A British cheese expert has insured his nose for US$8.3 million.

Master cheese grader Nigel Pooley - who has worked in the cheese industry for almost 50 years - has insured his nostrils for the huge sum after he made a career selecting commercial cheddar by sniffing taster samples.

Bosses at Wyke Farms contacted Lloyds of London with the odd insurance request, and will now pay out US$41,500 a year to protect his sense of smell.

A spokesperson for Wyke Farms added: "It may seem a bit unusual to go to such great lengths - something that's typically reserved for celebrities, but then again, we've never been afraid to stray from the norm in order to produce the best farmhouse cheddar possible."

Dog gets all-clear sign

A deaf Australian puppy is learning sign language.

Eight-week-old border collie Pixie has been taught to recognise hand commands by her trainer Liz Grewal.

The tiny pooch - who lives in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales - is seemingly being taught by a deaf-dog communication expert.

Liz has owned hearing-impaired dogs for six years and has so far taught the puppy to sit, drop and come forth.

She said: "Dogs understand your body language, your hand gestures, they read all of that. They know.

"Consistency is the key to training any dog but you have to emphasise it more with a deaf dog. You've got to train them in a different way, they train quicker than a hearing dog as there are no noise distractions.

"I want these dogs to have a fantastic life, and I know they can do it."