August 2017.

ALL-ACTION WHIPPETS ARE BRITAINS CLUMSIEST DOGS.

All-action canines can cost up to ten times as much in vet bills as small "lapdog" breeds, with high-speed whippets being the clumsiest.

"Dogs generally fall into several categories when it comes to injury-risk behaviour - fast, loopy, unadventurous and just-cant-be-bothered," said Mark Effenberg, Chief Executive of Healthy-Pets.co.uk, the countrys leading independent pet insurer.

"Whippets, lurchers and greyhounds generally have two speeds: stopped or flat out. Dizzy dogs such as Springer Spaniels are generally not spatially aware with consequential damage to both themselves and property; small breeds - other than Jack Russells - are usually more noise than action, and the likes of labradors, bassets and bulldogs just can't be bothered with it all - unless they're running up a bill for eating stuff they really should'nt be chomping on," said Mark.

Around 24% of claims made by whippet owners result from vet visits arising from dogs running into something at high speed, or falling off things like garden furniture. Lurchers follow closely on 23%.

Springer Spaniels, at 8% of claims down to self-induced injury, have different types of accident more often arising from being boisterous rather than through high-speed impacts.

The dog least likely to cause itself injuries? The Bichon Frise.

"Bichon Frises are not known as an all-action dog, and have a particular talent at generating expressions of bemusement when invited to engage in anything approaching dynamic behaviour," said Mark Effenberg.

Healthy Pets Insurance is quite possibly the original online pet insurer, launched in 1996, and which sold its first policies online in 1997, a year before Google was founded. It now has tens of thousands of customers, and policy purchases increasing fast. Healthy Pets is an award-winning online insurer, and is the biggest independent pet insurance provider in the UK, focussing exclusively on cat insurance and dog insurance. It consistently offers the most competitive prices, and has amongst the highest customer satisfaction ratings.

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