Would your dog eat you if you died? Canines are more likely than ‘picky’ cats to nibble on your corpse – but it all depends on the breed

Experts have revealed that dogs are more likely than cats to eat their owners’ dead bodies, but what breed of dog you have could affect the likelihood of your corpse being eaten.

While many dog ​​lovers may think that cats are more likely to eat you because of their independent attitude, a report published in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine shows that this may not be the case.

Medium to large dogs are the most likely to engage in scavenging activity, with a beagle being the smallest breed.

Mutts, hunting and working dogs were among the breeds reported in published cases for eating corpses.

Even friendly, sweet Labradors and Golden Retrievers have engaged in this behavior because they are primarily food-oriented.

Forensic anthropologist Carolyn Rando of University College London, said National Geographic that canines can do more damage than felines.

Ms Rando said a dog’s behavior can be more important than their size or breed, adding that if a pet is anxious, insecure or has separation anxiety, this could lead to it eating its owner rather than a more relaxed dog.

So how do you stop your dog from eating your dead body?

Ms. Rando said there is no way to guarantee that your pet won’t nibble on your corpse, but you can make arrangements to reduce the chance of this happening.

She recommends making sure you have people visiting your home if they haven’t heard from you in a while.

‘It’s a good reason to make sure you have people around you. Social activities later in life are good for everyone,” she said.

According to veterinary charity PDSA, as many as 29 percent of the UK population owns a dog, meaning there are an estimated 11 million puppies in the country.

In 2015, a Staffordshire bull terrier from Merseyside was put down after he started eating his owner’s corpse.

The dog, known as both Buster and Butch, was discovered feeding on his owner’s corpse when police entered the property.

A woman who died of an aneurysm was discovered the morning after her death.

Forensics revealed that it was actually her dogs that ate her face and that her two cats had not touched her corpse at all.

She said they usually go for the softer parts of your face, like your lips and nose.

Mrs. Rando said, “When you sleep, tend to hit your face to wake you up. So it could be that a cat is trying to ‘wake up’ a deceased owner, and then starts biting if that doesn’t work.’

Joseph Prahlow, a medical examiner in Michigan, says he sees evidence that dogs — not cats — have nibbled their owners during autopsies “at least a few times a year.”

While many may think cats are more likely to eat your dead body, research says otherwise (stock image)

It is believed that this is because dogs are considered less picky when it comes to eating foods they come across compared to cats.

The outlet also spoke with psychologist Stanley Coren, who has written books and hosted television shows about dogs.

He believes that because dogs are descended from wolves, they are more likely to chew on their dead owners to survive if they cannot access other food.

In 2017, a New Jersey Chihuahua ate its owner in an attempt to stay alive after they died at home.

New owner Tyfanee Fortuna of Glen Gardner, New Jersey, said she adopted Rumplestiltskin from an animal shelter.

“His owner had been dead for quite some time before anyone noticed and he ate his human to stay alive,” she said.

She also later revealed that the dog’s previous owner had been dead for two weeks until their body was found, meaning the dog would have been starving when he ate them.

In 2007, a chow and Labrador mix managed to survive for a month after eating the body of their deceased owner.

But in 2015, a study of 63 cases of dogs swallowing their owners found that in a quarter of cases the puppy began eating the body after less than a day, despite having access to other food they had not touched .

Forensic pathologist Markus Rothschild writes in his research that when you die, your pet will probably try to get your attention by licking or nudging your face.

But if an owner doesn’t respond, the dog’s state of mind can become more panicky, causing him or her to bite your body.

Ms Rando said there is a small jump from biting to eating, adding that dogs – in their wild nature – are stimulated when they ‘taste blood’.