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Considering that all dogs need to manage their urge to walk and migrate, walking a dog is among the - if not the - best socialization drill, from a papillon training point of view. Therefore, pushing the dog to hurry through the whole activity is not fair at all. It is also just that the dog be allowed some timeouts so as to relax and observe its environment.
Your Epagneul Nain Continental's cool and calm temperament needs to be factored in, since the occasional surprise in a walk may make it lose its focus. Preempt these things, first, by handfeeding your dog her meal during walks, which will reinforce positive thinking with regard to people, traffic and other dogs. Give your dog kibble or some treat each time a noisy vehicle comes rumbling by, each time you encounter another person or dog, and more still each time the dog greets a person or another dog, or each time she welcomes petting from passers-by.
If people want to meet up close your dog, the first thing to do is to show them how to use kibble to get the dog to sit calmly near both of you. Ask the person to offer the treat only after your dog sits to say hello. By the way, "sit" is a very valuable command when it comes to introducing the dog to other people.
Training on Walks
And now, it is time for some basic ideas about leash pulling. Dogs do it for many reasons. A top reason is that the best view always is that of the lead dog. It seems also that for some dogs, pulling on leash is an enjoyable experience, and lax and ill-informed owners have themselves to blame if they feel bad about it!
On the other hand, try the following if you wish to have more invigorating and more relaxing walks.
- Practice leash walking in your yard from the very start that the dog can do it, and take along your pup for walks as soon as it could.
- There is no need to wait for the dog to reach adolescence in order for the on-leash walk to materialize. Bring the dog when the vet and breeder give the thumbs up!
- Have periods of 15- to 30-second pauses when the dog stays by your side, with even longer periods wherein the dog is permitted to range or sniff. All this encourages your dog to stay right by your side since if it does, it notices that it gets more "range and sniff" chances.
- The "heel" command is not meant to be used often, and furthermore the dog is better off without it. Otherwise, the fun gets decreased.
- Can you train your dog to pull on-leash on command? If you can, do it because this can be a welcome trick when you are pulling sleds or ascending steep hills.
- Perhaps the most valuable of these papillon training tips on dog walking is that you need to control how the dog slackens or pulls. Use a "stop-go" approach to training. When your dog starts pulling, stop on your tracks, and stand still waiting. Once the dog slackens, or better yet when it obeys your command to sit and wait, begin walking again.
Overall, things turn out to be like a sport for you and your dog. You could almost hear the dog's brain ticking as it tries to figure out which of its actions (e.g. calm sitting) lead to more walking, and what (e.g. straining and pulling) leads you to slowing down. But don't forget to praise your dog too, in order to reinforce its calm walk with the appropriate slack. But do not go about making all sorts of noises to correct your dog; rather, let it work out what behavior helps you both the most.
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