The condition - familial dilated cardiomyopathy - causes the heart to become enlarged and affects its ability to pump blood, in some cases leading to heart failure and death.

The disease is common in Newfoundland dogs, a breed of large St Bernard-like dogs which got their name after they were used to haul fishing nets out to sea and back in Canada.

Researchers at Edinburgh University believe that it may be easier to find any genetic causes of the disease in the dogs than in humans.

This is because the dogs tend to have big litters and have a shorter life span than humans.

They are to study an extended family of about 150 dogs.

The project will use scanning techniques to identify dogs thought to be suffering from the disease and will take blood samples from them in order to study their DNA.

The researchers say the dogs, which are renowned for their gentle nature, will not be harmed.

Pedigree

Joanna Dukes McEwan, a veterinary cardiology expert who is leading the research project, said: "[Familial dilated cardiomyopathy] is a common disease in the dog world, though it tends to affect pedigree dogs rather than cross-breed dogs, which makes us feel that it's a genetic disease."

She believes the research project has a high chance of finding the gene defect that causes the disease.

The £140,000 research project will begin in January and last three years. It is being funded by the British Heart Association.

Most people with dilated cardiomyopathy have mild symptoms which do not affect the quality or length of their lives.

A minority have significant problems and some are at risk of sudden death.

Pregnant women sometimes develop dilated cardiomyopathy

In most cases the cause is not known. Experts believe it could be due to a virus or a problem with the person's auto-immune system.

It could also be caused by exposure to toxic compounds or excess alcohol and, in some cases, women develop it during pregnancy.

In up to 40% of cases there is thought to be a family link which may be caused by an auto-immune failure.