Opposition Reflex
Opposition reflex? What the heck is that? It’s basically when you pull your dog one way his body tells him to go the opposite way. Nature tells the dog to go in the opposite direction of a pull. We see this all the time with dogs on leash. The dog pulls ahead of the person to the end of the leash causing the person to respond by pulling back. This turns into a strange sort of moving tug-of-war. It’s usually not pleasant for the dog or the dog-walker. The more we pull back, the more the dog resists and pulls the opposite direction. What we need to keep in mind is that this is a reflex. The dog isn’t being willful; his body and mind are telling him to do this.
Opposition reflex is very useful in some training situations and not so helpful in others. Opposition reflex is used in pulling sleds, carts, scooters, etc. We want the dog to pull against the resistance of the harness. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be effective at pulling sleds.
We use opposition reflex with police dogs when we teach them to go after the bad guys. We pull back on the leash while the agitator teases and encourages the dog from a distance. The canine will strain against his collar and leash to try and get to the agitator. The more we pull back the more the canine wants to go. When we finally let go of the dog, he will explode with power and speed towards his target. Dogs love this.
Another use of opposition reflex is when we want our dogs to run towards anything with a burst of power. I use it when I teach dogs to load up into a truck bed, crate, agility obstacle, coming when called, etc. I place a prize for the dog such as a treat or toy in the back of the truck. I let him know it’s there. I then take him back several feet from the truck bed, pull back on his collar so the opposition reflex kicks in and then say “load-up” and release his collar. The dog will burst forward and jump up into the truck bed. For coming when called. I will hold a dog by his leash and have the owner say, “Where am I going?” and jog away around a corner. I instruct the person to call the dog as soon as they are out of sight. The dog pulls against the leash because he wants to be with his person. When I release the dog, I say “Go Find”. The dog will burst forward to find his human. This is one of the first steps in teaching a dog to search for police work or search and rescue.
So when do we not want to use opposition reflex? Here is an example: a person comes to the front door, rings the bell, you open the door and grab your dog by the collar to stop him from going outside. To your dog you are actually encouraging him to go to the person. In a sense you are training him like the police dog. This could be disastrous because the dog is focused on the person and if he gets away, he might knock over the person or even bite. You might be unintentionally encouraging your dog to be aggressive. Now the door bell takes on a whole different meaning…but I digress. This subject will need to wait for a future article. Just let me say this is where you want to train your dog to ‘go to his bed and stay.’
There is a new law that states that dogs can not be chained out in yards. I support this law wholeheartedly. There are a number of reasons why this is a bad idea. You will see that opposition reflex kicks in when the dog runs towards something and hits the end of the line. This is frustrating to the dog and encourages aggression. If the line ever snaps when the dog runs, God help whomever is his target.
As I stated before, opposition reflex is most commonly seen when walking a dog on leash. One of the main complaints that I get from clients is “My dog pulls on leash.” What I have to explain to my clients is that we actually contribute to this practice by triggering the opposition reflex when we pull back on the leash. This is where dog training classes are beneficial. There are several methods that can be used to stop a dog from pulling. Your dog’s personality, size, age should all be considered when choosing a method. Sometimes it will be trial and error to see which method works best for the human-dog team. Something else everyone who walks a dog should keep in mind is does the dog understand what you want? You should patiently teach your dog to walk on leash in the desired fashion and reward him for his good efforts. Practice makes perfect.
Some of my favorite methods are to use a treat lure. This works well with puppies. I hold a yummy treat in my left (or right) hand and keep it close to the seam of my pants. I step forward with my left foot and say ‘lets go’. If the dog takes even three steps in the desired position I say ‘yes’ and give him a small treat reward. Another method that has good results with older rambunctious dogs is to quickly do a right about turn as soon as the dog drifts forward in front of the person. It takes several attempts until the dog catches on that if he pulls ahead, you will reverse directions. Then reward the dog when he is in the desired position. Give these a try. Be aware of when you are using the opposition reflex to your advantage or disadvantage.
Sallie Palmer teaches a variety of dog training classes and hosts fun activities for you and your dog. For more information, go to www.wellmanneredmutts.net or call 707-463-DOGS
