Spaniel Traits/Ear Carriage Study
By Roseann Fucillo
Published in June 2007 AKC GAZETTE

Years ago a lady contacted the Papillon Club of Scotland because she wanted a large Papillon bitch  “to work to the gun” and replace her old Papillon bitch who retired. She found Papillons ideal for her, as they were “small, quick and keen.” 
 
We know our Papillons and Phalenes are descendants of the Continental Toy Spaniel, so it is not surprising that they naturally possess these spaniel traits.  Since spaniels were bred for hunting, they work by quartering their ground, working in circles from side to side in order to flush out game. Even Papillons, who have never been trained to hunt, seem to instinctively work in this fashion.

Papillons are natural hunters.  They chase birds, rabbits, chip monks, moles, squirrels and mice. They pick up every scent with their noses to the ground, stalk each other in play, hoard their toys and lay their claim on whatever trophy they pick up. 

When in a pack, Papillons will kill game just for the sport.  I knew a man many years ago who had several Paps and a parrot. These animals were all great friends and he never worried about letting the parrot fly loose around the house.  One day after finding a lot of feathers on the floor, and in the mouths of the Paps, he discovered the head of the poor dead parrot being used as an object of play among the Papillons.

It is said that the more ticking a Papillon has, and the more they closely resemble the spaniel, the more of an instinct they seem to possess for hunting and stalking.  This is an interesting concept still unscientifically proven, however many breeders say their best hunters are the ones with the most ticking.
 
Speaking of scientific proof, there is an interesting study being conducted by a canine geneticist, Mark Neff, Phd, at the Center for Veterinary Genetics at UC Davis. He is interested in genetically resolving several simple traits that could help understand how breeds evolved. The information would positively impact the analysis of genetic diseases, especially those that show a complex inheritance, by understanding gene flow prior to advent of registries.

A particularly interesting ‘model’ trait is ear carriage. And the best possible opportunity to study the genetics of ear carriage is in Papillons and Phalenes.  The two types will share most of the DNA; the one place in the dog genome where they will certainly be different is in and around the gene that governs ear carriage.

To map the causative gene and identify the causal mutation, they are hoping to collect DNA samples from as many dogs of both types as possible. This project will not require the recruitment of whole families, but individual Papillons and Phalenes. Participation only requires use of the cheek swab DNA collection kits. They also provide a postage-paid envelope for the speciments.

At the conclusion of the study, participants will receive a summary of findings. As with all academic research, the results for individual dogs are kept strictly confidential. They expect this research will ultimately result in a DNA test capable of identifying carriers and predicting adult ear carriage.

If you would like to participate, contact <katy@ucdavis.edu>. If you have any questions, contact <mwneff@ucdavis.edu>.

Published with permission from the AKC GAZETTE.  This article is not to be copied, whole or in part, without written permission from the author.