Puppies That Get Tough Love From Their Mum Make Better Guide Dogs
Becoming a guide dog is hard. Not all pups have what it takes to navigate complex landscapes without pausing for hydrants, dog-butts, and taunting cats. New research adds support to what many trainers might have already suspected – puppies that receive less attention from mum are more likely to graduate guide dog training. Guide dogs need to work as a team with a visually impaired human, piloting them around obstacles under strict directions from their owner. This requires not only intelligence, but a lot of confidence and adaptability. A team of researchers in the US tracked 98 young dogs from birth to adulthood as they were put through their paces at a guide dog breeding and training program in New Jersey. About 30 percent of dogs tend to fail the course, usually because of their poor problem solving skills, lack of perseverance, or anxiety when confronted by something out of the ordinary. This failure rate doesn't come cheap, either. It costs around AU$30,...

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