Teach Your Dog To Be 'Ambidextrous'

Humans are either left handed, right handed, or, in rare cases, ambidextrous. However, even ambidextrous people have a more dominant and a weaker hand. Although it sounds odd, dogs are the same; just like we have a more dominant hand, dogs have a more dominant paw. Unless we observe them closely, it can be hard to tell which paw our dog favours. For example, when teaching your dog the 'paw' command, he will 'paw' your hand with his most favoured paw.

Here, I will be using Ethel as my model dog.

Observe your dog closely in order to discover his most favoured paw.

Teaching your dog the 'paw' command has many benefits; your dog enjoys the training, you both enjoy the time spent together, and it challenges your dog both mentally and physically. Teaching your dog to give one paw is one thing, however, teaching him to give the other, naturally weaker paw will encourage him to use parts of his body that he doesn't normally use.

Teaching your dog to give his other, more weaker paw isn't as hard as it may sound; all is needed is a willing dog and owner, and some appealing rewards for your dog. Plus, if you haven't already taught this command to your dog with his naturally dominant paw, you may want to do this first.

1. With your dog in front of you (I prefer to teach this with my dog in the sit position), lift your dog's weaker paw with your dog and use your command word. I use 'paw' for my dogs dominant paw (the paw your dog naturally gives to you when you first teach this) and 'foot' for my dog's weaker paw. Repeat this several times, ensuring that your dog is confident with you doing this.

2. When your dog is happy with this action, move onto tapping the back of his weaker paw, which should hopefully stimulate him to lift it up. Immediately reward and praise when your dog lifts his weaker paw off the ground. Repeat this exercise until your dog is lifting his paw with your gentle touch 100% of the time.

3. Now you have move onto moving your hand towards your dog's weaker paw whilst saying your command word. Don't expect him to perform correctly straight away; this may take some time. Hopefully, he will lift his paw, even if it's only a little. When he lifts it, up place your hand under his paw and reward with bags of praise!

4. Soon, your dog will be lifting his own weaker paw and placing it in your hand with the simple command word and presented hand from you. Now you have yourself an ambidextrous (and mentally fulfilled) dog!

Another way to discover which paw your dog favours is to stand him a small distance away from you, and call him to you, rewarding him. Pay close attention to which paw he places on the ground first when he sets off, as this paw will be his more dominant paw. Repeat this exercise several times, recording which paw your dog shows to be the most dominant each time. The paw he sets off on the majority of the time is his most dominant paw, and, the paw he will most likely have 'given' to you when teaching the paw command for the first time.

Always reward your dog for the desired action/behaviour.

Here is a short video showing Ethel giving both paws. As you will be able to see, her dominant paw is her left one, in which Earl is the same. I have taught her to give both of her paws, and she has enjoyed the challenge of learning to use her 'lazier' paw. As you can see in the video, I repeat her weaker, right paw more than her dominant, left paw. This is because she has only just learnt to give her weaker paw with such confidence, and I want to continue practicing. She picked this up in an astounding one and a half sessions!

Well done Ethel; you're now an ambidextrous dog!

Have you taught your dog to be 'ambidextrous'?

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