How many years do dogs of different breeds live? Determining the age of a dog by human standards

The average lifespan of a dog is 10-13 years. Small breeds live longer, large ones shorter. Much depends on genetics, lifestyle, pet nutrition, as well as illnesses and injuries. For example, an electric shock during puppyhood can cause premature stroke. Today we will talk about how many years dogs live in different conditions, and also what can be done to prolong their life.

Lifespan of a dog

If we talk about who lives longer - cats or dogs, the answer is cats. Their average life expectancy is 15-17 years, while dogs with good care are 10-13 years. They often go out quickly and abruptly. Just a week ago, an 11-year-old female could walk 5 km and felt great, but today her legs began to give out and she began to fade away. After this, the maximum lifespan is six months to a year.

Pain in the paws, lameness, and reluctance to go for walks indicate that a pet’s life is coming to an end. Many animals develop the following problems as they age:

• weight gain or poor appetite;
• loss of activity, desire to sleep more;
• decreased hearing, vision (cataracts);
• shortness of breath, heart murmurs;
• susceptibility to disease;
• loss of teeth;
• weakness in muscles and bones;
• problems with urination – urinary incontinence (in both sexes), prostatitis in males;
• cysts, breast tumors;
• dementia;
• diabetes.

When old age comes

There are different opinions about when pets begin to age. The “Book of Dogs” from the University of California, Davis (the best veterinary university in the USA) indicates the following parameters:

• small breeds – 11 years;
• medium breeds – 10 years;
• large breeds (German shepherds) – 8 years;
• giant breeds (Great Danes) – 7 years.

Periods of a dog's life

The entire life of dogs can be divided into several periods:

• Lactic;
• Puppy;
• Teenage;
• Youthful;
• Mature;
• Elderly.

1. The dog experiences growth during the milk, puppy and teenage years. So the smallest dogs, for the most part, fully grow by 10 months. Well, the largest breeds stop growing by 2 years.

2. Adolescence in tiny breeds begins at 10 months and ends on average at 8 years. However, in larger four-legged animals, adolescence ends much earlier; already at 3 years old, some dogs can be called mature, while medium-sized dog breeds go through the stage of adolescence at about 4 - 5 years old.

3. A small breed dog becomes full-fledged and mature after 8 years of age, and this period continues until the 12th year of life. The largest breeds reach maturity at 3 years old, and remain so for up to 6 years. The duration of maturity in average representatives of tetrapods ranges from 7 to 10 years.

4. Naturally, old age also comes to dogs; there is no escape from it. The youngest dog breeds may experience some age-related inconveniences only after 12 years. By the way, pocket dogs, which are constantly in the arms of girls, can live even more than 20 years, which cannot be said about other pets.

Medium-sized dogs begin to age rapidly after 8 to 10 years of age and can live in this state for about several years. Well, the largest four-legged animals already after 6 years enter the phase of old age and the duration of their future life will depend only on proper care.

Average life expectancy of dogs

How many years do dogs live on average? Small breeds age more slowly, so they live longer - from 14 to 16 years. The lifespan of animals of large and medium breeds is from 10 to 13 years.

Very large breeds (mastiffs, Irish Wolfhounds, Bernese Mountain Dogs) live from 6 to 8 years. Moreover, they reach psychological maturity later than animals of small breeds - at the age of 2 years (small ones are 1-1.5 years old).

There are exceptions to any rules. For example, the average life expectancy of English bulldogs is 7 years. But the oldest dog in the world, Bluey, lived 29.5 years. It was a medium sized Australian Cattle Dog.

How many years do mongrel dogs live? There are no average data. Much depends on the conditions in which the dog lives. A pet that lives in an apartment has every chance of living longer than a littermate on the street.

How many years do dogs live at home?

Average life indicators are derived from these breeds living in an apartment. They are well protected from the negative influences of the environment, and therefore live longer than street dogs, as well as those sitting on a chain.

The average life expectancy of dogs at home depends not only on the breed and genetic factors, but also on the actions of the owner:

• how to care for your pet;
• what he feeds;
• how long does he walk;
• whether diseases are treated on time and vaccinated.

How many years do dogs live on the street?

How many years does a mongrel dog live on the street? Unfortunately, stray dogs do not live long - the average life expectancy is 3 years, while many die in the first month of life. The surviving puppies are forced to look for food and fight for territory.

Street dogs often get sick, even if the city has a program to vaccinate stray animals. Nobody treats a sick dog, and he quickly dies. In addition, street animals often become victims of human cruelty, predators, or may be eaten by homeless people.

How many years do dogs live on a chain?

Life on a leash does not contribute to longevity, especially if you put a short-haired purebred dog on a chain, which is not intended for this.

For proper development and long life, the animal needs exercise, otherwise it is difficult to maintain muscle tone. The situation gets worse if the dog is underfed or given too much food. In the first case, she is starving, in the second, she suffers from obesity. The result is the pet's premature death, especially if left untreated.

If you want a dog on a chain to live a long time, provide him with:

• a warm booth, protected from water and drafts;
• regular walks, games;
• proper nutrition;
• constant access to water;
• annual vaccination.

Do not chain short-haired dogs, especially if there is no undercoat. In winter, when there is severe frost, be sure to take the dog indoors. Otherwise, he risks freezing to death. In summer, the booth should not be in the sun. A dog can die from heat stroke even if it hides from the rays.

Briefly about the main thing

1. The duration of an animal's life cycle depends on its size, breed, physiology and care;
2. Preventative measures to prevent diseases and a balanced diet are effective ways to increase the dog’s life cycle;
3. Small breed dogs live longer than large and giant breed dogs;
4. All breeds have their own long-livers.

What breed is your pet? When choosing a breed, did you focus on the average age of his life? Share your opinion in the comments.

How many human years does a dog live?

None of the formulas for converting a dog's age into human years has a scientific basis. This also applies to the myth that 1 dog year is equal to 7 human years.

Recent research suggests that a dog's aging occurs unevenly and largely depends on its size. The principle of calculations is based on DNA methylation, according to which the first two years of life pets age (mature) quickly, then the process slows down sharply.

The diagram for how many years a domestic dog lives looks something like this:

• 1 dog year = 10-15 human years. By this time, the dog has reached its full height, but the body is still developing, like a teenager.
• 2nd year of a dog = 13-23 years of a human. At this stage, the formation of physical and mental maturity occurs.
• Each subsequent dog year = 4-5 human years.

This formula does not take into account the dog’s breed, size, health characteristics, or feeding. Therefore, the data is only approximate.

How can you extend your pet's life?

If it seems that you need to make significant efforts to keep your beloved dog by your side for a long, long time, then this is not so. Nothing supernatural, no magic.

Read and learn how to take care of your pet and not worry about how many years the dog will live at home:

1. The very first thing you need to think about at the stage of choosing a pet is the breed. If you are a busy person, then you do not need to buy a puppy of a breed that is very attached to its owners and wants to spend a lot of time with them. For example, the Entlebucher Sennehund will suffer greatly from a lack of owner's attention. It is also wrong to get a husky or shepherd dog for people who spend most of their time at home within four walls and do not like outdoor games.

2. They will also learn about proper nutrition and the general regime of keeping the breed before they bring the puppy into the house: you need to be completely prepared for the lifestyle with a dog.

You also need to study articles on the issues of keeping an animal, the composition of food products, and the duration of walks.

3. The owners themselves visit doctors, our smaller brothers also need a specialist. You should not think that people only contact a veterinarian with a problem that has already arisen. You should visit the clinic as a preventive measure once a year. The dog will be tested, all health indicators will be checked and a problem will be identified at an early stage if one arises.

4. Disease prevention is the responsibility of the owner. It’s easy to prevent the appearance of tartar; just brush your dog’s teeth regularly. In order to prevent joint diseases from appearing, the claws are trimmed once every two weeks, and walking is done where there is soft soil that will not harm the paws.

Colds are also prevented by dressing the dog in warm overalls in winter. Ticks are prevented from bringing ear diseases by cleaning the pet’s ears and treating it with antiparasitic agents for preventive purposes.

In the summer, the dog should have clean water and a haircut in hot weather.

Concerns also include timely vaccination and avoidance of walking on dog parks during periods of epidemics.

What affects a dog's lifespan?

Breed and genetics are an important, but not the only factor on which the life expectancy of an animal depends. If you want your dog to live long and happily, you must take into account factors that, if ignored, will lead to his premature death.

Factors influencing a pet's lifespan

• Conditions of detention. A dog that is kept indoors will live longer than a dog on the street or on a chain. The animal should not sleep in drafts, cold or damp areas.
• Physical form. An active dog that spends a lot of time outside, walking, will live longer than a dog suffering from obesity. If you can't go for long walks, provide quality play training. There are many accessories for dogs on sale that will make walks fun, interesting, and training sessions entertaining.
• Relationship with the owner. If you beat, scold, or kick a dog, this has a bad effect on his emotional background and does not contribute to longevity. The dog's life expectancy will be significantly reduced if it receives a serious injury (in the stomach, back, etc.).
• Nervous system. A domestic dog needs communication with people, if this is not provided, it will become nervous. Constant stress has a bad effect on a dog's lifespan.
• Sterilization. According to a study by the British Veterinary Association, spayed female dogs live longer. The reason is to reduce or eliminate the risk of pyometra (inflammation of the uterus) and genital cancer.

Health

The answer to how long dogs live depends on the health of the pets and the level of veterinary care. Dogs must be vaccinated annually against leptospirosis, distemper and other deadly diseases. If the ill dog survives, it may remain disabled.

Older pets need regular veterinary examinations. Many dogs die from cancer in old age - 16% of deaths, which is 2 times more than deaths from heart disease. It is important to choose a good veterinarian, since the mortality rate due to poor quality treatment is high. Medicines for dogs must be tested and certified. Buy them only from a veterinary pharmacy.

Nutrition and longevity

The answer to how many years dogs live depends directly on the nutrition that pets receive throughout their lives, starting from puppyhood. If the baby is on industrial food, the product should be premium, super premium or holistic class. Do not under any circumstances buy economy food. It will be one of the reasons for the premature death of your pet.

If your pet is naturally fed, make sure that the diet of older animals includes the following products:

• High-quality protein - beef, lamb, lean poultry.
• Glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate – supports healthy bones and joints.
• Omega-3 fatty acids have a good effect on bone tissue and immunity.
• Phosphorus, calcium - contribute to normal metabolism in bone and cartilage tissue.
• Mannanoligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides – improve the functioning of the digestive system and prevent dysbiosis.
• Vitamin E and L-carnitine - have a good effect on the brain, cognitive functions, skin condition, general health, and prevent aging.

What is the key to longevity?

The lifespan of dogs largely depends on compliance with several basic rules:

• Nutrition should be balanced, varied, and meet the needs of the breed.
• It is necessary to control the pet's weight to avoid obesity, which can lead to the development of heart and joint diseases.
• You should follow a daily routine: timely nutrition, regular physical activity.
• Hygiene procedures for the dog, cleanliness and comfortable temperature conditions in the room where the animal is kept have a great impact on the general condition of the pet.
• Peace and harmony, care and tenderness should reign in the family, since the atmosphere of constant scandals is stressful for a pet.
• Veterinary examination should be regular: vaccination, treatment against parasites, disease prevention.
• The possibility of accidents must be minimized. This can be achieved with proper education. If the dog is trained not to pick up food from the ground and not to take it from the hands of others, then the possibility of poisoning is excluded. If a pet crosses the road only with the owner’s permission, it will not get hit by a car. If from childhood he was forbidden to chew wires, then he is not in danger of receiving an electric shock.

Let every pet please its owners with excellent health and cheerful mood for as long as possible, and live long and happily. To do this, you don’t need much: to understand the full extent of responsibility for the life of your pet and to love him.

LeBeau theory

In 1950, a new, more accurate method of recalculating a dog's age to a specific human age was proposed.

The author of the method, French veterinarian LeBeau, studied in detail the stages of growth and development of the animal and human body. The scientist proposed using coefficients that would vary depending on average life expectancy, puberty and maturity in pets and people.

The number of years a pet has lived by human standards, taking into account coefficients, is reflected in Table 1.

Thus, in terms of development, a one-year-old dog corresponds to the development of a 14-15 year old teenager , and in the second year of life he lives another 9 human years. Each subsequent year lived, the four-legged friend adds another 4 years.

However, LeBeau's theory does not take into account the characteristics of the growth and development of the animal, taking into account its breed characteristics.

Does age depend on size?

Four-legged animals of different sizes age at different rates; the larger and older the dog, the faster the aging process occurs.

Small breeds like Chihuahuas mature more slowly, while giant breeds like Great Danes mature faster. The larger your pet is at maturity, the faster his body ages. Therefore, large ones live less than small or medium ones, but there are always exceptions.

Stages of development - features

A pet goes through the same stages in its development as humans - toddlerhood, late childhood, early and late puberty, growing up, maturity, old age. But, unlike people, the formation of basic character traits and behavior is completed at 2 years.

How to determine the age of a four-legged pet:

1. Milk teeth - begin to erupt in puppies older than 1 month, fall out at 4 months, the change of dentition ends at approximately 8 months.
2. Molars – up to 2 years of age, dogs have sharp, intact teeth. The lower jaw wears down at the age of 4–6 years; after 7 years, teeth begin to fall out.
3. Coat – young pets have a soft coat that is evenly colored. After 6 years, the coat becomes coarser and gray hairs can be seen.
4. Eyes – in puppies, the eyes have a bright, uniform color, gradually the organs of vision become less transparent, and regular discharge is observed.
5. Activity - up to six months, puppies are in motion almost all the time; with age, active games and long walks attract dogs less and less.

According to veterinary statistics, the average age of domestic dogs is 12–13 years.