Hi all,
So, have any of you ever taught your dogs to walk backwards on command, and how did you do it. I want to teach it kind of for fun but it would be useful, too. Final Product, the first half anayway. (But if anyone knows how to train the other half, that would be cool, too! :grin

The only way I've ever seen it started was walking in circles to the left and making the circle tighter and tighter till the dog is backing up to stay in heel position. You have to keep them on a short tight leash so that they are held very close to you and they are backing up to stay out of your way.

I taught my dog to back up by placing her in between the coffee table and the sofa at first (to keep her straight), just pushing a treat towards her chest. One step, mark & reward, then two steps, mark & reward, and so on. She caught on to it pretty quickly.

Heeling against a wall works too. That hard immovable surface keeps the dog from spinning while walking backwards.

The way that I taught back up (and boy is it a useful one to know!) was to walk into the dog. I did it first between two parked cars and used my hands in a shooing motion and would mark (I used “YES!&rdquo a single step back. The dog really does not have anywhere else to go except backwards, but don’t push them too far at once…

So the picture is this:

1) The dog is looking at me and ready for action (knows that we are doing training and that treats/tug/pets are gonna be a coming.

2) With the dog following me with attention, I walk backward in between the cars.

3) Before the dog gets a chance to sit, I start walking into them in a somewhat brisk movement. The dog may sit, and if they do, I keep walking and GENTLY bump them. Use the leash to prevent them from turning around.

4) Mark and treat for movement backwards. Eventually for a few and then many steps.

5) Name it.

6) After the dog in proficient in backing many steps, stand still and ask for it, being prepared to walk into the dog, or maybe just lean and look like you may take a step.

7) After all of this is mastered between two cars (or whatever works for you; maybe a wall and a couch or as Sarah mentioned, a coffee table and a couch...) have the dog back out from about half way and out into the open. If they stop, again, be prepared to take a step forward to help reinforce it.

8) After the dog is comfortably backing out I the open start asking for it from random places.

I taught it the way Jessica did...walking into the dog and marking for a step backward. This was actually the first command I used a clicker for and he caught on really fast but the first few tries were a little awkward.

I really like the idea of placing the dog between 2 objects...wish I had known about that one.

Thanks guys. We have a narrow hallway in our house that is perfect for it. I tried the walking into her method before and she would sit down. I tried to keep walking, and she got frustrated and jumped up. I'll try it again tomorrow and see what happens, though, 'cause I only tried a few times.

 Quote:

and boy is it a useful one to know!

So, what do you use if for? I'm sure it will come in handy someday, but I wasn't sure for exactly what.

O, and I am a big fan of marker traing and use it a lot!

Edited by Kim Ward (11/15/2008 09:15 PM)
Edit reason: Adding last line

 Quote: Kim Ward

 Quote:

and boy is it a useful one to know!

So, what do you use if for? I'm sure it will come in handy someday, but I wasn't sure for exactly what.

O, and I am a big fan of marker traing and use it a lot!

All kinds of things! I if my hands are full and a dog is standing in the doorway, dogs are watching me make their food and get too close, dog is headed under the desk where the wires are and I don’t want him to turn around “under” the desk, in a hotel room where there is not a lot of room and I have room service in my hands and the dog wants to eat it… Stuff like that. All of those situations have other ways to resolve them, but saying “back up!” is a natural reaction for me, and, well it just works for us!

Also, as a side note, Backing up three steps is one of the possible activities in AKCs Rally Excellent program. When a dog is off lead, heels can go anywhere when backing up. I've seen many many rather rotten, if not absolutely incorrect, attempts at it.

I taught it the way Jessica said. I did it as a fun trick for clicker training. It is now one of the behaviours my dog "offers" (when he isn't sure what I want - it's in his "bag of tricks").

When you walk into your dog, does he take a step or two back before he sits? If he does you might be trying to do too much too soon. At first my dog got marked/clicked for just moving one of his front paws back. It took only a few times before the light went on for him, and just two (five minute or less) sessions before he would back up 3-4 steps. You have to have VERY split second timing though.