Did you know most dogs prefer one paw over the other? Yes, dogs are either lefty or righty, too!
Just like people, most dogs have a “dominant” or preferred side! Unlike people, most dogs aren’t “right-pawed.” The vast majority of human beings are right-handed – we’ve seen statistics saying that up to 90 percent of people are right-handed. Dogs, not so much.
Some research indicates that most dogs prefer the left side, other studies say that dogs are pretty evenly divided in thirds among left, right, and no preference.
You might wonder why it matters. For us, it helps with training – especially in agility and obedience. If a dog prefers one side over the other and we know about it, we can strengthen the “weak” side. Just like human athletes, if a dog trains exclusively to his strength, his balance and equilibrium will be off. We actually try to work the less-dominant side more, so the dog will be comfortable going to either side.
How do you tell?
Even if you have no ambitions for dog sport competition, it’s still fun to try new games with your dog and see how much they can learn and enjoy new things.
So – how do you figure out which “pawed” your dog is?
There are a couple of different games you can play. The first requires some treats and some space to play by a wall. You may also want a notepad and pen to keep track.
Get your dog to sit facing the wall. You and your dog should be at least four or five feet away from the wall (depending on the size of the dog. Smaller dogs can be closer.) Hold your dog by the collar and toss a treat so it lands close to the wall. Let your pup go – taking note of which way he/she turns back to you. Did he turn to the left? Chances are he’s in the majority of dogs. Or did she turn to her right?
One “turn” won’t provide a definitive answer. Play the “toss the treat” game at least 10 times and see if a pattern emerges. Did your dog go left eight of the 10 times? Probably a lefty!
If no pattern emerges, you can try another set of treat tosses another time. Or try the next game to double-check your results.
Another left- or right- determiner
The research study that concluded that dogs are evenly divided in thirds (left, right, and no preference) involved observing, rather than actively participating with your dog.
Get a treat-dispensing toy (like a Kong) and fill it with treats. Make a little chart in your notepad with columns for “left” and “right.” While your dog is playing with the toy, make a mark every time he/she reaches with a paw to move the toy. You may need a few sessions to see a pattern emerge, but you’ll soon be able to tell if your dog is left-pawed, right-pawed, or even.
Just like us
Aside from just fun, knowing which “pawed” your dog is may help down the road.
If your dog strongly prefers one side over the other, chances are that dominant side is the one that will show signs of trouble as your dog ages. Just like us, dogs are prone to diseases like arthritis as they age. And the joints used most often are likely the ones that will be most prone to suffer.
It makes sense to do a little work to strengthen the “weak” side, or get your dog more used to using it.
Building balance
One of the things we do to help strengthen our dogs’ cores and improve their balance is to have them sit and stand on an unstable surface. We use an inflatable balance disc, but you can just as easily use a sofa cushion. Just a few repetitions a couple of times a week can make a difference.
Another fun “trick” is to teach them to spin in either direction. Most dogs will spin when they’re excited – doesn’t yours do it when you come home? Have you ever noticed whether your dog always spins in the same direction? That’s another indicator of his/her “pawed” preference. It’s easy to teach them to spin the other way – all you need is a yummy treat.
Is your dog a righty or a lefty?
We’d love to know what kind of results you get from any of these games! Let us know in the comments if your dog is a lefty, righty, or an even-pawed pup!
