How dogs are more likely to be southpaws than we are

Being man’s best friend for 30,000 years means dogs are bound to have some similar traits and habits to their human counterparts.

But when it comes to being left-pawed, they far outstrip pet owners.

A study of 17,901 dogs across the UK found that 31 per cent favoured their left paw when reaching for food, while 43 per cent favoured their right.

in comparison, only 10 per cent of the human population do not favour the use of their right hand for most tasks.

Researchers from Lincoln University said that having a preferred limb – which is known as lateralisation – is thought

‘Hormones may play a part’

to be beneficial because it makes animals more efficient when carrying out some tasks.

For their study, the team asked dog owners to place a treat inside a cardboard or plastic tube and observe how their pet tried to retrieve it.

Some 13,240 dogs were found to have a preferred paw, while the others were classed as ambidextrous/ambiguous.

Overall, 43 per cent favoured using their right paw, 31 per cent their left, while 26 per cent had no preference.

And much like humans, the study – which was published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science – found that male dogs are also more likely to be ‘left-handed’ than females.

Out of those animals that had a preference, some 60.7 per cent of female dogs preferred using their right paw, compared to 56.1 per cent of the males.

Researchers said this suggested hormones may play a part in ‘handedness’.