Dog Years - How To Determine Your Dog's Age

Narrated from: General Info

A common belief is that one human year equals seven dog years.

This is an easy calculation, but it is wrong.

If you need a more accurate estimation, there are three important factors you need to have in mind.

First of all, you need to know that dogs mature faster than humans. A one year old dog is considered to have reached sexual maturity, and to be near its full size. A universal method for calculating your dog’s age is devised on this basis.

According to this method, the first two human years of a dog’s life are equivalent to 10.5 dog years each. After your dog’s second birthday, each subsequent year is equivalent to 4 dog years.

This approach is considered more accurate than the “x7” method. Yet, it cannot be considered universal.
Two other important factors determine your dog’s exact age: breed and size.
Size is an important factor. Larger dogs age faster then smaller ones; that is not true for all breeds of course. Generally, small breeds can be considered old at about 11 years; medium-sized breeds at 10 years; large breeds at 8 years; and giant breeds at 7 years.

Life expectancy varies from breed to breed. You should check out the average life expectancy for its breed. Then, if you want to calculate the human equivalent of your dog’s age, you should multiply the actual age of your dog by a coefficient corresponding to the relation between your dog’s expected lifespan and the average human lifespan.

If this sounds hard to you, we have posted a table containing information about different breeds and a coefficient you can use (it is based on an average human lifespan of 66 years).

Said coefficient wouldn’t be the most accurate tool though. First of all, it does not take into account the already mentioned faster dog maturity. And secondly, your dog’s lifespan is not a fixed period of time – it is dependent on how you take care of your dog!

 

     
Your dog's breed Average lifespan (Human Years) Coefficient (Human lifespan = 66 years)
Afghan Hound  12  5,5
Airedale Terrier  11,2  5,9
American Staffordshire Terrier  12,3  5,4
Basset Hound  12,8  5,2
Beagle  13,3  5,0
Bearded Collie  12,3  5,4
Bedlington Terrier  14,3  4,6
Bernese Mountain Dog  7  9,4
Border Collie  13  5,1
Border Terrier  13,8  4,8
Boxer  10,4  6,3
Bull Terrier  12,9  5,1
Bulldog  6,7  9,9
Bullmastiff  8,6  7,7
Cairn Terrier  13,2  5,0
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel  10,7  6,2
Chihuahua  13  5,1
Chow Chow  13,5  4,9
Cocker Spaniel  12,5  5,3
Dachshund  12,2  5,4
Dalmatian  13  5,1
Doberman Pinscher  9,8  6,7
English Cocker Spaniel  11,8  5,6
English Setter  11,2  5,9
English Springer Spaniel  13  5,1
English Toy Spaniel  10,1  6,5
Flat-Coated Retriever  9,5  6,9
German Shepherd  10,3  6,4
German Shorthaired Pointer  12,3  5,4
Golden Retrievers  12  5,5
Gordon Setter  11,3  5,8
Great Dane  8,4  7,9
Greyhound  13,2  5,0
Irish Red and White Setter  12,9  5,1
Irish Setter  11,8  5,6
Irish Wolfhound  6,2  10,6
Jack Russel Terrier  13,6  4,9
Labrador Retriever  12,6  5,2
Lurcher  12,6  5,2
Miniature Dachshund  14,4  4,6
Miniature Poodle  14,8  4,5
Random-bred/Mongrel  13,2  5,0
Norfolk Terrier  10  6,6
Old English Sheepdog  11,8  5,6
Pekingese  13,3  5,0
Pomeranian  14,5  4,6
Rhodesian Ridgeback  9,1  7,3
Rottweiler
 9,8  6,7
Rough Collie
 12,2  5,4
Samoyed  11  6,0
Scottish Deerhound  9,5  6,9
Scottish Terrier  12  5,5
Shetland Sheepdog 13,3  5,0
Shiba Inu  14  4,7
Shih Tzu  13,4  4,9
Siberian Husky  13,5  4,9
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier  13,2  5,0
Staffordshire Bull Terrier  14  4,7
Standard Poodle  12  5,5
Tibetan Terrier  14,3  4,6
Toy Poodle  14,4  4,6
Vizsla  12,5  5,3
Weimaraner  10  6,6
Welsh Corgi  11,3  5,8
Welsh Springer Spaniel  11,5  5,7
West Highland White Terrier  12,8  5,2
Wire Fox Terrier  13  5,1
Yorkshire Terrier  12,8  5,2

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