Training Your Dog to Back Up

Training your dog to back up is not only useful in practical situations, but it can also be added to the list of tricks your dog can do. When I first taught my dogs this behavior, I used it for dog training purposes, such as boundary training, space crowding and safety situations. However, I quickly found out that people thought it was pretty neat, so now I add it to my routine of tricks!

Get Your Dog’s Attention

When teaching a new dog behavior, it’s always a good idea to begin in a low distraction area with a high value reward, as this will help keep your dog focused on the task at hand. Let’s say you’re in your living room: engage your dog by calling his name. Have your food reward in your hand, get your dog’s attention and reward.

Reward for Each Step Backwards

Now that your dog is interested, take another treat and hold it a little above your dog’s nose. Begin walking toward your dog. Once your dog takes one step backwards, give your marker word “good” followed by a treat. After your dog quickly learns taking one step backwards earns him the reward, start requiring two to three steps backwards before rewarding him again. Continue to add more steps until your dog is taking two steps backwards with each paw.

Add the Cue

You don’t want to use food every time you need your dog to back up, so let’s add a cue (word) to the behavior. The cue can be something as simple as “back up,” or you can become creative with it and use “reverse.” Whatever verbal cue you choose, be sure you stay consistent with your choice to prevent confusing your dog.

Once your dog is following your lure backwards 90 percent of the time, begin adding your cue while you’re luring him into the behavior. After you’ve practiced this about 20 times, begin asking for the behavior by cue without using a lure.

RELATED: The Right Way to Do Lure Reward Dog Training

Fade the Reward

I like to have my hands smelling like the treat and using a hand signal–I call it an air cookie. This is kind of like you’re using a lure without a lure. Once your dog completes the behavior, give your conditioned reinforcer “good” and follow it with a high value treat. When your dog can back up on cue, you want to begin fading the food treat by only rewarding perfect performances with food and rewarding other performances with physical praise.

Generalizing the Behavior

We know your dog can back up in your living room, but this doesn’t mean he can perform the behavior as easily in a more distracted area. When you move to another area of your house, ask your dog to back up at an easier level. You can train your dog to back up using the food lure and hand cue to jog your dog’s memory of the behavior you’re asking for. Once the light bulb turns on, begin using this cue in your everyday life and when you want to impress your dog-loving friends!

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