About Papillon & Lavande
From a memory of Provence to a small boutique kennel at the foot of Mont-Saint-Hilaire.
The real butterflies, between the rows of lavender.
As a child, Aurélie Cabanel spent her summers at her grandmother Yvonne's, in a Luberon village where the family had grown lavender for three generations. Bags packed each August, she always brought home a sachet of dried flowers — and the promise that one day she'd have her own garden.
In 2018, settled on the slope of an old stone farmhouse in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, she planted her first sprigs in Yvonne's memory. The garden grew a little more each year. Then came Marius, her first Papillon — and watching him run between the rows, his large fringed ears fluttering like real butterflies over the flowers, the idea of a kennel took root just as surely as the lavender.
For six years now, Papillon & Lavande has raised two small litters a year, never more. Just enough to know each puppy's temperament before we even name it — and to stay close to every family long after they go home.
Marius, Fanny, and our rising star: Garrigue.
Three Papillons, chosen as much for temperament as for health.
Marius
Male, white & sable, 4 years old. Confident, playful, loves children. Hips, eyes and heart screened annually; confirmed clear carrier by genetic panel.
Fanny
Female, white & black, 3 years old. Gentle and attentive, an exemplary mother — she stays with her litter well after the puppies no longer need her. Screenings up to date.
Garrigue
Female, tricolour, 2 years old. Our rising star: screenings completed and cleared, first litter expected fall 2026. Lively and very sociable, already the visitors' favourite.
A complete file before every breeding.
The Papillon is a generally sturdy and surprisingly long-lived breed — 14 to 17 years on average — but like any breed, it has predispositions that serious screening helps limit.
- Patellas — annual orthopedic exam (patellar luxation, common in small breeds).
- Eyes — annual ophthalmologic exam by a specialist veterinarian.
- Heart — cardiac auscultation before every breeding.
- Genetic panel — screening for hereditary conditions known in the breed, to avoid any risky pairing.
Full results for Marius, Fanny and Garrigue are provided to any family who asks — never summarized from memory.
Would you like to meet Marius and Fanny in person?
Photos are no substitute for a visit to the farmhouse. Write to us to plan yours, or take a look at our currently available puppies.