by Carla Gifford

Created on: September 25, 2008

Papillons for Apartment Dwellers

The Papillon (Butterfly dog) is one of the most overlooked dog for apartment living. They are wonderful companions who are not necessarily yappers. If they do tend towards being mouthy, you can train them to "growl" as a means of letting of steam and letting you know that something is amiss. He will listen and become quiet if he is asked to.

I have had my Papillon male for over 10 years now, and we live in a 500 square foot apartment in the elderly and disabled community. He is loved by all the neighbors here because he is always wagging his tail when he sees them. He gets along very well with the other dogs who live here, also. He is not mouthy because he has been well socialized and has learned to "talk" (growl) when he hears something.

This little guy is very devoted to me and rarely leaves my side. He loves to be with people and enjoys the company of all the elderly people in the complex. When we go to visit other dwellers, he is content to it at my feet and be quiet. He does not dig and is not prone to any diseases. He has been a healthy little guy. They can be subject to patella subluxation, but this has not been the case with my dog.

Paps are a little hard to potty train, but with dilligence and supervision, they catch on. They are easy to train for tricks and other things, though. My Pap has learned quite a few tricks. They are commonly used for show dogs. Their agility training is easy to do. They can be paper or litter box trained if you like. I used the crate training method when training my dog, and he did quite well.

My Papillon sleeps at the foot of the bed and is a quiet, respectful little guy. He is not fussy about eating and is not subject to throwing up like poodles are. He stays near my feet at all times and acts like he knows what I am talking about. They are extremely smart little dogs. They learn quite a few words and some phrases. they catch on to learning quite well. I have had no problems getting him to be obedient to what I command him.

We have to take our animals outside on a leash, but he has gotten out a time or two. I taught him not to go on the road, and he is happy to come when I call him. He love to sit on the patio and watch the squirrels and birds as well as any people who are passing by. He is happiest when he is with people.

When it is very warm out, he is content to stay in the apartment while I go for groceries. He is happiest when the bathroom door is left open and he can go there for refuge at such times. Also, he is a little afraid of thundestorms and will go to the bathroom and hide there during one. He does not howl like some dogs do during a storm.

He likes to sit on top of my couch and look out the window. Or he will sit at the door and wait to go on the patio for some outside time.

He is a good traveller and never gets sick in the car. He is about 9 pounds. He loves to take walks but is equally happy on a rainy day to play fetch in the apartment. He is well potty trained now and never has an accident in the apartment. He tells me well ahead of time that he needs to go out and can be expected to wait a few minutes if neccesary before I take him out.

I would suggest that you look into this breed if you live in a smaller apartment complex. They are a joy to live with.

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