<div><p>Most dog-lovers know that the domestic pups that have become part of our families were selectively bred for traits that blended well with humans. </p><p>Some breeds are excellent hunters, others love to swim and others still have placid natures which were perfect for nannying our children. </p><p>The majority of dogs we have as house pets today are food motivated, which makes training easy and actually enjoyable for our four-legged friends.</p><p>But there is one dog breed that has a very special affinity for food - so much so that people are calling it the greediest breed!</p><p>Can you guess which of these dogs it is?</p><div><figure><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebarkhaus/" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/19552c6316f100bf22beac8346121a73.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/19552c6316f100bf22beac8346121a73_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebarkhaus/" target="_blank">Instagram/TheBarkhaus</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Turn to the next page to see if you were right!</strong></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><h3>Greedy Eater</h3><p>If you guessed the Labrador, you're right! </p><p>Cambridge University researchers have <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3580208/The-doggy-dustbins-Yes-adorable-Labradors-greedy-belief-scientists-know-says-BEN-FOGLE.html" target="_blank">discovered </a>that one in four Labradors carry a high 'food motivation' gene that causes their notoriously greedy behavior.</p><p>They believe that it is actually a genetic mutation that causes their food-focus to get out of control. The mutation causes a tendency in the breed to develop "a portly form," which, if left unchecked, can contribute to health problems like diabetes and heart disease - both of which are linked to obesity.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/33DF457A00000578-0-image-a-84_1462751874884.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/33DF457A00000578-0-image-a-84_1462751874884_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></figure></div><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>After comparing the labrador DNA to that of 38 other dog breeds, researchers discovered that the mutation only appeared in one other type of dog: the flat-coated retriever.</p><p>The two dog breeds are closely related to the St. John's water dog - a breed now extinct that once was used by fishermen in St John's, Newfoundland, Canada.</p><p>This mutant gene might have served the working breed well, considering they had to burn a lot of calories to stay warm while diving into the frigid Canadian waters. </p><div><figure><a href="https://retrieverman.net/2009/05/28/please-dont-tell-me-you-have-a-st-johns-water-dog/" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-johns-water-dog-small-ears.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/st-johns-water-dog-small-ears_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center">St. John's Water Dog as a breed died out in the 1980s<cite><a href="https://retrieverman.net/2009/05/28/please-dont-tell-me-you-have-a-st-johns-water-dog/" target="_blank">Retrieverman</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>But today, most of their descendants are family pets and companion animals, who don't live a lifestyle that requires all those calories. </p><p>Now that they know this mutation exists, the next steps for researchers is to learn more about how it affects the dogs at a microscopic level. This new knowledge could "open the door to developing treatment for those dogs affected by the mutation," says Yaizada Forcada, of the Royal Veterinary College.</p><p>If you've never experienced the greedy eating of a Labrador, just watch what this guy does to his two buddies in a cake eating contest:</p><amp-iframe sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" layout="responsive" frameborder="0" height="9" width="16" src="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1460905.html"></amp-iframe><p>[h/t <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/may/03/labradors-could-be-genetically-hard-wired-for-greed" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>/ <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3580208/The-doggy-dustbins-Yes-adorable-Labradors-greedy-belief-scientists-know-says-BEN-FOGLE.html" target="_blank">The Daily Mail</a>]</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p></div>