Teaching the back cast

Why it matters

The back cast sends a dog straight away from the handler, the final piece of the directional handling picture alongside left and right. It takes patience to teach cleanly and should follow solid left and right cast work.

Set up

• Place a dummy directly behind the dog's likely position, out of sight if possible.
• Warm up with a couple of easy left and right casts first.

Run the drill

1. 1Stop the dog facing you, then step back yourself as you raise both arms and give the back command.
2. 2Encourage the dog to turn and move away from you towards the dummy.
3. 3Praise generously the moment it commits to moving away rather than towards you.

Make it harder

• Increase the distance the dog must travel on the back cast.
• Combine a back cast with a left or right cast in the same retrieve.
• Practise back casts on ground with a slight rise, which many dogs find easier to read at first.

Common mistakes

• A weak or hesitant body signal: commit fully to the step back and arm raise so the dog reads it clearly.
• Placing the dummy too close at first: give the dog a proper distance to commit to before adding difficulty.
• Moving on before the dog is confident: repeat easy back casts until the response is enthusiastic, not just correct.