Is the glass half-empty or half full? The answer to the question indicates a person’s worldview. Optimists will usually say the glass is half–full, whereas pessimists will usually point out that it’s half–empty. Cognitive bias is the scientific term to describe this phenomenon, but did you know that dogs and many other animals also have cognitive bias.
The study in dogs points to a possible relationship between cognitive bias and paw preference, with left-pawed animals being more negative or “pessimistic” in their cognitive outlook than right-pawed or ambilateral individuals.
At dogbehavioristut.com, paw preference testing is routine and provides a basis for training dogs with a pessimistic outlook using environmental enrichments or behavioral management strategies. If your dog does not seem happy, this may be the cause.
