Papillon vs Bavarian Mountain Hound - Breed Comparison

With his eye-catching butterfly-look-alike feathery ears, the Papillon, also called the Continental Toy Spaniel or the Squirrel Spaniel, is one of the oldest of the toy spaniels.

You can see that the history of the Papillon goes very far back as the dog has been depicted in early works of art dating back to the 1500s. They were at first bred for the companions of noblewomen, appearing in many paintings where they are seen in royal courts.

The AKC registered its first Papillon in 1915. It is believed that the dog hails from France and Belguim. The Papillon was first recognized by the AKC in 1935 and the Papillon Club of America was also formed.

The Bavarian Mountain Hound was originally bred mixing the Bavarian Hound and the Hanover Hound. They decided to mix these breeds in a hope that the new breed will have the best of the parents. Actually, it turned out better than they could even imagine, since they created a great family dog, with magnificent stamina, quiet temperament and supersensitive nose that made them great hunters.

Papillon means 'butterfly' which refers to the dog's fringed upright ears. You also get the floppy eared variety which is known as phalene, meaning 'moth'.

The Papillon dog stands at between 20 – 28cm in height and weighs between 3 and 4.5kg. The tail arches over the back in a feathery plume. His coat is thick and silky but he doesn't have an undercoat. The coat is white with tan or white with black.

When you look at his bright little face, you can see that he is an intelligent dog who can be trained and socialized with ease. In fact he loves to be occupied with something challenging, so it will be a good ides to buy him some stimulating toys to play with.

Temperament:

When you first see the Papillon dog you might think he is fragile like a butterfly – a typical lap dog – but this isn't so at all. He is tough, robust, energetic, alert and friendly. Bright and alert, they also make great watchdogs.

He'll be able to adapt to life in the city or the countryside. Even though he is good with children and pets in the home, he'd prefer to live with adults as he couldn't handle undisciplined rough and tumble children who haven't learned how to respect dogs, especially little ones that can get hurt easily.

This is such a sweet-natured little dog that you want to do everything you can to keep him content

The Bavarian Mountain Hound is a medium sized breed of a dog. They have larger bones, but there is a very low risk of obesity. This is a very active dog, with a very muscular body. Their bone structure defines in a wide chest, and their back legs set a little bit higher than the front legs. They have strong necks and pear-shaped heads. They have strong jaws, ideal for a hunting dog. They are very specific because of their big brown eyes. The Bavarian Mountain Hound is a perfect pet. First of all, he is not a pack dog. He gets attached to his family and he is not very friendly with strangers. If they are trained well, they will never attack a stranger but they will bark and let you know that something isn’t right.

The Papillon is a bright, intelligent and energetic little dog. When you bring him into your home you must remember that small though he is, he will require lots of mental and physical exercise.

You're going to love having the Papillon in your home as he is guaranteed to make the sweetest, most loving pet and companion.

Special talents: Since the Bavarian Mountain Hound is born with a strong scent, they are great for hunting. They can be trained to be search dogs.

Adaptability

If you live slow and quiet life indoors, maybe the Bavarian Mountain Hound is not the best choice for you. They are a calm breed, they do not bark a lot, but they need daily outdoor activity. They usually get attached to the owner, but in case you raise this dog in a family, they will be attached to adults and the children. They are very good while playing and living with the children, but if you usually have a lot of other children or strangers in a house, he will adapt to that kind of social life very easy.

It is very important that you start an early socialization of your Bavarian Mountain Hound. In situations where you raise this breed without the social life, they will have difficulties when they find themselves in situations with other animals. If you raise this breed with other animals in the same home, they will learn to play with other dogs, cats etc.

Learning ability

Bavarian Mountain Hound is not easy to train because they get easy distracted with smelling something more interesting than listening to your commands. It is not advised to have this breed as your first pet because they need an experienced trainer with a lot of patience and understanding.

As a responsible dog owner you want to make sure that your pet has the best chance to reach the age of 14, 15 or 16. Unfortunately, there are always some common dog illnesses that you need to be aware of -

Patellar Luxation:

This condition occurs when the dog's patella or kneecap is dislocated and then it can only be returned to its normal position once the quadriceps in the hind legs of the dog relax and lengthen. You’ll see dogs with this condition holding up a hind leg. This joint abnormality is more common in toy breeds like this.

Collapsing Trachea:

The windpipe of a dog is made out of tissue membranes and when the dog breathes, air quickly moves through the trachea, causing the pressure inside of it to go down. A weak cartilage in the windpipe causes a collapsed trachea in dogs, and occurs almost exclusively in small dogs such as the Papillon.

Many small dogs are born with cartilage that is strong enough to hold the trachea open. As cartilage ages though, it weakens. You’ll notice your dog has a rasping cough when he is excited. Sometimes it is mistaken for kennel cough which can be remedied fairly quickly while a collapsed trachea in dogs is a lifelong syndrome.

The Bavarian Mountain Hound is a quiet type of the dog. They don’t ask for a lot of attention and even if they develop some health issues you will have a hard time finding it out. So, the regular vet checks are a necessity. They usually suffer from an ear infection. The vet will usually check for a hip or an elbow dysplasia since those diseases occur with highly active breeds. Some irritations with eyelids are also found in the medical history of this breed but they are generally very rare.

Grooming:

Papillons are average shedders so they will require brushing at least twice a week. Certainly the long ear fringes will need to be washed and brushed, after all this is this little dog’s trademark.

Diet:

You’ve got to be careful with a small dog like the Papillon as it can easily become overweight and that in itself can bring on health problems. There are excellent commercially manufactured dog foods for small breed dogs that have the right amount of minerals and vitamins in them. Choose the best quality ones.

Home-made food such as chopped-up boiled chicken, some brown rice or pasta and cooked vegetables such as carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes can keep your little dog healthy and fit. Dogs just want simple, nutritious meals which aren’t changed often as it could upset their digestive system.

Keep things consistent and avoid human foods such as chips, chocolates, coffee and spices Never leave your pet without a steady supply of fresh, cool water.

General Care:

Provide your pet with a nice warm, dry bed.

If you bring a puppy into the home, check on puppy vaccines to avoid some deadly diseases.

Get your dog neutered or spayed if you don’t want it to become a parent.

Exercise your pet and provide him with love and attention.

Diet tips

There is a big difference in feeding the Bavarian Mountain Hound since you can raise him to be a pet or a dog for hunting. If you decided to keep this breed as a pet, they will do just fine with one of the dry foods that are good quality. If you want to raise them as a hunting dog, an active dog, then they will need a high-quality dry food and occasionally some raw minced meat.

Diet tips for puppies

High-quality food for puppies with a lot of nutrients that will help in growing the healthy bones and beautiful coat.

Points for Good Health

Since they have a short coat, the Bavarian Mountain Hounds don’t need a regular or any special kind of grooming. They will do just fine with occasional brushing. They don’t shed a lot, but in a season when they do you are free to brush them more regularly. They enjoy the brushings, cuddles, scratching, belly rubs - they are very lovable breed. But, as advised, take them to regular vet check because they can be very quiet even when they feel the pain.

Games and Exercises

The Bavarian Mountain Hound has a gene of a working dog and that is the reason why they need a lot of the activity on a daily basis. No matter if you take him to walk, run or a bike ride, they will love it. They do not like being on the leash since they love to use their nose to play. If you socialise them well, the dog park will be a great thing for them.