Some dog owners seem to derive fun from teasing Papillon puppies. Of course the definition of teasing is so broad, and this leads us to the point that teasing and roughhousing as a whole is either positive or negative, formative or otherwise.
Believe it or not, positive teasing exists, and from a papillon training point of view, it can be a lot of fun for both owner and dog. Teasing can even build a puppy’s confidence by gradually making predictable the weird things that people do. Non-stop teasing, together with the malicious type, are different; they are no-nos beyond doubt.
Some strangely “confidence building” teasing include temporarily keeping or hiding the toys or treats from the pup, or restraining or hugging the dog, spending a few seconds making scary faces or making up weird dances in from of the dog, but then praising the dog with a consistently used “Good boy/girl” then offering a treat. The bottom line is that the dog’s acceptance of your unexpected actions is reinforced by the reward, leading to a dog that is generally more confident. But note that there are appropriate moments for playing unpredictable, and there also need to be moments for being the calm and assertive master-leader; do not overperform one to the detriment of the other.
Puppies need to be trained to absorb a healthy amount of teasing. Otherwise, without the necessary preparation, nothing else could prepare a puppy when it gets chased by a screaming child with outstretched arms. But dogs in general enjoy chases for as long as they are taught it is non-threatening.
Based on what we know in Papillon Training, how can it be known if a particular afternoon of teasing is already overboard? After a few bouts of dog hugs, or of the monster-walk chasing, try standing a good distance from the dog while asking it to come over for a treat. If the dog approaches with all signs indicating a good-natured reaction (head held high, tail wagging), then the dog has taken the game well. If its otherwise, then the dog approaches with wariness, if not fear, as shown by the licking of lips, the lowered head and tail, then the lying down or rolling over when you asked for him to sit.
What’s to be done now? To repair the damage, get the dog to come to you by reinforcing its approach primarily through treats. Note that the deceptive thing about teasing is that it can grow harmful or beneficial, which is why it makes sense checking always, say every fifteen minutes, that your puppy is having a good time.
Before we end, it is also important to be able to know how to control the dogs in the thick of friendly play. Here is one test to know if you still have control of the dogs. At any time, you only need one or two command in order to get your dog to stop playing and lie down calmly. But if the dog is still a whirlwind in spite of all your arms flailing, then there is too much rough play, and papillon training needs to step in.
