# Laterality test for dogs



## Jojo Bautista (Mar 7, 2010)

Hi,

Im interested to know if any of you here use "LATERALITY" as part of your test when choosing a dog.

I read it from this book, "A modern dog's life" by Paul Mcgreevy.

http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Dogs-Life-Paul-Mcgreevy/dp/1742231055

http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/research/animal_behaviour/index.shtml

http://thebark.com/content/modern-dogs-life-discover-how-do-best-your-dog




Dogspeed!


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

I've never heard of that but I have read studies that linked a higher incidents of schizophrenia and ambidexterity in people. 

And


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

I'm almost ambidextrous, and almost schizophrenic! Not really, but I have heard of that link before. Most animals that are four legged, have a whole side that is bad, or at least worse. I think people actually are the same way, we just use the hands more, so we think of it that way.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

Jojo
welcome !
do you use it or are you planning on using it for testing ?
what kind of dogs do you test ?


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I'm naturally left handed but very ambidextrous. I believe that most left handed people are by necessity. Right handed people have no idea just how much of our daily lives are geared for right handed people. 
I see it in dogs also. Given the choice they will prefer one side or the other to walk naturally with us. They will chose to go on either our right or left side consistently (given the space) when going up or down stairs. 
I've had competition dog and non competition dogs that would consistently walk on my right when not under a command to heel.
As to being Schizo:-k.... Just because you think someone is following you doesn't mean the aren't. 8-[8-[


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

Just to clarify, I didn't mean that I've never seen dogs prefer one side over another, just the link to T-storm phobias.

Ang


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i really do have an interest in this ...
1. anyone test a dog using this criteria ? for what ?
2. anyone walk a dog on their right and work them on the right side ?
3. anyone switched from left side to right or vice versa ?
4. how would you test a dog to see if they favored their right or left side ... for anything ?

i read the study but never heard of any others that were related; especially the relationship to phobias, and i thought most of these studies were related to brain functions for humans
- haven't seen anything that would indicate that a dog would prefer walking on one particular side of the leash holder or the other

i do know of a lot of people here in japan that walk their dogs on the right and always thought it was related to driving on the left, etc (aka: backwards to other countries) ... curious if that happens in other countries where things are set up "opposite" to the USA
- example : if you meet someone head on while you are walking and you have space on either side, which side do you move to when passing, etc ?? ... i walk dogs on my left...if i meet someone and i'm with a dog i move to the left but many people will still try and walk to my left, right "thru" the dog ](*,)


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## Karen Havins (Apr 22, 2012)

I know in horses that they almost always prefer one side to the other. Most are great one way of the ring and not so great the other, they can turn and bend their bodies almost always one way better than the other. No reason it's not the same in dogs.


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

Rick

I haven't done it, but I can tell you they will have a bad side, just like a horse. A horse on it's bad side will not have confidence in its footwork, and consequently will try to 'cheat', or crawdad into position rather than square up and turn like they do on the other side. On a horse 90% have more problems with their left side, turning left, a cutting horse often falls back when going to the right, so they have more room to turn back, on their bad side.

I think if you switched heeling sides, you would see a difference, mainly in the quality of the turns one direction or another. 

I always assumed you kept a dog on your left for the same reason you rein a horse with your left hand. It's to keep your right hand free to shoot, open gates, sign tickets, whatever. If you're left handed, I would think you'd want a dog on the right. Left handed riders ride with their right hand.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Does teaching your dog to climb up a latter count?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

jim stevens said:


> ... I always assumed you kept a dog on your left for the same reason you rein a horse with your left hand. It's to keep your right hand free to shoot, open gates, sign tickets, whatever. If you're left handed, I would think you'd want a dog on the right.


Me too.

http://www.dogtrainingblogger.com/why-do-dogs-heel-on-the-left.html




ETA
I've read essays about what Bob says: that it's a right-handed world, to an extent that non-lefties can't imagine.


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

Another interesting bit with horses is that they will require training on each side. You can sack out a colt on the left side till he's calm, if you never do the right side, take the same sack, slap him on the neck, and he'll end up belly up. Haven't seen that with dogs yet, but haven't stuck a spur in one's side yet either.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Alot of sleddogs have a definite prefernce for which side of the line they run on - some it doesn't mattter and will swich easily but some alwasy have a yearning for their preferred side of the gangline.


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## Lynda Myers (Jul 16, 2008)

jim stevens said:


> Another interesting bit with horses is that they will require training on each side. You can sack out a colt on the left side till he's calm, if you never do the right side, take the same sack, slap him on the neck, and he'll end up belly up. Haven't seen that with dogs yet, but haven't stuck a spur in one's side yet either.


This is because their brain doesn't process the information gathered from each eye as two halves of a whole picture. In horses each eye is independent of the other in what it sees and so each eye seeing it what the other just as if it were the first time. 
It has to do with horses being a prey animal and by having their eyes placed more towards the side of the head and independent of the other. Which enables them to better see their enviroment, especially when their heads are down while grazing and or drinking.

Dogs being predators have their eyes positioned to the front of their face and the brain takes in the information gained and puts it together to form a whole picture. Because of this a dog does not need to be shown or trained from both sides like a horse.


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## Ang Cangiano (Mar 2, 2007)

Lynn, I had a pair of leaders, one was a 'haw' leader and the other was a 'gee' leader. They worked awesome as a pair, but one time I was running the gee leader without the other one, got to an intersection we wanted to go left at and he ended up going right, then right, then right again in order to get the haw, 270degrees right for a 90 degree left turn. It was the funniest thing I'd seen him do. Man, I miss those days.

Ang


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## Jojo Bautista (Mar 7, 2010)

rick smith said:


> Jojo
> welcome !
> do you use it or are you planning on using it for testing ?
> what kind of dogs do you test ?


Hi Rick,

I am more interested with the relation between AGGRESSION and LATERALITY since i am currently the resident trainer of 60 rescued fighting PITBULLS here in my island.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cavite-Pit-Bulls-Survivors-of-a-Dog-Fighting-Syndicate/145159385601274

Here is the study about LATERALITY in relation to AGGRESSION:

_{{ deleted image of copyrighted material}}_

Dogspeed!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Jojo, please don't post images of copyrighted material (like books).  You must not have noticed that there were changes made to your O.P.

Here are some links re Paul D. McGreevy and laterality:

http://www.guidedogs.com.au/Content...ralization measures and guide dog success.pdf

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/onairhighlights/pawedness-in-dogs

http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=1159

http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/Home...nimal Personality PDFs/B/Batt et al. 2009.pdf

and more:

http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/about/staff/publications/paul.mcgreevy.php


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Thomas Barriano said:


> Does teaching your dog to climb up a latter count?


Some don't have to be taught. I climbed a ladder to get on my garage roof in front of my then 4-5 month old GSD Thunder. I got to the top, walked to the center of the roof, turned around and there he was.  I had to carry Thunder back down the ladder. Wasn't easy. :lol:
My JRT used to climb up in my son's tree house by the boards nailed into the tree. He also climbed up the rose trellis, through the roses (OUCH) to get onto the garage roof. All it took was seeing a squirrel on the garage roof or in the tree. He jumped off both.


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## Jojo Bautista (Mar 7, 2010)

Sorry Connie...


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob,

Glad to hear it's a natural talent with some dogs. Saves me a trip across the northern border.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Take a ball, hold your dog back, throw the ball straight out from you so there is no angle of approach to influence things, then turn your dog loose to go get the ball. When they pick it up, note which way they turn to come back to you.

Do this 10 times and with most dogs you will see that they turn the same way 80% or more of the time. Now you know which side your dog is stronger on. Only occasionally will you see a dog who turns 50/50 each way.

You can see the same thing in bitework on a leg dog, they will bite better with their head turned one way vs the other and show a preference for one leg over the other, especially at the beginning. And when sent to bite something like a tug or leg sleeve that is being held straight up and down in front of your body, they will turn their head one way or the other consistently. You have to do it with a tug or leg sleeve though, not someone in a suit. If they have any sort of foundation bitework, the foundation will effect how they turn their head depending on which leg you are presenting.


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

Lynda Myers said:


> This is because their brain doesn't process the information gathered from each eye as two halves of a whole picture. In horses each eye is independent of the other in what it sees and so each eye seeing it what the other just as if it were the first time.
> It has to do with horses being a prey animal and by having their eyes placed more towards the side of the head and independent of the other. Which enables them to better see their enviroment, especially when their heads are down while grazing and or drinking.
> 
> Dogs being predators have their eyes positioned to the front of their face and the brain takes in the information gained and puts it together to form a whole picture. Because of this a dog does not need to be shown or trained from both sides like a horse.


I am aware of the eyes part, but some of it isn't related to vision, handling feet, tying up a leg, has to be done from both sides, I think it's a right side/left side of the brain thing as well. It is tactile as well as visual.


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> Take a ball, hold your dog back, throw the ball straight out from you so there is no angle of approach to influence things, then turn your dog loose to go get the ball. When they pick it up, note which way they turn to come back to you.
> 
> Do this 10 times and with most dogs you will see that they turn the same way 80% or more of the time. Now you know which side your dog is stronger on. Only occasionally will you see a dog who turns 50/50 each way.
> 
> You can see the same thing in bitework on a leg dog, they will bite better with their head turned one way vs the other and show a preference for one leg over the other, especially at the beginning. And when sent to bite something like a tug or leg sleeve that is being held straight up and down in front of your body, they will turn their head one way or the other consistently. You have to do it with a tug or leg sleeve though, not someone in a suit. If they have any sort of foundation bitework, the foundation will effect how they turn their head depending on which leg you are presenting.


I was trying to think of a way to test, I'll also bet that 75% or better will be one direction, just like most people are right handed, most horses are better on the right turn/side. I would bet if you only try four or five dogs, they all go the same direction, like a right handed basketball player only tending to go to the right side of the lane until they are trained to go against the grain.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> I'm naturally left handed but very ambidextrous. I believe that most left handed people are by necessity. Right handed people have no idea just how much of our daily lives are geared for right handed people.


I am as well. I've never been all that good at sports that require me to throw (I'm equally terrible with both hands). I throw with my right, but am more accurate with my left hand. Batting or kicking goes both ways but neither feels right. My physical strength is in my right side, as a matter of fact I arm wrestle with my right hand.

I read some place that left handed people are more accident prone and generally live shorter lives. Delightful 

About dogs, yeah they have a dominant side most are right leg dominant and it's clearly visible in their gate. In a really well balanced dog it's difficult to tell otherwise. That snipe of mine likes to travel on my right side for whatever reason.


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

I can throw with either hand, played college ball, and was a switch hitter. I can shoot a basketball well with either, and can write with my left hand, although it is a little sloppier than my right. Neither are good.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

jim stevens said:


> I can throw with either hand, played college ball, and was a switch hitter. I can shoot a basketball well with either, and can write with my left hand, although it is a little sloppier than my right. Neither are good.


I took the Forrest Gump route and just ran. Set a number of records while I was running too. I gave it up for a few years to run on the on the wild side. I guess I was running one way or another. :lol:


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

Easy to run on the wild side in Ak


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Throw left only. Catch and bat both. When I was into kick boxing may yrs ago I could naturally lead left or right with my hands but some flying kicks were very leg specific. Some left, some right.
The big thing now is power tools. I have a well put together wood working shop and most switches, blades, etc are for right handed folks. I just grew up using my dad's power tools and never gave it a thought. A skill saw is one example. Use one left handed and you get a face full of saw dust with the average (right handed) saw. My table saw I can set up for right or left cuts. My son is right handed but uses a table saw left or right because he learned from me on my saw.


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

Never did kick boxing, but had a fair reputation as a bar fighter, my power was in my left. I was fast, and had a firm belief that to win, you just got in the first five or six punches, very quickly. Always strike first worked for me.


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

jim stevens said:


> Always strike first worked for me.


Been in jail much?


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## jim stevens (Jan 30, 2012)

Just one night! Back in the old days, they let you play rougher. My one night was for carrying a concealed weapon something i do 24/7 now. I was exonerated.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

My first involved a 57 Caddy Eldorado convertable when I was about 12-13. 8-[ ...but I looked *GOOOOOD! *:lol: 
I had an uncle that was a Judge in the city and that helped a number of times. I'd rather they threw away the keys and left me compared to answering to him and my dad. That always sucked big time. I had a good, close, *hard* look at the floor in my uncle's chamber on more then one occasion.:-o
Now I'm just a nice old granpa! :grin: :wink:..... :twisted:


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

That's weird. There's a left handed add at the bottom of the screen. We have a spy amongst us!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Nicole Stark said:


> That's weird. There's a left handed add at the bottom of the screen. We have a spy amongst us!




I don't see anything but just cause YOUR parinoid doesn't mean your not being watched. 8-[8-[8-[ :wink:


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> I don't see anything but just cause YOUR parinoid doesn't mean your not being watched. 8-[8-[8-[ :wink:


What? Are you going blind now? :-o 

Lefthanded products
Wide assortment of Lefty items, gifts and novelties
www.leftyscorner.com


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

:-o Where was that?


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> :-o Where was that?


Just below the last post. Why am I seeing this and you are not?


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I did see it on your last post but not the one before. 
Did the WDF send you the secret decoder ring that I was supposed to get? :-k :-k


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## Nicole Stark (Jul 22, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> I did see it on your last post but not the one before.
> Did the WDF send you the secret decoder ring that I was supposed to get? :-k :-k


Interestingly, there's something there now for v i s i o n. Seems to be reading recent posts and using adds based upon certain key words.

Here let's try this and see what comes up - Bob Scott wears a tutu and tiara when no one is looking. Oh, and to stay on t r a c k he is also LH.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I can put the tiara on with my left hand and take it off with my right hand! :razz: :-D


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

My take on that subject was the heel position was related to horsemen getting on the left side thus dog is not in your way. I've been a horseman also most of my life, since two anyway LOL! Dogs, horses & women not necessarily in that order..... ](*,)


Connie Sutherland said:


> Me too.
> 
> http://www.dogtrainingblogger.com/why-do-dogs-heel-on-the-left.html
> 
> ...


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

My take on that subject was the heel position was related to horsemen getting on the left side thus dog is not in your way. I've been a horseman also most of my life, since two anyway LOL! Dogs, horses & women not necessarily in that order..... ](*,) and Jim is right about working both sides of a horse, very important. Screwed up the quote thing, yikes!!!


jim stevens said:


> Rick
> 
> I haven't done it, but I can tell you they will have a bad side, just like a horse. A horse on it's bad side will not have confidence in its footwork, and consequently will try to 'cheat', or crawdad into position rather than square up and turn like they do on the other side. On a horse 90% have more problems with their left side, turning left, a cutting horse often falls back when going to the right, so they have more room to turn back, on their bad side.
> 
> ...


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