The New Standard of the Papillon

Translated by Geo. Horowitz

Our Dogs – November 12, 1937

Translator’s Note – This is the definite standard of the Papillon, confirmed by Fédération Cynologique International.  It was adopted by the delegates of the Club Français de l’Épagneul Papillon (Société Centrale Canine) and the Breeding Section of the Dogs for Pleasure of the Union Cynologique Saint-Hubert at their meeting on Nov.18, 1934, at Lille, revised at the meeting of the Union Internationale des Clubs du Papillon (Unicleppa) on June,3, 1935, and definitely adopted by the Unicleppa at its meeting on Oct,11, 1936.

I. – GENERAL APPEARANCE.

Little Spaniel  “de luxe” of normal and well-proportioned structure, with long hair and moderately long muzzle, shorter than the skull, of lively, graceful, but robust aspect, proud carriage and easy and elegant gait.  Although the frame is square, the dog appears a little longer than high, due to the profuse coat, which spreads in different directions on the buttocks and at the frill.

II.-HEAD.

Normally proportioned to the body and proportionally lighter and shorter than that of Spaniel of large and middle size.  The skull not too rounded, neither in profile nor in front,  sometimes exhibiting a slight trace of middle furrow.   The muzzle, shorter than the skull, is fine, trenchant, and not too much hollowed laterally. It must not be turned up.  The rectilinear forehead is connected with the skull by a fairly accentuated depression.  In the heaviest dogs this depression is smaller, but it is perceptible. In very small dogs it is clearly marked without ever becoming an abrupt stop.

NOSE. - Small, black and rounded, but slightly flattened at the top.

LIPS. – Very pigmented, thin and closed.

DENTITION. – Strong enough, neither over nor undershot.

TONGUE. – The tongue must not show. If it protrudes constantly or does not go in when touched with the finger, this constitutes a disqualifying defect.

EYES. – Large enough, open, of the shape of a very large almond, not prominent, set in low enough in the head,  the inward angle of the eyes situated at the intersection of the skull and the muzzle, dark in colour and very expressive;  the eyelid is highly pigmented.

EARS. – Of fine but resistant texture. If it is the oblique or drop-ear,  when examined by the hand the cartilage must not terminate in too pointed an end. The ears are set on somewhat back on the head, sufficiently distant one from the other so as to show the slightly rounded shape of the skull.
In the drop-eared variety, in repose the ear is set on high, considerably higher than the line of the eyes, carried falling down, and rather mobile. It is covered with wavy hair, which may reach a great length, which gives the dog a pretty appearance. In the variety with erect ears, the ear set on high, the concavity of the ear is open and directed to the side; the inside border of the concha forms an angle approaching 45 degrees with the horizontal line.  In no case should the ear point high, which reminds one of the ear of the Toy Pomeranians, and must be strictly rejected.  The inside of the concha is covered with fine hair, which is also wavy, the longest going a little beyond the border of the ear; the outside is covered with long hair, which forms falling-down fringes, going greatly beyond the borders of the ear.  The crossing of the two varieties results often in half-erect ears, with falling down points; this mixed kind of ear-carriage represents a serious defect.

III. – LIMBS

SHOULDERS. – The shoulder and the arm are well developed and of equal length, joined to each other at a normal angle, and very close to the body.

LEGS. – Straight, firm, and rather fine. The dog must not appear to be high on the leg. In profile, the wrist should be visible;  the hocks are bent normally; seen from the front, or from the back, the legs are parallel.

FEET. – Rather long, “hare-like”, resting perpendicularly on their pads. Strong nails, preferably black, of lighter colour in brown or white coloured specimens (white nails in white dogs or dogs with white legs do not constitute a fault if the dog is otherwise well pigmented).  The toes are “nervous” with a resistant pad, well covered with fine between them, which go beyond the tip of the foot, and forming a point.

IV. – BODY

NECK. – Of middle length, a little arched at the nape.

CHEST. – Large, well let down. The perimeter of the chest, taken between the last two ribs, must equal the height at the shoulder. The ribs well arched.

LOWER LINE. – It is neither too short nor arched, nor saddle-backed, without, however, being flat; the loin solid and slightly arched.

BELLY. – Slightly tucked up.

TAIL. – Set on high enough, rather long, with much fringe, forming a nice plume. When the dog is excited, the tail is carried high along the spine, and curved inwards the extreme tip slightly touching the back; the tail should never curl or be posed flat on the back.

V. – COAT

The coat, without undercoat, is profuse, shiny, wavy (not to be confused with curly), not soft, but rather a little resistant, with silky reflexes.  The hair set on flat, and rather fine.  The coat resembles that of English Toy Spaniel, but differs clearly from that of the Pekingese;  the coat should not at all look like that of the Toy Pomeranian. The hair is short on the face, on the muzzle, on the front of the legs, and on the side of the hocks. On middle part of the body, the hair becomes longer and forms a “collarette” and a “jabot” on the neck, which is rather wavy and descends on the chest;  it forms fringes at the ears and on the hind-part of the front legs; at the hind-parts of the thighs an ample “culotte” spreads out in supple locks. Thin turfs of hair exist between the toes and go slightly beyond […], but they must not make the foot heavy, but on the contrary, make it look finer by elongation. As a guidance, certain dogs in good condition of coat have a coat of  7 ½ centimetres at the shoulder and fridges of 15 centimetres on the tail.

COLOUR. – All colours are allowed. In all the dogs, even white ones, the lips, the eyelids, and especially the nose must be very pigmented.

VI. – SIZE

HEIGHT. – Maximum about 28 centimetres at the shoulder.

WEIGHT. – Two categories  – (1) less than 2 ½ kilos for dogs and bitches; (2) from 2 ½ to 4 ½ kilos for dogs,  from 2 ½ to 5 kilos for bitches.

VII. – GAIT

Proud gait, free, easy and elegant movement.

DEFECTS.

Flat skull, apple-shaped or domed as in the English Toy Spaniel; depression too much or too little accentuated; forehead either arched or concave.  Small eye;  too round; prominent; of light colour; showing the white when the dog looks straight before it. Nose which is not black.  Fleshy colour on the borders of the eyelids and lips. Overshot, and especially undershot, is a defect to be avoided. Front-limbs arched; knotty wrist; hind-limbs which, seen from behind, deviate from the vertical line at the patellas (knee-caps) at the hocks or at the feet; weak hindquarters.  Feet turned outside or knock-kneed; nails not touching the ground. Single or double dew-claws on the hindlegs are not desired and constitute a defect. Their removal is therefore recommended.  Rolled-up tail; tail resting on the back; tail falling down at the sides (the question is of the bone, and not of the fringes, which by their length fall down in locks). Poor coat, coat soft or blown up; hair set on straight or straight in itself; woolly coat, undercoat indicating the cross with the Toy Pomeranian. Roach-backed or saddle-backed.

DISQUALIFICATION.

(1) Pink or pink-spotted nose;  (2) excessive over or undershot mouth, so that the incisors do not touch each other;  (3) paralysed or constantly visible tongue.