Butterfly Dog, also known as Papillon and Babylon Dog, is named after the long hair standing on its ears, like dancing butterflies. Originating in the 16th century, it is native to Spain and is one of the oldest breeds in Europe.
Its most notable feature is its pair of very eye-catching large ears, as well as its petite and delicate figure, which is beloved by many beautiful ladies. It is lively and active, bold and flexible, easy to approach, passionate and gentle towards its owner, but extremely possessive and jealous towards third parties.
Butterfly Dog has a high level of intelligence, equivalent to a five or six-year-old child, making it one of the most intelligent members in the pet dog category. In general, its intelligence level is similar to Labrador Retriever, Border Collie, and Rottweiler, slightly inferior to the famous highly intelligent breeds such as Border Collie, German Shepherd, and Poodle, but smarter than Schnauzer and Samoyed.
Butterfly Dog originated from Spain and was known as the Dwarf Spaniel in the 16th century. This small dog was commonly found in precious ancient paintings or tapestries. During the Louis era, the larger Dwarf Spaniels gradually evolved their droopy ears into erect ones, with the ears tilted to the sides of the head, resembling open butterfly wings (Papillon means "butterfly" in French). This development eventually led to the modern Butterfly Dog.
After a Butterfly Dog was bought and sold in 1545, there were written records of this breed appearing in many documents. Therefore, some people believe that the ancestors of this dog breed were brought from China to Spain as hunting dogs.
Nobanz, Watteau, Fragonard, and Boucher have all depicted this small dog, and it was also frequently seen in portraits of noble women, indicating its popularity. Despite being exhibited in the United States for many years, the Butterfly Dog did not become an official member of the American Kennel Club until the establishment of the Papillon Club of America in 1935.
In the 19th century, breeders in France and Belgium primarily focused on developing the erect-eared variety. Breeders in the United States and England, on the other hand, worked on improving the Butterfly Dog breed to be even smaller than those from other countries.
The Butterfly Dog is especially intelligent and gentle, and does not like to bark. Although it looks delicate and weak, it has a strong ability to adapt to weather and various environments. It is very suitable for family breeding and also suitable for accompanying the owner on travels.
The only downside is that it sheds heavily and needs to be regularly groomed by the owner. Therefore, owners who keep Butterfly Dogs must have enough free time to take care of them. They are generally suitable for apartment living and suitable for working people and the elderly.
1. Heart disease
Dogs with heart disease are often associated with obesity and old age. When dogs have heart disease, they may show symptoms such as easy fatigue and difficulty breathing. It is difficult to detect heart disease in dogs, and often the owner realizes that the dog is already seriously ill.
2. Infectious diseases
Canine distemper and canine parvovirus are common and highly lethal infectious diseases in dogs. Dogs that have not been vaccinated in time are susceptible to these two infectious diseases, and once infected, they may show symptoms such as depression, decreased appetite, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
3. Kidney disease
When it comes to common diseases and symptoms in dogs, kidney disease must be mentioned. The terrifying thing about kidney disease in dogs is that the onset process is unnoticed, and by the time the owner notices, the dog's renal cells may have been damaged by more than 75%. When a dog's kidneys have problems, the symptoms generally include blood in the urine, abnormal urine color, and changes in urination habits.
4. Parasites
Intestinal parasites such as roundworms and hookworms, as well as heartworms, are common parasites that infect dogs. When dogs are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, the main symptoms include weight loss, lethargy, loose stools, worm-like substances in feces, and pale gums. Heartworm, on the other hand, is a parasite that lives in a dog's heart. After a dog is infected, it may show symptoms such as decreased vitality, coughing, anemia, wheezing, and abdominal fluid.
5. Canine pneumonia
Pneumonia is also a common disease in dogs, but it is often a complication of other diseases. It often occurs in dogs with abnormalities in the upper respiratory system, bacterial infections, canine distemper infections, viral colds, impaired lung function, and heartworm infections. Coughing, nasal discharge, and fever are the main symptoms of canine pneumonia.
Butterfly Dog loves to be active, especially enjoys going out with the owner, no matter what they do, they always like to run around the owner. So try to give it proper exercise, which helps to enhance its appetite and digestion, thus strengthening its physique.
Butterfly Dog is a very beautiful and elegant small long-haired dog, it sheds a lot and requires a lot of time to take care of. It naturally changes its fur once a year, usually between 3-4 months, so don't trim its fur during this time.
It is recommended that the owner not prepare too many snacks for the dog. In addition to giving a small amount of snacks during training and obedience, do not casually give the dog snacks in daily life, otherwise, it will develop a habit of eating snacks instead of dog food.
If breeding the Butterfly Dog, remember not to use its close relatives, otherwise, it will lose its beautiful body shape and the beautiful characteristics of its fur.
1. Can't bathe frequently
Giving the dog a bath, of course, cannot be too frequent. Giving the dog a bath depends on the dog's hygiene. In hot weather in the summer, you can wash the dog more than once or twice, and in the winter, you can reduce it by one or two times. But overall, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Combing often
The dog sheds almost every day, especially in the spring and autumn seasons, the seasonal shedding is more severe. If you want the fur to grow well, combing often is an important step. Pet owners can use a special comb for pets to help the dog clean its naturally shed fur and prevent knots. Comb once in the morning and evening, and it only takes about 5 minutes each time.
3. Sunbathing
Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of the dog's fur. In addition to making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help sterilize. While sunbathing, the owner can let the dog exercise, help improve the dog's physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier fur.
4. Deworming
Bad fur is actually closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body and snatch nutrients, so deworming is essential. It is recommended to do internal and external deworming together. And deworming medicine has a great impact on the dog's gastrointestinal tract, so it is recommended to feed probiotics with it on weekdays to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order for the dog to have a beautiful coat, it must have a solid nutrition foundation and pay attention to daily diet. On the one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a suitable and nutritionally adequate dog food to meet the needs of the dog; on the other hand, you can give the dog an appropriate amount of lean meat, boiled egg yolk, and vegetable oil, etc.
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