How It All Began

It all started with Pip, a red and white Papillon whom I purchased for my husband.  I was a "big dog" person, having bred Alaskan Malamutes and had no interest in a dog less than 10 pounds. But my husband came from a family who had Jack Russell terriers and loved little dogs.  So I ventured to the first dog show I could find and watched the toy group. From there I tried to pick the cutest dog who did not need to have a tail or ears cropped, was relatively easy to maintain, and had erect ears so I would not have to deal with ear problems. The papillon caught my eye. His presentation and lively gait sparked with intelligence and life.   I did my research and found that hereditary defects were minimal (PRA and Patella problems).   As Papillons are single coated, breeders called them the "Acrylic" dog since they were so easy to groom. I contacted a breeder in Delaware and came home with a six month old male sold as a pet. Pip turned out to be everything expected — and more. When my husband and I separated, I had to leave Pip behind and found out how much he had stolen my heart. Ever time I saw a Papillon, I felt the tug on my heart strings. After three years I decided Papillons were the breed I wanted and looked to purchase a female. It took me two years to find my foundation bitch, MIMI. From that day in 1986 until now, I remain completely enamored and entertained by the vivacity and wonderful nature of this breed.