Papillon puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Papillon puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A toy breed puppy at eight weeks is small enough to be genuinely fragile. It can be hurt by a jump off a sofa and by being stepped on, and toy breeds are prone to low blood sugar, so it needs frequent small meals rather than two big ones. Energy is on the lower side for the breed, but every eight week old puppy still runs in bursts and then crashes. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Progressive retinal atrophy (pap-PRA), detectable by DNA test
• Neuronal axonal dystrophy (NAD-PLA2G6), detectable by DNA test
• von Willebrand disease type 1 (vWD1), detectable by DNA test
• Inherited eye disease, screened under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
• Patellar luxation, detected by veterinary palpation and grading of the kneecap
• Open fontanelle, detected by feeling the puppy's skull for a soft spot that should close by 9 to 12 weeks

From Papillon breed information at https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/toy/papillon/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Papillon puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Toy for a Papillon.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 1.8 to 4.5 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other toy breeds

Previous: Old English Sheepdog · Next: Pekingese