What Your Dog's Paw Print Says About Their Personality
Ready for a "pawmistry" reading?
Ann Tyurina | Shutterstock Just like their humans, every dog is different and has its own unique personality. It takes a period of trial and error to figure out what exactly makes a dog tick. But what if there were an easy way to suss out a dog's temperament and demeanor without any guesswork? Well, as far as the internet is concerned, there is: The answers are just sitting there on the bottom of their feet!
Science has, in fact, delved a bit into the whys and wherefores of dogs' paw behavior. They've found that just like us humans, dogs tend to be right-pawed or left-pawed, and which one they are seems to correlate with their behavior.
For instance, a study at Queen's University Belfast found that right-pawed dogs tend to be more optimistic, while left-pawed dogs are more fearful and distrusting. Studies have also found that dogs with no paw preference, called "ambilateral" in veterinary terms, may be slightly more likely to be aggressive toward strangers.
When it comes to the prints made by the metatarsal pad in the center of their paws, however, there's no hard science on the matter. But that hasn't stopped a major trend of so-called "pawmistry" from emerging online.
Reading cats' paw prints for personality clues has become an all-out obsession in Japan (based on a supposed scientific study for which this writer could find no evidence, for the record). Now the trend has made its way to dogs, too!
Palmistry, of course, is an ancient art of reading humans' palms for clues about their lives and psyches, and while it has no proven scientific basis, it goes all the way back to the earliest known civilization of Sumer in the 5000s BC in Mesopotamia. Who's to say your dog's little toe beans aren't just as revealing?
Cloud-shaped paw prints
ksena32 | Getty Images
These are the golden retriever-style dogs among us. Dogs with cloud-shaped paw prints are said to be fun, energetic, and playful. They're just here for a good time, catching frisbees and getting scritches behind the ears.
Rice-shaped paw prints
RekaPodoben | Getty Images
Personally, I don't see how this paw print looks anything like a grain of rice, but the internet says it does, so we'll go with it! These doggos are said to be gentle and friendly, but shy. They're the sweet, sensitive souls who are ready to bond — they just need a bit of coaxing!
Semicircular paw prints
EmilySkeels | Getty Images Pro
These dogs are sweet and kind, but clingy. If you have a "velcro dog," they might have this type of paw print. Sure, they're a bit much — they probably won't even let you go to the bathroom without chaperoning you — but have you ever felt so loved (and smothered) in your entire life? Doubt it!
Onigiri-shaped paw prints
Nothing Ahead | Pexels
Can you tell that this trend emerged in Japan? Onigiri are those delicious Japanese rice balls, arranged into a sort of rounded triangle heap wrapped in seaweed. Dogs with this paw print are said to be every bit as enjoyable: These are the brave, loyal, and passionate doggos among us, the ones who'd do anything for us. Aww.
Triangular paw prints
Design: YourTango
Whereas a lot of happy-go-lucky dogs are kind of lovable doofuses, these dogs are happy-go-lucky AND have brains to boot. They're said to be enthusiastic and caring but also whip-smart. So if you've got a triangular-paw dog, maybe enroll them in the next dog show!
Rocket-shaped paw prints
Aflo Images | Canva Pro
Finally, we come to the dogs whose metatarsal pads look like a rocket blasting off to space. Perhaps not coincidentally, these dogs are said to have key characteristics an astronaut might need, like a calm sense of independence.
They're also said to be very faithful — perhaps so they'll listen well to the directions they get from Mission Control?
OK, this metaphor is becoming ridiculous, but you get the point: All dogs are different in delightful ways, right down to their paw prints. But even with all this variation, there's still one uniting throughline: As an Instagram commenter put it, "they all somehow manage to smell like Fritos." And that's just beautiful.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
