Labrador retriever owners are likely familiar with how persistent their dogs can be in their quest for food, whether begging under the dinner table or stealing a snack left unattended. It’s no surprise, then, that Labs are among the most overweight dog breeds, along with golden retrievers, cocker spaniels and beagles.
Scientists have now identified multiple genes associated with obesity in Labradors, according to a March 6 study in Science.
The researchers had previously found that a form of a gene called POMC made Labs more prone to overeating. But “we could tell from our studies that the POMC mutation wasn’t the whole story,” says Eleanor Raffan, a veterinary