Can A Dog Be Right Footed Or Left?

Question

Like me, im right handed. Is it possible for a dog to have a dominant paw/leg?
Just a strange question I was thinking of.

Answer 1

Yeah hearding & agility people need to know and keep in mind that their dog will turn tighter & faster to the prefered direction. The first time I tried turning in tight circles exersises with my young (and VERY left handed dog) she could turn such a small circle to the left her nose touched her rump - to the right the first time she tried she fell over!

Answer 2

Actually not strange at all. Yes, animals can be left or right pawed.
Here's even some research done on the subject

Pawedness in Dogs
How much of a successful working dog's behaviour is linked to being left or right pawed?
Science and Technology:Research
Contact: Dr. Paul McGreevy, Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006
International Telephone: [phone]
TRANSCRIPT:

BLANCH : Just as humans tend to be more dominant on one side than the other, it's now been accepted for almost twenty years that animals also have a preferred side. So if dogs and horses are right-pawed or left-pawed, right-hoofed or left-hoofed, what difference does that make? To find out exactly, the first study of laterality in working dogs, (and 'laterality' is the word scientists use for 'handedness') this first study is about to begin under the leadership of Dr. Paul McGreevy, a senior lecturer in the University of Sydney's Faculty of Veterinary Science.

BLANCH : And Paul, you've won an Australian Research Council grant to work with guide dogs for the blind in your state and the New South Wales police dog unit, in other words, these are working dogs. So why is it important to know whether a dog is left or right-pawed for these roles?

Now one of the features of the puppies that we'll be looking at is 'laterality' which is what we call in humans 'handedness'.

BLANCH : Well as you say, a dog's temperament may be linked to it being left-pawed or right-pawed, so, what personality traits do you believe are typical of each, the left-pawed and then the right-pawed?


So far we've looked at 270 dogs and we've found that left-pawedness is a feature of the male dogs--not exclusively, but when you're a male dog you tend to be more likely to be left-pawed than right-pawed and the reverse is true for females.

So we're beginning to realise that there are some strong links between the biology of the dog and the way it responds to the left and right sides of its world.

This is important because there's a national and global convention to train and work dogs on the left-hand side of the handler, and that's what you'll all be aware of if you take your dog to puppy school or dog training club. You'll be required to put the dog on the left hand side of your body and work the dog that way.

See links below for the entire radio program and even a link for a test to see what paw your dog uses more!

Answer 3

I think so.
I had twin dogs once who were opposites. The each had one blue and one golden eye on opposite sides and their tails curled over their backs in opposite directions. One day I was watching thier gaits very closely because one was recovering from an injury and noticed that the other one was leading with her left paw. I started really paying attention and it did seem that she led all activities with the left side of her body. And it explained why I had such a hard time teaching her to roll over when her sister got it right away. I was trying to get her to roll in the wrong direction!
Just my opinion and observation....

Answer 4

You bet. I'm teaching my dog his left and right, and it's been difficult because he naturally favors his left. By the way, you can teach a dog left and right. It's no harder than any other trick, but people seem to be impressed with it.

Answer 5

Yes, they can be. Most cats are left-pawed, but I'm not sure about dogs.

Answer 6

Yep. Horses too.. many horses run easier in one direction than the other.

Answer 7

yes. My dog is a righty!