08/14/2024
Just like humans are right- or left-handed, dogs are right- or left-pawed. The right side of the brain controls more negative emotions, such as fear, aggression, and taking flight in response to a perceived threat, whereas the left side of the brain is associated with more positive emotions that include feelings of love, safety, attachment, and comfort. This may relate to paw preference in that for people with right hand preference, the left side of their brain controls their dominant hand, which also may influence an increased likelihood for being in a positive emotional state. Or, oppositely, with the right brain dominant in the leftie, this also increases the likelihood of right brain emotions taking precedence; meaning, a more negative state of mind is likely.
Such findings may correlate with other research showing “leftie” animals were likely to demonstrate higher fear and increased likelihood to withdraw in the face of the novel and new.
