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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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A lifelong Londoner on how to beat the throngs and make the most of the city this Christmas
Too few people know how to do Christmas right, says Will Hosie. Here are his tips and tricks for navigating the capital this festive 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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Country Life's luxury editor's Christmas gift ideas for pets and animal lovers
Looking for a present for a four-legged friend? Or someone somewhat obsessed with theirs? We have you covered.
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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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What on earth is the person who comes up with Annabels's otherworldly facade displays on? London's most magical Christmas shop displays
Photographs by Greg Funnell.
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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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In search of London’s earliest pint
Early houses — pubs open in the early hours to feed and water the market trade — have been a cornerstone of London for centuries. Yet, as Will Hosie finds, they aren’t stuck in the past.
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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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Aristotle believed they emerged spontaneously from mud, Sigmund Freud dissected thousands of them and they can dive lower than a nuclear submarine — but what is the truth about the eel?
It would seem the European eel has a long way to go to win hearts, Laura Parker says of the slippery animal with an unfortunate image problem.
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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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Better than Ozempic? 50 years of the Brompton bicycle
Owen Wilson, James May and most of the middle-aged men and condescending hipsters you know love them. As the iconic folding bike turns 50 Lotte Brundle hops on one with the company's CEO.
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No more froths, no more foams, no more tweezers. Classic dining is making a comeback. Thank god
From prawn cocktail and Arctic roll to starched tablecloths and ‘nicotine cream’ on the walls, it’s out with the new and in with the old in the restaurant world
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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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A true gent lets his hair down on a Wednesday: Inside our Savile Row party to celebrate the publication of Gentleman's Life
'The party marked the ten-year anniversary of Gentleman's Life and it was, fittingly, a party for the ages.'
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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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Best in class: This year's Georgian Group Architectural Award winners revealed
The Georgian Group’s Architectural Awards, sponsored by Savills, attracted another outstanding crop of entries this year. We reveal the winners, as chosen by a panel of judges chaired by Country Life's Architectural Editor, John Goodall.
