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Coddled Puppies Make Poor Guide Dogs, Study Suggests

New research suggests that when puppies have more attentive, active mothers, they're more likely to fail guide-dog training.
New research found a link between how puppies interact with their mothers and how they perform in guide dog training. / Westend61 / Getty Images

Well-trained guide dogs are important for visually impaired people who rely on them. But many puppies bred to be guide dogs flunk out of training programs.

A published today in the suggests the way a puppy's mother raises it may be the key to the dog's success, or failure. A research team at the University of Pennsylvania found that puppies destined for guide dog training are more likely to fail if they're coddled by

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