Baxter Can Finally Give Me His Paw!

[Patti Livanos]

Hi!  I have Baxter, a Teddybear Goldendoodle who just turned one last month.  Almost from the time he came home at 8 weeks, we've been trying to teach him how to give us his paw to shake or high 5, to no avail!  It made no sense!  He was super intelligent, always wants to please, saw our lab shake paw a zillion times, seemed so advanced in so many ways, yet this one simple command was just never understood!  Recently a friend told me that dogs can have a dominant paw the way a person can have a dominant hand, and to try asking for the other paw!  Instead of asking for the right paw, as usual, I asked for the left and it was like magic!  The left paw comes up immediately!  And consistently!  Just when I thought he'd NEVER learn to do it, he finally can!  I never would have guessed that the problem was he was simply left-pawed!    

[Patti Livanos]

Nancy, Ned and Clancy--I did a little video of him giving me his paw, and starting to learn high 5, and then another where he does a real high 5!  He learned really fast once we switched paws!  Never thought it should make a difference, but I can see that it does...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

How interesting.

[Patti Livanos]

Jane, Guinness & Murphy--It doesn't surprise me that dogs have a dominant paw; I just didn't think it would make any difference in their ability to understand and perform a command...  

[BG and Gavin]

Baxter is a South Paw!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Way to go, Baxter!!!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

It's ok to be a lefty Baxter-sorry it took mom a year to finally figure out where you are coming from! LOL!

Congrats! Good job Baxter

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Guinness and Murph are both "right pawed".  We had to figure that out for Flyball.  Before that it would never have occurred to me that they would even have a preference.

[Patti Livanos]

And there is now also a video of the improved high 5!  He's on a roll now!

[Patti Livanos]

I have just added a video that shows Baxter finally being able to give me his paw, and starting to learn High 5!  With his left paw, of course!

[Patti Livanos]

Supposedly once he's had some practice with the left paw, it should be easier to teach the right paw.  But for some reason I had to START with the dominant paw...