Did you know that your dog has a preference for “handedness”?  Your pooch is either left “pawed”, right “pawed”, or has no paw preference; this is means your pup is ambidextrous.  Animal behaviourists call paw preference “pawedness”.

What does pawedness tell us?  Well, it seems that research into how the canine brain is organized is providing information on how dogs behave.  Pawedness, like handedness in people, can tell us which side of the brain is dominant.  According to research done at the University of Adelaide dogs with a left paw preference are more likely to show aggression toward strangers.  While dogs with no paw preference or a right paw preferences are not as aggressive toward strangers.

For more information on the University of Adelaide study check out this article: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201307/dogs-left-paw-preferences-may-be-different-emotionally

Dog with a paw preference are more successful in training than dogs without a paw preference.  Studies also show that guide dogs and police dogs are more likely to be left pawed.  Left pawedness is more common in male dogs.

Interested in testing your pup’s paw preference?  There are a couple of tests you can do.  The easiest one is to play “shake a paw” with your dog 10-20 times.  Simply count the number of times your dog chooses the right or left paw.  The paw that was offered more often is your pup’s paw preference.  While this test is the easiest it may not give the most reliable answer.  For other tests you can do that give a more reliable answer.  Check out these articles for more information on paw preference testing:

• • http://www.petplace.com/dogs/dog-paw-preference/page1.aspx

Is your dog right pawed or left pawed?  Let us know on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DoonGo?ref=hl

It might seem self-serving for a poop bag company to blog about the importance of picking up dog poo. But the fact is that no matter what product you use or how you do it, picking up your pup’s presents is good for the environment, your pet, and people.

Leaving poop behind can have a negative impact on the below factors:

Health:
It should be no surprise but leaving your dog’s doo lying around can cause the spread of disease and parasites. Hookworms, tapeworms, and threadworms are just some of the parasite that can spread to people and pets from dog poop.

Water Contamination:
Dog poop is not fertilizer – in fact is it is a contaminant. According to a 2001 US EPA fact sheet pet poop is one of the significant contributors to water contamination. When dog poop is left in the environment it can contaminate water with disease and parasites. Water contamination is one of the ways disease and parasites are spread.

Responsibility:
We can all agree that poop is unpleasant. No one wants their yard or favourite public space turned into a poopy mine field. It’s the responsibility of the pet owners to pick up Rover’s poop. It keeps the earth clean and stops the spread of the disease.

Pick up plan:
To stay on top of your dog’s poop have a pick up plan. There are a lot of ways to pick up Fido’s piles ranging from a scoop and a shopping bag to a poop removal service. Choose what works best for you.