How to Groom a Papillon for the Show Ring

The papillon is a toy dog standing 8 to 10 inches when measured at the shoulders. The name of the breed was originally dwarf dog, but it changed to papillon, which is the French word for butterfly, because the dog has butterfly-shaped ears. Papillons require minimal grooming and trimming because they don't have an undercoat. However, if you intend to take your pet to dog shows, you'll need to groom it prior to the show.

Things You'll Need

  • Conditioner
  • Pin brush
  • Slicker brush
  • Nail trimmer or file
  • Scissors
  • Nonskid mat
  • Shampoo
  • Blow-dryer
  • Thinning shears
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Instructions

    • 1

      Spray your dog's coat with conditioner or water prior to brushing. This will facilitate the brushing and disentangling of matted fur.

    • 2

      Brush your dog daily. This will keep its fur from matting and remove dead hair and other debris. Disentangle matted hair using your thumb and index finger; be careful not to tear the dog's skin. Use a slicker brush to brush the fur you disentangled. Don't cut matted fur, because the dog's coat should be abundant, long and silky for the show.

    • 3

      Remove the hair from the pads using a pair of scissors.

    • 4

      Trim the nails short. Use a nail trimmer and cut small parts of the nail until you come close to the quick, which is pink and contains nerve endings. If using a file, carefully shape the nails, avoiding the quick.

    • 5

      Bathe the dog on a nonskid mat using a hypoallergenic shampoo or baby shampoo. Gently massage the shampoo into the dog's coat and rinse well.

    • 6

      Apply conditioner, which is essential when preparing the dog for the show ring. It'll prevent the coat from fluffing excessively. Rinse well, however, to prevent the coat from having an oily appearance.

    • 7

      Blow-dry your pet. Dry in a line-brushing style. Brush in the direction of the hair growth to avoid a puffy look.

    • 8

      The ears should be well-fringed for the show ring, so dry them carefully. Don't trim the ears if the hair looks clumpy. Take a soft brush and separate the hairs to obtain the fringed look.

    • 9

      Trim the hair around the feet so that the feet look like rabbits' feet.

    • 10

      Trim the whiskers. This is not compulsory for the show ring, but gives the papillon a more elegant look.

    • 11

      Trim the back of the hock on the rear legs, following the contour of the leg. According to American Kennel Club, the hind legs "are covered to the hocks with abundant breeches (culottes)." Use thinning shears on the remaining hair on the legs.