Papillon sweater and coat sizes

The ears are the whole difficulty. A papillon's ears are large, upright, fringed, and set wide, and a pullover with a close collar catches the fringe on the way over every single time. Size the collar for the ears, not the neck; the rest of the dog is easy.

Numbers

AKC standard: 8 to 11 in at the shoulder, 5 to 10 lb. The breed charts are thin on papillons; the Doggie Style Store chart gives a neck of 8 to 12 in, and the breed sits in The Foggy Dog's smallest sizes (12 to 17 in harness). Chest 12 to 16 in and back 10 to 13 in is what owners usually find; a papillon is a shade longer than tall and fine-boned. Treat the figures as a starting point and measure, because on a 13 in chest an inch is a size.

Sizes from our charts

Worked out from the size charts on the product pages for the measurement range above. Your dog's own tape measurement is what decides it.

A 7 lb papillon with a 14 in chest and a 10 in neck: Fireside L (15 in chest), Heritage Turtleneck S, jacket S (the XS is 13.4), trench L by neck. A 5 lb one at 12 in: Fireside M, Heritage XS or S, jacket XS and loose, trench S or M.

Getting a pullover over the ears

Both knits go over the head. Pick the size whose neck number is clearly above the dog's, bunch the collar into a wide ring with both thumbs inside it, and bring it over from the front with the ears folded back along the neck under your palm. Then let go of the ears and they spring up through the opening. Done the other way, the fringe catches, the dog shakes, and the next time there is a negotiation. The Fireside Cable-Knit has a folded ribbed collar that gives a little; the Heritage Turtleneck stretches more and its fold-down neck can be worn folded, which is lower and clear of the ear leather.

A single coat with fringe

The papillon's coat is long, fine and single, with no undercoat and feathering on the ears, chest, legs and tail. It insulates less than it looks and it tangles under anything worn for long. Two habits: a knit for the walk and off at the door, and a brush behind the elbows afterwards. For cold dry days the Fireside is the warmer of the two knits by look and sleeveless, which is kinder to feathered legs; the Heritage is stretchier and has cuffs.

Rain and spring

Soaked, the fringe hangs flat and takes an age to dry. The All-Weather Jacket in XS or S keeps the body dry, opens flat and zips up the chest, so the ears are never involved, and the leash clips to the built-in harness on the chest. A papillon's neck is slender and the breed should not walk on a collar; the harness in the jacket is the right leash point for a dog that walks nicely.

For spring and autumn, the Trench Coat, sized by neck and weight for toy breeds, drapes over the coat and the fringe without crushing either. Most papillons are an L or XL by neck.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping; ships in 1 to 2 business days and usually arrives 4 to 9 business days after that; 60 days to return a size the ears vetoed (Shipping & Returns). The measuring guide covers the three measurements; measure the neck under the ear fringe, where a collar sits.

Questions

Which knit for a 6 lb papillon?

The Fireside, L for a 14 to 15 in chest, M under 13.4. Sleeveless and a folded collar, which is the easiest combination past the ears.

Will the collar bend the ears?

A collar sized above the neck measurement sits below the ears; a turtleneck worn up touches the base of the ear and most papillons dislike that. Wear the Heritage folded.

Does the trench fit a 10 lb papillon?

L (up to 13 lb, 10.6 in neck) or XL (16 lb, 11.4 in). Pick by neck.