What is a dog’s age in human years? And what is a dog’s average lifespan? You can find out if you keep reading.
What is a Dog’s Average Lifespan?
According to the CDC, the average human lifespan is 78.6 years. Sadly, most animals don’t live nearly as long as we do. This includes our beloved canine companions.
So, how many years can you expect your dog to live?
PetCareRX says that a dog’s average lifespan depends on the breed. Oftentimes, smaller breeds enjoy longer lives than larger breeds.
Giant breeds typically have the shortest lifespan. Many of them only live for about 5-10 years, depending on the breed. Smaller dog breeds normally live about 10-15 years.
No one really knows why small dogs live longer than large dogs. It could be that large dogs age more quickly or perhaps they are more likely to develop illnesses as they get older.
But it’s not just size that affects lifespan. The length of your dog’s life also depends on your four-legged friend’s environment, diet, and care.
That means you could play an important role in lengthening your dog’s life by providing your pooch with the best care possible.
What is a Dog’s Age in Human Years?
It’s commonly thought that each dog year is the equivalent of 7 human years. This is a rough approximation at best.
The truth is every dog ages at a different rate. That rate depends on the factors mentioned in the previous section.
And your dog’s age in human years probably won’t increase at the same rate from year to year. Instead, the rate that your dog ages in human years will likely fluctuate.
To give you a general idea of how a dog will age in human years, let’s go over an example of dog years vs human years. But keep in mind that this example will not apply to all canines.
- One-Year-Old - Dogs at this age are like teenagers.
- Two Years Old - A two-year-old dog can be compared to a college-age student.
- Three Years Old - This age in dog years is about 28 in human years.
- Four-Five Years Old - A dog in this age range is comparable to humans in their 30s.
- Six-Nine Years Old - At this age, many dogs will be somewhere in their forties and fifties in human years. Just as humans begin to show signs of aging, dogs are likely to do the same when they reach this age.
- Ten-Eleven Years Old - This age range is somewhere in the sixties and seventies in human years. By now, the dog is considered a senior canine citizen.
- Twelve-Fifteen Years Old - A dog at this age is at the upper end of the average lifespan in human years. This is when many dogs approach the end of life.
As already stated, the example above will not apply to every dog. For instance, a giant dog might only live to be 5 years old. In that case, a five-year-old dog is much older than 30 in human years.
So, how can you determine how old your furry friend is in human years?
Check it out below if you want to discover what your dog’s age in human years is.
Enter your dog's age (from 1 to 16) to get the human years equivalent. The calculation is made for a small (20 pounds or less), medium ( 21-50 pounds ) or large (51-100 pounds) dog using the AKC recommendation.