Dog Years - How To Determine Your Dog's Age
Narrated from: General InfoA 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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