All dog owners will want to try this hand (or paw) challenge that has become viral on social networks.
Some challenges have a snowball effect, especially when they are funny or cute. This one features dog owners and their faithful companion and once you see one of these videos shared on social networks, you inevitably want to test it with your furball. And if most of the time, the dogs play the game, others are completely disinterested, which rather makes Internet users smile.
The challenge consists of placing several people in a circle around the dog, holding out their hands towards him, taking turns. One by one, place a hand on that of your neighbor, and wait for the dog to also participate by placing its paw. When the dog reproduces the gesture, it then makes its master proud, but sometimes, it puts its muzzle down, nips or licks the stacked hands of humans, looks at its masters without knowing what to do, or goes off to do something else entirely. But then, what makes some canines interested in this game and others not?
“Just like children, dogs have the ability to imitate or mirror what they observe. They participate attentively in our lives, need attention and are always trying to please,” explains Professor Philip Tedeschi of the Institute for Animal Sensitivity and Protection. Furthermore, dogs who are trained and accustomed to “give the paw” are more inclined to reproduce this gesture.
And if your dog prefers to put his muzzle down, know that for him it is “his fifth paw” adds Julia Espinosa, a researcher at Harvard who specifies that the orientation of the palm of the hand can be perceived differently in the eyes of the dog. dog. In conclusion, dogs react mainly according to their habits or according to the interactions they have on a daily basis with their master. It’s up to you to test and observe your dog’s behavior.