The Mini Foxillon
get its name from its parent breeds: the Toy Fox Terrier and the Papillon. The
Papillon is an ancient breed that originated over 700 years ago in France and
was very popular with European royalty and elite. Papillons can even be
identified in Italian frescoes and paintings as early as the 13th century. Interestingly,
this breed originally had pendant ears. Over time, however, it developed the
erect ears that we recognized it by today. In fact, many litters still produce
puppies with both types of ears. Papillons became popular in North America
during the early 20th century, and the AKC recognized the breed in 1915. The
Mini Foxillon’s other parent, the Toy Fox Terrier, originated in the United
States in the early 1900s and descended from the Smooth Fox Terrier and other
toy breeds including the Italian Greyhound, Toy Manchester Terrier, Miniature
Pinscher, and Chihuahua. It was originally bred for hunting small vermin;
however, because of its size, intelligence, and energy, Toy Fox Terriers became
common performance animals in shows and circuses during the 20th
century. The breed was officially recognized as a Toy Group by the AKC in 2003.
The product of these two breeds, the Mini Foxillon, is suspected to have
originated in the early to mid-1900s when both parent breeds were present and
popular in the United States. Mini Foxillons were likely bred for the amicable
dispositions of the Papillons and the intelligence of the Toy Fox Terrier.
Though they are not recognized by the AKC, this hybrid is fairly established
among the designer breeds. Still, it can vary widely in temperament and
appearance and breeders should be thoroughly researched if you are considering
purchasing a puppy from them.
