Back it up for dogs: how to play
Teach your dog to walk straight backwards. Builds hind-leg strength and rear-end awareness.
- Time
- 5 min
- Energy
- Low
- Space
- Small room
You'll need
- treats
- a hallway or a channel made with a sofa and a wall
Set up
Use a narrow space so your dog backs up straight.
How to play
Stand facing your dog in a hallway. Step toward them. Reward any backward step.
Feed the treat at your dog's chest height so they stay standing.
Build up to 2, then 3 steps before the reward.
Add "Back" just as your dog starts to move.
Fade your stepping: try the cue standing still.
House rules
- Reward straight back steps only.
- Treat at chest height.
- Make it easier
- Reward a single back step, or a weight shift backward.
- Make it harder
- Back up 2 metres, back up around a corner, or back up onto a low mat.
Signs it's having fun
Neat, deliberate backward steps and a pleased face.
Stop if you see
Your dog sits, swings sideways, or seems worried.
Safety
Safety- Check with your vet before starting fitness work, especially for seniors, overweight dogs or dogs with joint problems.
- Clear the space behind your dog.
- Skip with back or hip problems.
Sources
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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