Did you know dogs can be left- or right-pawed and that it may affect their personality and aptitude for specific tasks? And did you know dogs are mostly right pawed, on average? According to the largest-ever study of canine paw preference, most dogs are right-pawed. Male dogs are more likely to be left-pawed than female dogs, and younger dogs are more likely to be left-pawed than older dogs. This mirrors findings in humans. In fact, research suggests that lefties and righties may be two different beasts when it comes to canines.
In dogs and people, the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa, and there is some evidence to suggest the emotional responses on the two sides of the brain are somewhat different in both people and other animals. The righty’s brain controls their dominant paw; it may also dominate their emotions — meaning right-pawed dogs-left brain dominant see the world through a glass-half-full, and vice versa for the lefties.
At dogbehavioristut.com, we run the tests to see if your dog is a righty or a lefty and help you understand your dog and communicate effectively with it.
