Is Your Dog Right Handed Or Left! know what it says science

Paw preferences are different for every dog. Symbol photo (Pixabay)

Till now there was a debate that who is better among the left and right hand users. Different studies talk differently on this, but do you know that not only humans, dogs also have hand-preference. Means many dogs are right, while some take more work than left. It also shows whether they are happy or irritable.

Most of the people in the world are right handed, while 10 to 13 percent people work with left hand. There are some among them, who are called ambidextrous, that is, those people who can work with both right and left hands in the same way. Although such people are very few. This is what most of us know, but a study says a similar thing about dogs.

The study, published in Science Direct titled Paw preference as a tool for assessing emotional functioning, carried out a series of tests to closely observe dogs during different tasks. Apart from playing or eating, it was also seen which paw the dogs put first while climbing and descending the stairs.

It showed that the preference of paws is different for every dog. Although different from humans, it is not the case with them that most dogs are right handed, and some are left handed. It was also found that if the task is more difficult then the dogs are able to use both paws very well.

Then why do all dogs raise their right paw when asked to shake hands? The reason behind this is the training that we give to them. While shaking hands with dogs, we extend our right hand towards his right hand. In such a situation, the animal with left hand preference also behaves like us in this one activity.

The study also found that female dogs use their right paw more, while males are mostly left-handed. This thing is related to humans. Studies on humans also give the same results. Although the reason for sex-difference in the use of hands or claws could not be clear till now.

Negative emotions are more in dogs with right paw preference. Symbol photo (Pixabay)

At what time, which paws the dogs are using, it also shows what is going on in their mind then. Before this, understand that the right part of the body of dogs, including us, is controlled by the left part of the brain, while the left part is controlled by the right brain. The right side represents negative, while the left side represents positive emotions. In such a situation, instead of the commonly used paw, if the dog has put another paw in front, then it can be known that what it is feeling at that time.

A study published in the Journal of the American Psychological Association, Cognitive Bias and Paw Preference in Domestic Dogs, also linked paws to the dog's emotions. According to this, dogs with right paw preference have more negative emotions, such as they get scared or get angry quickly. Even if there is another dog or pet animal in the house, then he is always in tension regarding the distribution of food.

Another interesting thing was seen that even by twisting the tail, dogs express their emotions. They wag their tail to the left on seeing their acquaintances or family members. It means they are happy. Turning the tail to the right means he is scared. This often happens after seeing other unknown dogs or humans.