Dr. Dunbar’s 28-Day Good Dog Challenge

Back-up & Come Fore

Day 15 · Easy to teach, and so useful.

Why Back-up & Come Fore?

Every Back-up gives you another chance to practice Come. Back up, Come. Back up, Come. That’s ten recalls in a minute, without leaving the living room.

And just like Come-Sits, a short Come is a wonderful test of how your dog feels about a person. A dog who happily comes, again and again, is telling you they’re comfortable with that person. A dog who hesitates is telling you something too. So try it with everyone in the family, and with friends who visit: ask your dog to come, praise, give a piece of kibble, then back up and do it again.

Back-up is useful in everyday life, too. “Back up” is perfect when your dog is too eager to get out of the front door, or when they’ve forged ahead on a walk.

Step by step

Teach Back-up

1. Say “Back up,” and move the food lure toward your dog, under their chin, and toward their chest.
2. Praise as they back up. At first, praise and reward a single step backward. Then two steps, then three.

Teach Come Fore

1. Say “Come,” and quickly take one step backward.
2. Lure your dog to come and stand right in front of you.
3. Praise, and reward.

Now yo-yo them

Back up. Come. Back up. Come. Repeat ten times, with lots of praise. Then see how many Back-ups and Come Fores in a row your dog will do for just one food reward. Wow! Your dog will soon be ready for America’s Got Talent.

Keep it straight

Can you get your dog to back up in a straight line? When you first teach Back-up, many dogs go crooked, with their back end swinging out to one side. No biggie! Just give them some walls:

• Use a wall. With your dog at your side, sandwiched between you and a wall, say “Back up,” and move the food lure under their chin and toward their chest.
• Use a narrow passage, such as a hallway, or the gap between a bed and a wall. There’s only one way to go: straight back.
• Start small. One straight step is worth more than five crooked ones. Praise the straight ones especially.
• Then take away the walls, little by little, once your dog backs up straight.

Bonus: Back-up at heel

Once your dog backs up while facing you, try it at your side. With your dog sitting at heel, take one step backward, say “Back,” and lure your dog to back up into a Sit at heel. Keep at it until your dog jumps back into a Sit. Then mix one-step forward and one-step backward Heel-Sits.

And try heeling backward. It’s insanely funny to watch!

Just for fun: the Backward Send-out

At the K9 Games, one of the races was the Backward Send-out. The owner stays behind the start line and directs their dog to run backward, all the way down the course and across the finish line. The biggest problem? Dogs careening out of their lane and bumping into the dog next door! How far can your dog back up when you ask?

Special tips

What’s next

• Tomorrow, Day 16, it’s Come from Afar: calling your dog from across the room, and beyond.
• Add it to your repertoire. Back-up is a great move for your Grand Finale routine.

Filming tips and prizes: Videos and Prizes.