Are Dogs Left or Right Pawed?

Yes — just like humans are often right- or left-handed, dogs can show a preference for using one paw more than the other. This is called "lateralisation," and it’s a fascinating glimpse into your dog’s brain and body coordination.

Do Dogs Have a Paw Preference?

Studies show that many dogs consistently favour one paw over the other when performing tasks, like offering a paw, reaching for a treat, or stepping forward. Interestingly, about one-third of dogs are right-pawed, one-third left-pawed, and one-third ambidextrous — showing no clear preference.

How to Tell Which Paw Your Dog Prefers

Try this simple test at home:

• Paw offer: Ask for a paw multiple times and note which one your dog offers more often.
• Food toy test: Place a treat in a puzzle toy and watch which paw they use to stabilise or reach.
• Step test: Observe which paw your dog uses first when stepping forward or climbing stairs.

Repeat over several days for accuracy. One or two uses aren’t enough — look for consistent patterns.

What Does Paw Preference Mean?

Pawedness may be linked to how a dog’s brain is wired. Just like in humans, one hemisphere of the brain may be more dominant, affecting movement, reactions, and even stress response. Some studies suggest right-pawed dogs may be slightly more confident in new situations, but the differences are subtle.

Is Pawedness Linked to Behaviour?

There’s some evidence that left-pawed dogs might be more reactive or cautious in certain environments, while right-pawed dogs could be more outgoing. However, personality, training, and breed play a much bigger role in behaviour than paw preference alone.

Does It Matter if My Dog Is Left- or Right-Pawed?

Not really. It’s a fun insight into your dog’s unique traits, but pawedness doesn’t affect health or happiness. That said, knowing their preferred paw can help in agility training, service work, or activities where coordination matters.

FAQs

Are most dogs right-pawed like humans?

No — dogs are more evenly split between right-pawed, left-pawed, and ambidextrous.

Can I train my dog to use a different paw?

You can teach specific paw behaviours, but their natural preference will still show through.

Does pawedness affect dog training?

Not significantly. It might offer small insights, but training success depends more on consistency, method, and your dog’s temperament.

Is paw preference inherited?

Possibly, though environment and experience may also influence which paw your dog prefers.

Do other animals show paw or limb preference?

Yes — cats, parrots, even horses can show a dominant side, just like dogs and humans.