Pet owners know they just don’t get enough years with their pet. Many people are confused about the concept of dog years versus human years, so this article is here to help. After your dog is gone, there are things you need to plan to honor your beloved pet. Choosing the right pet cremation in South East Queensland or pet cremation in Ipswich and surrounding areas can be the best way to honor your canine friend.
You may have heard that the dog ages 7 years for every human year. This calculation is one that people have been following for years. But is that an accurate calculation? There are many other factors to consider when talking about a dog’s longevity, including their breed. A large dog like a Saint Bernard will have a shorter lifespan than a smaller dog like a chihuahua. No one really knows the exact origins of the 7-year-old dog calculator we know today. There is evidence that it may be as far back as the 1700s. In recent years it has become common to think that a dog ages 7 years for every 1 human year.
Convert Dog Years to Human Years Based on Your Dog’s Breed
When estimating how old your dog is in human years, the main thing to consider is your dog’s breed. Research also shows that castration status, and to a lesser extent, sex, are important factors to consider. We’ve factored these key factors into our calculator below:
Small breeds live up to 50-80% longer than larger breeds and experience the negative effects of aging later in life compared to large breeds. If your dog is a mixed breed, a reliable way to convert your dog’s age to human years is to use your dog’s size or weight.
What are dog years to human years?
«Dog years» are real, but they’re not as cut and dried as we once thought. So, if the original rule of dog years to human years is out of date, what’s next? According to the American Kennel Club, the «seven-year» rule may have been a marketing ploy at one time. A way to remind pet parents that dogs don’t live nearly as long as we do. So seeing the 7:1 ratio made that annual vet visit seem even more important.
However, the seven-year idea should not be completely thrown out. It can still give you an idea of how old your dog is. But if you’re looking for an exact number for human years to dog years, you’ll need to dig deeper. Consider your dog’s size, breed, and health concerns for best results. That will give you a more accurate answer for how many dog years to human years.
Medium-Sized Dogs: Average Life Expectancy of Medium-Sized Dog Breeds
Medium-sized dogs can expect to live an average of 13 years full of happiness and joy. Just to give you something to go off of, a boxer usually lives up to 12 years and an Australian Shepherd can live up to 15 years.
Giant breed dogs are the shortest living. Researchers believe it may have to do with how fast they grow physically, which can lead to cell metabolic abnormalities and eventually cancer.