 The red and white variety of toy spaniel was first seen in paintings by Titian , including the Venus of Urbino ( 1538 ) , where a small dog is used as a symbol of female seductiveness . Further paintings featuring these toy spaniels were created by Palma Vecchio and Paolo Veronese during the 16th century . These dogs already had high domed heads with short noses , although the muzzles were more pointed than they are today . These Italian toy spaniels may have been crossed with local small dogs such as the Maltese and also with imported Chinese dogs . The Papillon is the continental descendant of similar toy @-@ sized spaniels . 
