How long does a Papillon live?

The listed lifespan for a Papillon is 14–16 years.

How tall is a Papillon?

The listed height for a Papillon is 8–11 in.

Is a Papillon good with children?

The AKC good-with-children score for a Papillon is 5 out of 5.

When is a Papillon full grown?

The growth size band for a Papillon is 8–12 months.

Toy Group

Papillon

Papillon is a toy dog in the Toy Group. Adult weight is 5–10 lb, height is 8–11 in, and the listed lifespan is 14–16 years. AKC describes the temperament as Alert, Friendly, Happy.

Last reviewed November 1, 2026.

Papillon dog — Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Vulpes~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Lifespan14–16 years

Weight5–10 lb

SizeToy GroupToy Group

Height

8–11 in

Energy

4 / 5

Shedding

3 / 5

Grooming

2 / 5

Trainability

5 / 5

Good with kids

5 / 5

The breed record

Across 21 single-size toy breeds, a lifespan midpoint of 15 years is about 0.9 years longer than the 14.1-year average. A midpoint adult weight of 7.5 lb is about the same as the 8.4 lb average for those toy breeds.

The listed origin is France. The coat is described as silky, medium. The AKC energy score is 4 out of 5, 0.7 points above the group average of 3.3 for the Toy Group. Shedding scores 3 out of 5. Grooming scores 2 out of 5, so home brushing covers most weeks. Trainability scores 5 out of 5, which is a biddable score. Good with children scores 5 out of 5. Good with other dogs scores 3 out of 5. AKC ranked this breed number 42 in 2025.

Adult size is usually reached in 8–12 months (size-band statement (Salt et al. 2017): very small dogs reach maturity at 8-12 months). AKC parent-club recommended health screenings: Patella Evaluation, Cardiac Exam, and Ophthalmologist Evaluation. These are screening tests, not a list of diseases the breed is guaranteed to develop.

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