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The smartest dog breed in the world — loved by Robert Burns and Queen Victoria
From the Border hills to Burns Night, the border collie remains what it has always been: an ancient working dog of extraordinary intelligence and loyalty.
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‘They don’t just fling themselves at you — they choose you’: Everything you need to know about the Scottish terrier
From Queen Victoria and Franklin D. Roosevelt to Rudyard Kipling and Humphrey Bogart — the Scottish terrier has been winning admirers for centuries, but it is a breed that chooses its people carefully.
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The 3,000-year-old dog built to survive temperatures as low as –60°C
Northerly winds dragged Arctic air across the UK this week, sending temperatures as low as –12°C and bringing settled snow, closed schools, and cancelled dog walks for many. But which breed would welcome this weather with open paws?
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Happy New(foundland) year to all
Gentle, heroic and devoted — there is no better dog with which to welcome the year ahead.
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Two turtle doves: Why the endearing bird is an animal for all seasons, not just Christmas
The beautiful, soft-voiced turtle dove is a symbol of courtship and love and must be saved, urges Mark Cocker.
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Dachshund through the snow: How the sausage dog became the festive season's unofficial mascot
From fearless working dog to festive favourite — a brief history of the dachshund and what it’s really like to own one.
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The 12 dogs of Christmas
Twelve shining canine stars to know — and add to your watchlist — this season.
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‘You get to a point where you do not fancy sleeping alone and dogs have far better manners than men’: Do dogs belong on our beds?
Records of dogs sleeping beside humans stretch back centuries — from Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Victoria to today’s whippets, teckels and labradors — yet the debate over whether they belong in our beds remains as lively as ever.
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Rough collies: The dogs made famous by Lassie that are hardy, clever, agile, and 'good for the soul'
With the initiative to rescue sheep and the daring to question its master, the rough collie not only lives up to its heroic reputation, but is always right, discovers Katy Birchall.
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Farmers of Britain, go forth and grow prawns
A new study has proposed that farmers could start growing king prawns to diversify income streams.
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The golden retriever: The world’s most likeable dog almost didn’t exist at all
They’ve been popping up everywhere this week — on the Tube, at Christmas parties and in the news — so it feels like the perfect moment to talk about the dog breed we’re lucky to have.
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How fashions finest would dress an Airedale, Dalmatian, corgi and more if only they had the chance
We’ve matched some much-loved breeds to the designers that share their history, temperament and vibe — because why not. Illustrations by Tug Rice.
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The Alpine rescue dog built for blizzards, bred by monks
As snow fell across the UK this week, I found myself day-dreaming of St Bernards striding through the Alps — a snow-day dog worth celebrating.
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The dogs of Country Life, with Agnes Stamp
Country Life's deputy features editor Agnes Stamp joins the Country Life Podcast to talk all things dogs.
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'It is hard to beat the excitement of watching a peregrine you have trained stoop from 1,000ft, going more than 100mph' — the complicated world of falconry
A combination of spellbinding sport and profound empathetic connection, falconry–a partnership in which the bird maintains the upper hand–offers a window into ‘the deeper magic’.
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What is everyone talking about this week: More than half the country owns a pet and nearly half our marriages end in divorce — no wonder pet-nups are on the rise
Pet-nups, a formal agreement between couples over what should happen to their pets in the event of a split, are on the rise.
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Baby, it’s cold outside (even if you have a natural fur coat): How our animals brave the winter chill
When the temperature drops, how do Britain’s birds, beasts and plants keep the cold at bay? John Lewis-Stempel reveals Nature’s own thermals.
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Dangerous beasts (and where to find them): Britain's animals that are best left alone
John Lewis-Stempel provides a miscellany of our otherwise benign land’s more fearsome critters.
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From the Caribbean with love: The other James Bond who wrote the definitive guide to tropical birds
The Caribbean plays host to a brilliant spectrum of colourful avians, says John Lewis-Stempel, as he revels in a birdwatcher’s paradise. Illustrations by Annabelle King.
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Amelia Thomas: The woman who learned to talk to animals
Amelia Thomas, the real-life Dr Dolittle who spent years decoding how animals talk, joins James Fisher on the Country Life podcast.
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How to keep your dogs — and other wildlife — safe on Bonfire Night
Anyone who’s ever owned a dog will remember, remember the 5th of November — not just for the Gunpowder Plot, but for the nervous wrecks it turns our dogs into.
