They love to climb things, the youngest one is currently lying on the back of the sofa, curled up around my neck.
They love to stalk flies, birds, lizards and wild rabbits. They don’t hurt them but they stalk them exactly like a cat does. Poor Franklin cries every time the fly he’s playing with dies. They bat at their toys exactly like a cat does.
They’re very bright. Our oldest one (we have 3) has 4 meals a day and it took the youngest less than a day to work out which alarm means dog food time. They’re very easy to train but need a lot of mental stimulation as they can get bored easily. With the size of them they’re very suited to treat balls and a mini Kong will keep ours busy for hours. Ours are also very happy with dog treats inside a folded up toilet roll tube so they don’t need expensive activities / toys.
They don’t have the traditional doggy odour and they don’t need bathing every time they get muddy. The mud just flakes off when its dry and they’re back to being crisp white again.
The girls are quite bold and independent but the boys are very soppy. Our bitch will happily head out into the dark at the bottom of the garden but the boys stay close to us and the light on the patio.
I’ve had some of the best ‘stink eyes’ ever from the papillons, usually because I’ve told them it’s time to wake up to go to bed.
They’re such fun little dogs, full of character and great to play with. The cat like attributes comes from the way they play, the way they rub against your legs to scent mark you when you get home and the way they love to climb. The way they move is more cat than dog sometimes as well.
The boys are very affectionate, they love to be near us and will snuggle into your side when you’re sitting down or lean against you in bed. The girls are much happier lying where they can still see you but with their own space.
I really love this little breed and won’t ever be without them - even if the little sods do take up too much room on the bed and keep stealing hay off the rabbits.
