Left-handed dog owners should have left-pawed pooches.
Left-handed owners should have left-pawed dogs
Boffins at the University of Lincoln have revealed that dogs will override their natural tendencies to mimic their owners' stronger hands.
The study recruited 62 dogs and asked their owners to perform various tasks to determine if they were left or right paw dominant. They then asked the dogs for their paws to see which one was offered most.
The researchers found: “Dogs with left-handed owners were significantly more likely to have left paw bias. This was the same for right-handed owners.
“Interestingly, it was found that left-handed owners were more likely to own a dog with a left paw bias, and right-handed owners were more likely to own a dog with a right paw bias.
“We conclude that owner handedness influences paw preference in dogs, and it should be considered when suitably pairing dogs to potential owners, especially in assistance work.”
Kimberley Charlton, the lead author of the study at Lincoln University, said: “The characteristics that come with being left or right-handed/ pawed may benefit dogs and their owners by functioning the same way.
“Owner handedness should be considered when pairing dogs to owners, especially in assistance work.”