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 owner's dead body, but which breed of dog you have can effect how likely it is your corpse will be eaten.

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

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

Mutts, hunting and working dogs were among the breeds listed in published cases to eat corpses.

Even friendly, lovable Labradors and Golden Retrievers have engaged in the behaviour, as they're particularly food driven.

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

Research says larger dogs, such as Labradors and Golden Retrievers were mentioned in reports of scavenging (stock image)

Ms Rando said a dog's behaviour may matter more than their size or breed, adding that if a pet is anxious, insecure or has separation anxiety, this may lead to them eating their owner rather than a more relaxed canine.

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

Ms Rando said there's no way you can guarantee that your pet won't nibble on your corpse, but you can put arrangements in place to make it less likely to happen.

She recommends ensuring you have people who will visit your home if they have not heard from you in a while. 

'It's a good reason to make sure you have people around you. Social activity later in life is good for everybody,' she said.

 According to vet charity PDSA, a whopping 29 per cent of the UK population owns a dog, meaning there are an estimated 11million pups in the nation. 

In 2015, a Staffordshire bull terrier from Merseyside faced being put down after it started to eat its owner's dead body. 

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 she passed away.

Forensic testing found that it was actually her dogs who had eaten her face and that her two cats had not touched her corpse at all. 

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

Ms Rando said: 'If you're sleeping, [cats] tend to swat your face to wake you up. So a cat might start out trying to 'wake up' a dead owner, and then begin to bite when 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 couple times a year'.

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

It is believed that this is because hounds are seen as less picky when it comes to eating food that they come across in comparison to cats. 

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

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

In 2017, a Chihuahua from New Jersey ate his owner in a bid to stay alive after they died at their home. 

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

'His owner was dead for a considerable time before anyone noticed and he did eat 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 it ate them.

In 2007, a chow and a Labrador mix managed to survive for a month after consuming their dead owner's body.

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

Forensic pathologist Markus Rothschild writes in his study that when you pass away, your pet is likely to try and get your attention by licking or nudging your face.

But when an owner does not respond, the dog's state of mind can become more panicked, therefore leading them to bite your body.

Ms Rando said that there is a small jump from biting to eating, adding that dogs - in their wild nature - get stimulated when they 'taste blood'.