How old is my dog ?
Is One human year equals seven dog years ? The Answer is No , so how old is my dog in human years ?
Here is how to really calculate the age of a dog, and this according to the specialist of the canine breeds and a study made by AVMA “ the American Veterinary Medical Association “ :
How to estimate medium-sized dogs Age ?
- When your dog is 1 year old, this means 15 years in human years ..
- When your dog reaches 2 years old, you have to add 9 years more, which means that your dog is now 15+9 years old, so 24 years old.
- And after this, you will add 4 to 5 years on average for each year that your dog spends in your home.
The age of your dog according to its size
You should know that the oldest dog in the world lived 29 years which means a little more than 150 years in the equivalent age in humans.
You can not use a dog age calculator, because the factors that influence the result are too many, here is a table that will help you to estimate the age of your dog, taking into account his breed’s size.
Dog Years ( the number of years your dog spends with you ) | True age For small Dogs : From 00 to 19 lbs | True age For Medium Dogs :
From 20 to 49 lbs |
True age For Large Dogs :
From 50 to 89 lbs |
True age For very Big Dogs
For dogs more than 90 lbs |
7 years | 44 years | 47 years | 50 years | 56 years |
10 years | 56 years | 60 years | 66 years | 78 years |
15 years | 76 years | 83 years | 93 years | 115 years |
20 years | 96 years | 105 years | 120 years | I’m Sorry |
As you’ve seen, dogs age faster than humans.
Small dogs (small breeds of dogs) tend to age less quickly than medium and large dogs.
But the size and breed of your dog is not the only factor that will influence the number of years your dog will live.
At what age should you consider your dog as an old dog?
It is very important to know when your dog has become old, this will allow you to adapt your behavior and your treatment in order to make his life easier.
Here is the average age at which a dog becomes old, depending on its breed and size:
- Small breeds are considered senior dogs around 10-11 years old.
- Medium size breeds are considered senior dogs around 8-10 years old.
- Large breeds are considered senior dogs around 6-7 years old.
Signs a dog is getting Old
It is very important to know when your dog is showing signs of old age so that you can take the necessary steps to make life easier for him.
Here are some of the signs that your dog is beginning to become a senior citizen:
- Your dog will become slower
- He may show signs of Leg joint pain.
- He doesn’t always hear you when you call him…
- He’s losing weight quickly or he’s starting to get fat…
- An old dog tends to sleep too much
- He’s going to start having white hairs on his face and muzzle… etc
Which Dog Breeds Live the Longest ?
In general, the smaller your dog is, the longer his life will be, so here are some breeds of dogs that are known to have a long life
- Chihuahuas and Jack Russell Terrier live an average of 15 to 20 years
- A toy poodle can live 14 to 18 years
- The Shih Tzu lives between 10 and 18 years on average
- The Yorkshire Terrier ( Yorkies ) can live for 14 to 17 years.
- A normal Dachshund can live up to 12 to 17 years on average.
- Pomeranian have a long life expectancy of about 12 to 16 years
Beagles usually live at least 12 years and the oldest known Beagle lived an amazing 27 years , that’s why you can’t really predict how long your dog will live, based only on its breed or size.
How to help your dog live longer ?
You’re wondering how old your dog is because you probably want him to live longer.
Here are some tips that will help you improve your dog’s life expectancy:
- Monitor your dog’s weight and diet if necessary.
- Make sure that your dog’s teeth stay in top shape.
- Daily exercise and training your dog so that he learns to avoid dangers and especially because a dog that trains is a happy dog and lives longer.
- Regular visits to the veterinarian to detect possible health problems before they become more serious.
- Never forget about heartworm , flea and tick prevention
- Never feed your dog Table Scraps …etc
Our dogs may be older than we think:
Another study, commissioned by sciencemag, proclaims that dogs are generally older than we think. Here’s an excerpt from the study results :
“The research team also used the rate of the methylation changes in dogs to match it to the human epigenetic clock, although the resulting dog age conversion is a bit more complex than “multiply by seven.”
The new formula, which applies to dogs older than one, says that a canine’s human age roughly equals 16 ln(dog age) + 31. (That’s the natural logarithm of the dog’s real age, multiplied by 16, with 31 added to the total.) ”
Personally, I don’t want to refer to this study, I don’t like my dog getting old so quickly…
Conclusion
It’s important to know the age of your dog, in order to adapt your behavior and the way you and your family members interact with him ( her ) .
Especially to provide them with the necessary help and care when they begin to show signs of old age too.
Tell me now, what is your dog’s name, breed and age?
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Thank you for your interest in the well being of your dog and if you have a question, I would be happy to help you, just ask it in a comment …