Papillon breed standards compared
Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.
Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.
Size
| Measure | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height at the withers | 28 cm | 20.3–27.9 cm27.9–30.5 cmFaultover 30.5 cmDisqualifying | 20.3–27.9 cm27.9–30.5 cmFaultover 30.5 cmDisqualifying | 20–28 cm | 20.3–28 cm28–30.5 cmFaultunder 20.3 cmDisqualifyingover 30.5 cmDisqualifying |
| Weight, male | 2.5–4.5 kg | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Weight, female | 2.5–5 kg | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Weight | 1.5–2.5 kg | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
Conformation
| Form | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiteScissors bite | No ruling | Standard (“Teeth must meet in a scissors bite.”) | Standard (“meet in a scissors bite.”) | Standard (“perfect regular, and complete scissor bite”) | Standard (“Teeth meet in a scissors bite.”) |
| BiteOvershot | Fault (“Overshot and especially undershot mouth.”) | Fault (“Faults - Overshot or undershot.”) | Fault (“Faults: Overshot or undershot bites.”) | No ruling | Fault (“Fault: Overshot or undershot.”) |
| BiteUndershot | Fault (“Overshot and especially undershot mouth.”) | Fault (“Faults - Overshot or undershot.”) | Fault (“Faults: Overshot or undershot bites.”) | No ruling | Fault (“Fault: Overshot or undershot.”) |
| DentitionFull dentition | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“A full complement of strong, white teeth”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Ear carriageErect (prick) | Alternate (“Variety with erect ears, called: PAPILLON.”) | Alternate (“The ears of either the erect or drop type”) | Alternate (“Ears may be either erect or drop.”) | Alternate (“When erect each ear should form an angle of approximately 45 degrees”) | Alternate (“The ears of either the erect or drop type”) |
| Ear carriageDrop (pendant) | Alternate (“Variety with hanging ears, called: PHALENE.”) | Alternate (“The ears of either the erect or drop type”) | Alternate (“Ears may be either erect or drop.”) | No ruling | Alternate (“The ears of either the erect or drop type”) |
| Ear carriageSemi-erect | Fault (“semi-erect ears, with drooping tip; this mixed form of ear carriage is a serious fault”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Ear setHigh | No ruling | Fault (“Faults - Ears small, pointed, set too high”) | Fault (“Faults: ... Ears set too high.”) | No ruling | Fault (“Faults: Ears small, pointed, set too high”) |
| Ear setLow | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“set too low”) |
| Eye shapeAlmond | Standard (“in the shape of a large almond”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Eye shapeRound | No ruling | Standard (“Eyes dark, round, not bulging”) | Standard (“The dark, round eyes”) | Standard (“Medium size, rounded, never bulging”) | Standard (“Dark, round, not bulging”) |
| Neck lengthMedium | Standard (“NECK Of moderate length”) | Standard (“Neck of medium length.”) | Standard (“The neck is of medium length.”) | Standard (“Medium length.”) | Standard (“Of medium length.”) |
| ToplineLevel | No ruling | Standard (“The backline is straight and level.”) | Standard (“The topline is straight and level.”) | Standard (“Fairly long with level topline”) | Standard (“Topline straight and level.”) |
| Muzzle shapeTapered | No ruling | Standard (“abruptly thinner than the head, tapering to the nose”) | Standard (“abruptly thinner than the head, tapers to the nose”) | No ruling | Standard (“abruptly thinner than the head, tapering to the nose”) |
| Tail setHigh | Standard (“Set quite high”) | Standard (“Tail long, set high”) | Standard (“The long tail is set high”) | Standard (“set on high”) | Standard (“Long, set high”) |
| Tail setLow | No ruling | Fault (“Faults - Low-set tail”) | Fault (“Faults: Low-set tail.”) | No ruling | Fault (“Fault: Low-set tail”) |
| Tail lengthLong | Standard (“rather long”) | Standard (“Tail long”) | Standard (“The long tail”) | Standard (“Long, well fringed”) | Standard (“Long, set high”) |
| Tail lengthShort | No ruling | Fault (“or too short”) | Fault (“Tail too short.”) | No ruling | Fault (“or too short”) |
| Tail carriageCurled over the back | No ruling | Standard (“carried well arched over the body”) | Standard (“carried well-arched over the body”) | Standard (“arched over back”) | Standard (“carried well arched over the body”) |
| FeetHare foot | Standard (“Rather long, called hare feet”) | Standard (“thin and elongated (hare-like)”) | Standard (“The feet are hare-like in shape”) | Standard (“Fine, fairly long, hare-like.”) | Standard (“Thin and elongated (hare-like)”) |
| Rear dewclawsSingle | Fault (“Single or double dewclaws on the hind legs are undesirable”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Rear dewclawsDouble | Fault (“Single or double dewclaws on the hind legs are undesirable”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
Markings
| Marking | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blaze | Standard (“The white on the head preferably extended by a more or less wide blaze”) | Standard (“A clearly defined white blaze and noseband are preferred to a solidly marked head”) | Standard (“A clearly defined white blaze and noseband are preferred over a solidly marked head”) | Standard (“narrow white, clearly defined blaze which is desirable but not essential”) | Standard (“A clearly defined white blaze and noseband are preferred to a solidly marked head”) |
| Collar | No ruling | Alternate (“white collar onto the base of the ears ... shall not be penalized”) | Alternate (“white collar onto the base of the ears ... not to be penalized”) | No ruling | Alternate (“white collar onto the base of the ears ... shall not be penalized”) |
| Flecking | No ruling | Alternate (“a few white hairs interspersed among the color, shall not be penalized”) | Alternate (“a few white hairs interspersed on the color, are not to be penalized”) | No ruling | Alternate (“a few white hairs interspersed among the colour shall not be penalized”) |
| Tan points | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Alternate (“black and white with tan spots over eyes, tan inside ears, on cheeks”) | No ruling |
Cropping, docking and other procedures
| Procedure | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | CKC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dewclaw removal | No ruling | Standard (“Dewclaws, if any, must be removed from hind legs.”) | Standard (“Any dewclaws present on the hind legs must be removed.”) | No ruling | Alternate (“Removal of dewclaws on forelegs optional.”) |
The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live.
Papillon colors and patterns
What each club's breed standard says about every Papillon color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.
Breed standards describe the Papillon in Black, White, Silver, Liver, Tan, Red, Lemon and Fawn. Standard patterns: Tricolour, Parti-colour, Sable and Tan point.
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White & Black”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Standard (“Black & White”) | Standard (“White with patches: may be any colour except liver”) |
| White | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White & Black”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Standard (“White with patches”) | Standard (“White with patches”) |
| Silver | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White & Silver”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Standard (“Silver & White”) | Standard (“White with patches: may be any colour except liver”) |
| Liver | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White & Liver”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Not recognised (“any colour except liver”) | Not recognised (“any colour except liver”) |
| Tan | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White Black & Tan”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Standard (“Tricolours, black and white with tan spots over eyes”) | Standard (“Tri-colours: black and white with tan spots over eyes”) |
| Red | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White & Red”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Standard (“Red & White”) | Standard (“White with patches: may be any colour except liver”) |
| Lemon | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White & Lemon”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Standard (“Lemon & White”) | Standard (“White with patches: may be any colour except liver”) |
| Fawn | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“Fawn & White”) | Standard (“white with patches of any color”) | Standard (“White with patches, which may be any colour except liver”) | Standard (“White with patches: may be any colour except liver”) |
| Albino | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“Albinism”) | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Patterns | |||||
| Tricolour | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White Black & Tan”) | Standard (“They may be any parti-color”) | Standard (“Tricolours, black and white with tan spots over eyes”) | Standard (“Tri-colours: black and white with tan spots over eyes”) |
| Parti-colour | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“Always parti-color or white with patches of any color(s)”) | Standard (“The Papillon is always parti-colored”) | Standard (“White with patches, which may be any colour except liver”) | Standard (“White with patches: may be any colour except liver”) |
| Sable | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White & Sable”) | Standard (“They may be any parti-color”) | Standard (“Sable & White”) | Standard (“White with patches: may be any colour except liver”) |
| Tan point | Standard (“All colours are admitted on a coat with a white background”) | Standard (“White Black & Tan”) | Standard (“They may be any parti-color”) | Standard (“tan spots over eyes, tan inside ears, on cheeks, and under root of tail”) | Standard (“tan spots over eyes, tan inside ears, on cheeks, and under root of tail”) |
| Solid | No ruling | Disqualifying (“An all-white dog or a dog with no white”) | Disqualifying (“An all white dog. A dog with no white.”) | Not recognised | Not recognised |
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark brown | Standard (“Dark in colour”) | Standard (“Eyes dark”) | Standard (“dark”) | Standard (“dark with dark rims”) | Standard (“dark with dark rims”) |
| Light brown | Fault (“light in colour”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Color or pattern | FCI | AKC | UKC | KC | KUSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Standard (“Small, black and round”) | Standard (“Nose black”) | Standard (“The small, black, rounded nose”) | Standard (“Nose black”) | Standard (“Nose black”) |
| Pink | Disqualifying (“Pink or pink spotted nose”) | Fault | Fault | No ruling | No ruling |
| Patterns | |||||
| Butterfly nose | Disqualifying (“Pink or pink spotted nose”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
What the rulings mean
- Standard
- Described by the club's breed standard.
- Fault
- Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalised.
- Disqualifying
- The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this colour or pattern.
- Not recognised
- The club does not accept this colour or pattern for the breed.
Color changes
How a Papillon's colors can change over its life.
Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGrey
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Tan pointchanges toSaddle
Coat · With age · from 6 to 156 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back
Sources
Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.