Just an fyi from today. Trooper is starting to get it.
Just for grins I did it with old reliable, Thunder.
He also has only the basics of "back up" when I go out the gate. No training for it, just doing it.
I put him in the chute and within 3 tries he was backing up the full length of the spread out ring fencing. If it weren't for his hips and age I'd bet he would be doing the whole thing by the weekend.
After 55-60 yrs with dogs Thunder has me spoiled!

Hi Bob~

I think your dog is super handsome!!!

My question is: how else ,aside from stepping forward, would you teach a dog to back up? Or were you referring to the fact that he already sort of knows the command? Thanks

thanks for the compliment to Trooper. He's actually in his summer coat and looks like a mangy coyote compared to his winter coat. He's a long hair and has a mane like a lion in the winter.
As to his moving back. Both my dogs had a basic understand of "back up". It's nothing I actually plan to teach any of my dogs but when I open a gate and say back up they learn to avoid the gate.
Now, different methods for different dogs. With Thunder I just read the book and he does it. It's almost that easy with him.
I seriously believe Trooper has some sort of ADHD. He's as intelligent as any dog I've owned but keeping his focus/concentration isn't easy. I'm still stepping into him after 4-5 days of training.
He does understand markers. But for my procrastination he would have his CD and Thunder would have his UD. ANYTHING out of the ordinary in training him and Trooper seems confused. In reality that's my problem to figure out and not his. I simply have to figure out a better way to communicate what I'm asking him to do.

Your answer makes me wonder.

Are certain of our dogs super smart OR do we just have the exact key to their understanding/learning more than others?

I don't really know that there is any sort of intelligence test for dogs but I do know, based on 50+ yrs of training that they do vary in how they learn. That goes for individual breeds and individuals within a breed.
I've never believed in statements that say terriers are stubborn, or my dog flipped me the bird, or my dog is stupid. It's all a matter of, as you say, finding the key for that individual dog.
I wasn't joking about believing Trooper having some sort of ADHD. His ability to stay focused or stay on task is nowhere near Thunder's. It doesn't mean he's not as smart, just that he's...different from Thunder.
Thunder was my SAR dog before I did Schutzhund, AKC OB, herding, etc with him. When I gave him a "find it" or a "Search" command he stayed on task till I would call him off. Trooper looses interest within a few mins or until he's distracted. That's not training, it's just the individual dog. Just different drives in different dogs.
These situations can be worked out but it's not like reading the directions and expecting it to happen like it does with Thunder.

I think what we often equate as "smart" in a dog is actually the perfect blend of intuition, biddability and focus that makes it easy for us to train them.

Beautiful dog, Bob.

Thanks.

Big ditto to Bob's comment:

"I've never believed in statements that say terriers are stubborn, or my dog flipped me the bird, or my dog is stupid. It's all a matter of, as you say, finding the key for that individual dog."