From Vietnam With Tug: How Your Phu Quoc Ridgeback’s DNA Makes Leash Pulling Inevitable (And What Actually Works)

Ever notice that the more you pull on your dog’s leash, the harder they pull back? That frustrating tug-of-war isn’t disobedience—it’s biology. It’s called the opposition reflex, and it’s one of the most important (yet overlooked) concepts in dog behavior.

🧠 What Is the Opposition Reflex?

The opposition reflex is a natural, automatic response where an animal instinctively pushes or pulls against a force applied to their body. For dogs, this means:

You pull back? They pull forward.
You try to hold them still? They resist even more.

It’s a survival instinct—built to help animals escape predators. And even though our dogs live in cozy homes now, that primal reflex is still hardwired into their brains.

🚶‍♀️ Why It Matters on Walks

Picture this: Your dog sees something exciting and starts pulling. You pull back on the leash. The leash gets tight… and your dog pulls harder. Sound familiar?

That tension on the leash activates the opposition reflex, telling your dog’s body: “Pull harder!” It's not stubbornness—it’s reflex.

This problem gets even worse if you're using a standard chest-clip harness or flat collar. These tools often make pulling feel natural and safe, especially on dogs built for movement.

🔄 The Escalation Loop

When tension builds on both ends of the leash, it creates a feedback loop:

Dog pulls.
Handler pulls back.
Dog pulls harder.
Handler gets frustrated.
Dog gets overstimulated or reactive.

Eventually, you’re no longer walking your dog—you’re battling them.

😤 What About Reactive Dogs?

Reactive dogs—those who bark or lunge at other dogs, people, or cars—are even more sensitive to leash tension. Tightening the leash in anticipation of a reaction can actually make the reaction worse by:

Activating opposition reflex.
Increasing stress and frustration.
Confirming (in the dog’s mind) that the trigger is dangerous.

The result? Bigger reactions. More pulling. More struggle.

✅ What You Can Do Instead

1. Keep the Leash Loose

Avoid constant pressure. A loose leash helps prevent triggering the opposition reflex in the first place.

2. Engage, Don’t Restrain

Rather than dragging your dog around, teach them to choose to walk beside you. Use games, food rewards, and training to make you the best thing on the walk.

3. Use the Right Gear Thoughtfully

Front-clip harnesses or head halters can help reduce pulling—but they aren’t magic fixes. The real progress comes from training, not tools alone.

4. Train Under Threshold

Work with your dog far enough from triggers that they can stay calm and focused. Use rewards to teach calm behavior before closing that distance.

❤️ Final Thoughts: Partnership Over Power

Opposition reflex reminds us that our dogs aren’t trying to “win” a walk—they’re just reacting to pressure in ways they can’t control.

If we stop fighting them and start working with them, we can turn walks into something better: a conversation, not a contest.

Because when we stop pulling, they stop pulling too.