Though most of us think of the Papillon as the breed with the “butterfly ears,” it was the drop-eared Phalène (or “night moth”) that was the original variety of the breed –  the Papillon came considerably later, around the 16th century. By then, the Phalène had been portrayed in many paintings by Old Masters and their students. Toward the end of the 19th Century, however, the Papillon ear carriage became so fashionable that ”Papillon” became the colloquial name for the entire breed.

Both ear varieties can occur in the same litter, and in the United States, both ear types are regarded as one breed. In countries governed by the FCI, however, the breed is known as the Continental Toy Spaniel, and what we know as the Papillon and the Phalene are considered to be two separate breeds.  In fact, the FCI strictly prohibits breeding between the two ear types. We read a statement by one FCI breeder who said, “When a Papillon and Phalene are mixed, most of the time incorrect ears on both varieties are the result, i.e. one ear erected one dropped or both bended on top or a different combination of the mentioned problems. The correct position of Phalene ears is to lie close to the side of the head showing no gap, but when you mix the two the ears they do show a gap which is called “open ears”. If there are the opposite genes in either variety incorrect ears will always show up in the litters.”

Painting by Gerard Terborch (1617 – 1681)