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Behavior First introduced in Elementary

Back Up

Walk backward in a straight line: a body-awareness builder.

  • Teaching
  • Reinforcing
  • Proofing
  • Maintenance

Maple's stage at Elementary

Success indicator

Dog backs up at least 3 steps on cue.

What it is

The "Backup" command has diverse applications, serving multiple purposes such as teaching personal space boundaries and boosting confidence.

How we teach it

  • Hind End Awareness: To back up effectively, your dog must master hind end awareness, which involves moving their hind legs independently from their front legs.
  • Utilize Natural Guides: Enhance learning by practicing the backup command near walls, sidewalks, or thresholds to give your dog additional support.
  • Vary Positions: Once your dog understands the command, experiment with different positions like beside you, in front of you, while sitting, or lying down to improve their backup skills.

Practice at home

  • Make it fun.: Dogs learn best when they are having fun. Make sure you are using positive reinforcement and make the training process as enjoyable as possible for your dog.
  • Take Photos or Videos: Capturing your progress back at home or outside will help us provide additional feedback.

Watch it

Back Up tutorial thumbnail

Go deeper

The "Backup" command is a fun trick that can be used to get your dog to back away from you. It is also a useful command for keeping your dog safe in certain situations, such as when they are getting too close to a busy street.

Read the Backup guide

Maple's record

No record yet

This skill has not been assessed for Maple yet. It will appear here after a trainer records it.

Add structure to your week

See where Back Up fits in Maple's personalized training plan.