Best Way to Train Your Dog to Back Up On Command

When clients ask me how to stop their dog from stealing from the garbage, I always advise them to put the garbage behind closed doors, under the sink or in the pantry. Prevention is excellent dog training and a genuine time-saver.

In order to teach your dog to back up on command, prevent the problems that too much space might create by working in a hall­way. Position yourself so that you and your dog are facing each other and the length of the hall is behind him. Now, as you flick the back of your hands in your dog’s direction, much in the same way you would shoo a person who was standing too near, begin to walk forward.

Until you try this, the assumption is that your dog will have no choice but to back up. This is not exactly the case. Your dog may back up. He may sit. He may, feeling confused and rejected, turn around and walk away.

Therefore, “Back up,” still an easy trick, is taught as follows: Use the small hand signal, flick, flick, telling your dog “Back up, back up” in a friendly, soft voice so that he doesn’t think you’re angry at him. If he sits or turns around to leave, you must back up and call him to come. This time, try giving the signal, then hold his face gently, cupping him under the muzzle as you back him up a step or two. As soon as he takes a couple of steps backward, you back up, calling him to come in an animated fashion. This will reward his effort and let him know you aren’t angry at him.

Work back and forth, getting your dog to back up, then back up quickly and call your dog to come for praise, then quietly, qui­etly, flick, flick, getting your dog to take a step or two back, then back up and call him for praise. Work no more than one or two minutes at a time, whenever you are in the mood or whenever you find yourself and your dog in the hall.

When your dog responds reliably to the command by moving backward, you can move the trick out of the hall.

You may be wondering why you should teach your dog to back up on command in the first place. Your dog might be about to walk on a wet floor. He might be crowding you when you lie down on the floor to do your crunches. If, like mine, your dog becomes a ser­vice dog, you may sometimes need to back him into small spaces when you take him into restaurants or on the bus or train. Or you may need some distance between you when you are playing catch, which is the next game.