We don’t often think about the backup behavior when teaching our dogs the basics. However, backup can come in very handy, basically anytime you need your dog to get out of the way. For instance if they are crowding the door, you can ask them to back up, If you are coming into the yard and they are pushing to escape through the gate when you open it, you can ask them to back up. And there are many other instances this behavior is quite helpful.
Again, we’ll shape this behavior.
- With your dog standing in front of you, take a step into them. Most dogs will move backward to get out of your way. When they take that first step, click treat from your hand.
- Take a few steps backward, your dog will either follow or stay where they are at. If they stay, call them to you to start again with dog standing in front of you.
- Be careful to click the step backward rather than a sit which some dogs will do when you step into them.
Modern K9 Training 