The tendency for a dog to oppose physical pressure. If we push into them (during petting, for example), they may push back against it. When we apply pressure to pull them in some direction (on leash, for example) they may drive the opposite direction. The intensity of this response depends on a dog’s temperament and history.
Depending on the situation this can either be a problem we have to work through or something we can use to our advantage. For example, driving into restraint presents a challenge when working with reactivity. On the other hand, sport trainers regularly use some restraint to build drive for the activities they’re training for (e.g. gently restraining a dog that wants to search so that when the dog is released to search their drive is high and searching is inherently cathartic).
This response is also an operant one, meaning that we can modify it with training.
Also commonly (though incorrectly) called the “Opposition Reflex.”
« Back to Glossary Index
