Thursday 6 June 2013

Dog House Blog, Left Or Right Do You Bite?

Molly The Wally Left Paw!

A recent study by the University of Adelaide have found that anipals who are 'left pawed' are more likely to be aggressive towards strangers. They say that we are left and right pawed and use one paw over the other for tasks. The left paw is controlled by the right side of brain which is linked to negative emotions. These Australian academics tested a group of dogs to see which paw they preferred to use for basic tasks and then analysed their behavioural traits. They found while there was no link with levels of excitability or attention seeking, the animals which were 'left-pawed' were much more likely to act aggressively towards people they did not know hmmm like the postman. The experiment, which was published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, saw around 75 dogs given a special cylindrical toy with food inside it. A third were right-pawed, a third were left, and a third were 'ambilateral' and were able to use both paws equally.

So To take the test to find out if you are a 'leftie' or a 'rightie'

If you teach a dog to shake, which paw does it offer you first and most often?

Fill a toy with something delicious and put it in the center of the dog's visual field. Which paw does it use to touch the toy first? Which paw does the dog use to hold the toy?

Put something sticky on a dog or cat's nose. Which paw does the animal use to remove it?

Place a treat or a piece of cheese under a sofa, just beyond a dog or cat's reach. Which paw does it use to try and get it out?

Dangle a toy over a cat's head. Which paw does it lift to bat it?

Put a treat under a bowl. Which paw does the cat or dog use to move it?

When a dog wants in the backdoor, which paw does it 'knock' with?

I am a true 'leftie'. Yes I admit I attack the post on a regular basis but not the postman yet and yes I will show aggression to any unknown vermin.  Remember  be aware of Stranger Danger. Are you a 'leftie' or a' rightie'?

47 comments:

  1. Mom saw this article just the other day. She has been meaning to figure out what we are...but what happens if one of is ambidextrous? *BOL*
    Wally & Sammy

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  2. So interesting. I am going to have to try this out and find out what mine are!

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  3. I am a rightie! And I'm definitely not aggressive. Not the least bit. I've got to ask Mommy to check out my kitty furblings. I've a good bet Tutu is a leftie!

    ...Whisky

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  4. Oh Miz Molly, I had a feeling you were a leftie, and could show POSITIVE dominance when you wanted! NO ONE who is as an effective of a journalist as you can be a wimp. NO ONE! You know what you want, you will fight tooth and nail and left paw to get it, but in the process, you are reasonable and kind. GO LEFTIES! (love your photo!)

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  5. Don't know about the aggression part, but we have noticed through our field training that our dogs have a preferred "paw"...lol. Mostly we see it when we are doing handling and give them a "back" command. They will tend to turn left or right depending on their "paw" preference.

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  6. I never even thought before about left or right paws. We will definitely be conducting research today!

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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  7. Now that you made Mommy sit and think about it, we're both righties! That is one question she never pondered before. We told her that its never too late in life to learn something new.

    Hugs,
    Lily Belle & Muffin

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  8. Molly first of all sweet friend your picture today is absolutely gorgeous....every fur in place and shiny!

    Mom is a rightie tightie for sure; however, my human sis is a southpaw (do you use that term in the UK for lefties?
    Hugs Madi your BFFF

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  9. I use my right paw more of the time and I've never bitten the postman, woof!

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  10. We are both righties although we shake with both paws - often at the same time!

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  11. Oh - just as a side though - which is your Mom - people that are right handed tend to teach their dogs to shake right pawed...and people that are left handed tend to teach with the left paw? Our mom is ambidextrous which probably explains why we are too :)

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  12. I am a lefty too Molly, and although I don't really bite I have been know to do some love bites every once in a while!

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  13. This is a very good question! I have 6 sets of paws to check.

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  14. Ok....now Mom is making plans to test every one of us in the pack. Should be interesting! I think I'll just use my NOSE!

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  15. Mom is gonna have to test this tonight, but she ThINKS we are all righties....
    stella rose
    p.s. thanks for your kind words about stella's eyes.
    stella rose and mom

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  16. WI will perform these checks when I get home.

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  17. After a truckload of treats and a jar of honey on my nose, now we know: I'm a rightie. I hope we will try it tomorrow again. Thanks for this intresting and tasty test, Molly! Have a great thursday

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  18. We are BOTH Righties... THAT is a good set of TEST "Questions".. hehehehe

    Madi asked this too... in the USA we call LEFTIES... South Paws... do other countries do that???

    THAT is a very INTERESTING Study... about Lefties being more agressive.

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  19. Our trainer told us that dogs tend to favor one side over the other. We learned his for Freestyle as the dogs are taught to spin in circles.


    Delilah spins far easier to her right then she does to her left, but I can't remember which paw she favors...

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  20. oh, molly! you aggressive minx!

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  21. We have a feeling we are going to have a treat under our bowl
    Benny & Lily

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  22. Hmmmm, I'll have to test them and get back to you. The handshake trick won't work because mine are trained to Paw and Other Paw...so Paw always gets me the left and Other Paw always gets me the right.

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  23. OK, we are going to get Mom to try the Treat under a bowl, not knowing is not important to ME cause I bark any any and everything, so I gues I am a lefty with a mean right paw uppercut!

    The Mad Scots

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  24. Hmmm. Based on the research, I'd have to guess that Rita is going to come up as a leftie! She no-likey the strangers! Especially men. And especially men with beards and hats. And ear-buds. And walking sticks.

    Like Taryn, I've also trained Rita to shake both paws, so I'll have to try the other tests!

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    Replies
    1. BTW, so glad you started reading the book and had a smile already! Hope that continues!! :)

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  25. Wow, I had no idea that dogs had a dominant paw. I'm definitely going to have to test this out on Beamer. As for now, he's napping away and I don't want to bother him. Thanks for sharing!

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  26. So going to try that.. Molly doesn't bite but she charges people.. we might need to amputate LOL Been a lovely day for squirreling xx00xxx

    Mollie and Alfie

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  27. Bridge is a leftie and she is a nasty little bug*er, ha!
    Dip Bridge and Elliot x

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  28. This is interesting! Mom is getting her lab coat on so we can conduct some scientific experiments :)

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  29. Interesting, Molly! I've never really paid attention to whether Wrigs is right or left pawed. We will definitely be trying out some of these ideas to find out!

    Susan and Wrigs

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  30. love this! I think Dakota is more "left-pawed" and Cody is more "right-pawed!"
    The mom? Ambidextrous

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  31. Hi Y'all!

    My Human says that must be why I attack the door madly, like a fly ball dog, when someone rings or knocks!

    Y'all come by now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

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  32. Mom thinks I am a leftie but I don't have an aggressive bone in my body. Always an exception to the rule!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley
    Ambassadors of Love

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  33. We'll have to check that out. Usually, we just vocalize when we want to come in our go out and we're so low to the ground that we just snatch food with our teeth.

    Does barking insanely at strangers and cats count as aggression?

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  34. I'm asleep right now and if TW wakes me, I'll be attacking her with either paw. I'm bambidextrous like both my peeps. The first cat TW ever had was left-handed and was the sweetest cat ever. It never attacked anybody.

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  35. We need to take the test to see if we're righties or lefties!

    Love ya lots♥
    Mitch and Molly

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  36. We need to have our human notice whether we favour our left or right paws too! Though neither of us is aggressive toward human strangers. Other cats is a different matter, especially for Nicki.

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  37. Very interesting, Molly. We are going to have to put this test to the test:) Mom thinks we have all been "trained" to give the left paw first because when she is facing us, that is the paw closest to her right hand. Hmmmmm, wonder what that does to this test's theory.

    Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

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  38. Howdy Molly, mum hasn't checked us yet butt we do know, HER being a lefty, SHE does get aggressive towards strangers, especially when they are in cars and driving like total nutcases!! We just hang our heads in shame when she lets out the naughty words :-)
    No worries, and love, Stella and Rory

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  39. That's kind of interesting... I've never thought that animals could be righties or lefties. If it's true then Shiner's a lefty too. She also hates strangers and always shakes with her left paw.

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  40. I thought this was such an odd study for them to have conducted.

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  41. I shake hands with my left paw, but do almost all other things right pawed.

    Must just mean I am a little quirky, but definitely not aggressive!

    Cheers, Mollly!

    Stella

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  42. I need to go now - I must inform mum that she needs to stuff pieces of cheese under the sofa for me so she can watch which paw I use to scoop them out. GREAT idea Molly!

    Tail Wuggles, Rubie xxx

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  43. oooh we're running right over to mom to offer her our paw so we can find out if we're aggressive or not. (WE bet Faraday is! HA!)

    Thank you sooooooo much for coming to visit & keep us company while our mom was filming this week!!

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  44. Hmmm... I don't know if I am a leftie or a rightie.. I'll have to find out!

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