Crossword Genius

Don't stand so close, pets (4,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

step back

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'don't stand so close' is the definition.
I don't know anything about this answer so I cannot tell whether it can be defined by this definition.

'pets' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
an anagram of 'pets' is 'step' which is within the answer.
The remaining letters 'back' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.