Can you use backing on a finished piece of embroidery to hide the threads?

by Raine
(Dunwoody, GA)

I used to embroider as a child and decided to get back into it. I have to say it has been challenging and fun at the same time. I have learned a lot about embroidering since my days as a child. I just finished my first piece and although I am happy with it, in retrospect, I would do some things differently. I copied part of the design from a photo and drew the rest. It started in perspective and now I would have drawn it straight, but maybe that gives it a whimsical feel. I should have ironed it before taking the photos; sorry about that.
Now on to the question I have. The threads on the back of it are very messy looking and some look loose. This is a gift for my nephew, who owns the dog. I was going to add backing to the back of it and when I starting reading about backing, I realized that backing is used for a different purpose. So, what do I do?