Does owner handedness influence paw preference in dogs?

Area of Science:

• Animal Behavior
• Canine Ethology
• Lateralization Studies

Background:

• Handedness is a key indicator of laterality across species.
• Previous dog paw preference studies overlooked owner handedness impact.
• Dogs (Canis familiaris) are domesticated and closely interact with owners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of owner handedness on canine paw preference.
• To determine if a correlation exists between owner and dog laterality.
• To inform future dog-owner pairing, particularly for assistance roles.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-two dogs participated in paw preference tests over 10 days.
• Two tasks were used: Paw Task and Reach Task, conducted in the home environment.
• Owner-recorded data captured dog paw usage.

Main Results:

• A significant correlation was found between owner handedness and dog paw preference.
• Left-handed owners were more likely to own left-pawed dogs; right-handed owners owned right-pawed dogs.
• Sex-based differences emerged: females showed right paw bias, while males shifted from left to right paw bias with age.

Conclusions:

• Owner handedness is a significant factor influencing paw preference in dogs.
• This finding has implications for selecting dogs for specific roles, such as assistance dogs.
• Future research should incorporate owner handedness into canine laterality assessments.