Papatzu Puppies for Sale

Two toy breeds that could not be less alike

The Papatzu crosses a Papillon with a Shih Tzu, and the interest in this cross is that the parents pull in genuinely different directions.

The Papillon is a toy spaniel named for its ears — papillon is French for butterfly — and it is one of the most trainable small dogs there is. It regularly outperforms much larger breeds in obedience and agility, and it has more stamina than its size suggests.

The Shih Tzu is a Chinese and Tibetan companion breed, sturdier in the body, longer and heavier in the coat, and far more inclined to think that the correct place for a dog is a lap.

A Papatzu inherits from both. Some lean bright and busy, some lean settled and affectionate, and most sit somewhere in between.

The trainable side

If your puppy leans Papillon, you have a small dog that can learn a great deal. Papillon-line dogs are quick, motivated by food and attention, and often keen on structured games. Trick training, indoor agility, scent work and formal obedience are all realistic, and they are the best possible outlet for a dog with that much processing power.

Keep sessions short — two or three minutes, several times a day, beats one long session — and end while the dog still wants more.

The settled side

If the Shih Tzu side dominates, expect a dog with a lower centre of gravity in every sense: content to lie against you, less driven, still perfectly capable of learning but less insistent about needing a job.

Both types share one thing. This is a cross with companion breeds on both sides, and it wants human company. Time alone should be introduced deliberately and gradually from the first week rather than discovered by accident on the first working Monday.

Coat and ears

The two parents have very different coats — the Papillon’s is a long, fine, single coat with dramatic fringing on the ears, tail and legs; the Shih Tzu’s is dense, long and double. Puppies land anywhere on that spectrum, and ear carriage varies the same way, from fully erect and fringed to dropped.

Whatever you get, plan on regular combing to the skin rather than surface brushing, with particular attention to the ear fringes and the area behind the ears where fine hair knots first. Most owners settle into a professional trim every couple of months, and a tidy-up around the eyes between visits.

The puppy stage

Small, light puppies need the household adapted: steps or ramps instead of jumping off furniture, a harness rather than a neck collar, and an agreement that the puppy walks on the ground rather than living in someone’s arms.

Socialisation deserves the same attention it would get in a big breed. A toy dog that has met traffic, other dogs, umbrellas and strangers calmly before six months is a much easier adult.

Come and meet one

Because the two parent breeds are so different, the individual Papatzu really is the thing to judge. See what is in store on our puppies for sale page, read about our breeders, and visit us in Clermont near Orlando or Goodlettsville near Nashville. Ask about the warranty and about financing through TerracePets while you are there.