Bobi, a Portuguese dog, holds the record as the oldest dog at 31 years old. Born in 1992 and owned since the age of 8, he enjoyed long naps and passed away earlier this year.
Pets are often an essential pillar in a child’s life growing up. Studies from the Human Bond Research Institute show that children in families with dogs experience better socio-emotional outcomes.
Additionally, these children engage in more unstructured physical activity compared to those from households without dogs. Wishing our dogs could live forever is natural. However, let’s explore the realistic lifespan we can expect for them.
Nicole Savageau, a veterinarian with The Vets, explains that the lifespan of your dog depends on their size and breed. Small dogs like Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Maltese, or Shih Tzus usually live between 14 and 16 years.
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Medium-sized dogs, such as golden retrievers, French bulldogs, and cocker spaniels, have a lifespan of 10-12 years. Large or giant breed dogs, like Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, and Saint Bernards, typically have a lifespan of only 7-10 years.
The only exception to the size rule that Savageau has observed is cattle dogs. Before Bobi, the world’s oldest living dog was the 29-year-old Australian cattle dog, Bluey. Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, belongs to a breed with a historical role in guarding property.
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There isn’t much known about why small dogs live longer. However, a 2023 study published in the American Naturalist found that larger dog breeds may be more susceptible to cancer due to selective breeding practices.
Some evidence suggests that mixed-breed dogs live longer than purebred dogs, as per a 2019 study. However, the difference in lifespan decreases if the mixed-breed dogs are larger.
According to Savageau, it depends on the genetic lottery. A mixed-breed dog might avoid genetic conditions associated with the breeds they’re mixed with or inherit genetic conditions from all the breeds they descend from.
Golden retrievers, for instance, often succumb to spleen cancer (hemangiosarcoma) around ages 10-12. A mixed-breed dog with golden retriever ancestry may avoid this disease, but as Savageau notes, there’s no guarantee.
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Dogs age differently and faster than humans. The American Veterinary Medical Association notes that the first year of a puppy’s life is about 15 human years.
The second year is equivalent to nine human years, and each subsequent dog year is approximately four to five human years. AVMA’s calculations are based on dogs between 21-50 lbs.
Therefore, medium-sized dogs with a life expectancy of 10-12 years will live to be the human equivalent of approximately 60 to 69 years old. You might not want to think about the end of your dog’s life when you first get them, but Savageau says it’s an important step every owner should take, regardless of the animal.
“From the moment you get an animal, it’s good to research their life expectancy and have that in your mind,” Savageau says. “That way, when the time comes, it’s just easier emotionally.”
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