Little Squirrel Dogs or Belgian Toy Spaniels. Throughout most of their hi
