CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: There ought to be a phrase for it, a springtime when the parks are suddenly full of puppies. A dogsplosion , perhaps, or wooffull to the brim .
Osteosarcoma a painful and aggressive form of bone cancer is more common in larger dog breeds like Great Danes and Rottweilers, a study has confirmed.
Experts led from the University of Bristol analysed health data on 906,967 dogs to identify those breeds and characteristics that might increase the risk of the cancer.
The team found that larger, heavier dogs and those with longer legs and skulls are typically at a greater risk of developing osteosarcoma.
The findings could help pave the way to new therapies for dogs suffering from osteosarcoma, and may also inform treatments for the bone cancer in humans.
Sarah Farnsworth/Country Life
Tommy Dobson founded the Eskdale and Ennerdale hunt in the mid 18th century with light-framed fell hounds famed for their independence and ability to traverse slopes that would spell certain death to their lowland cousins. At the same time, he began developing a suitable stamp of terrier to work alongside his pack by deploying a potent mix of racy Bedlington blood, lines from across the Irish Sea and other game strains of terrier.
The result was a leggy, narrow-chested black-and-tan dog that was able to withstand the harsh Lake District weather thanks to a thick weatherproof coat. The description was agreed at a meeting in Whitehaven in 1921, after which the celebrated Yellow Earl (Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale) became the first president of the Lakeland Terrier Association. The Association is now defunct, but other organisations including the Lakeland Terrier Club (founded in 1932) are still going strong.
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