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How old is your dog in human years?
“How old is my dog in human years?” This is a question I hear often in my veterinary practice. And it seems like it should be relatively straight-forward to answer, doesn’t it?
In truth, it is not an easy question to answer. There are many factors that affect a dog’s aging process. And all of those factors enter into correlating your dog’s age to an age equivalent in human years.
Puppies Age Faster Than Adult Dogs
Puppies, in general, tend to age at a faster rate than adult dogs. The first year to two years in a puppy’s life will see him passing from infancy through puberty and into adulthood.
However, even as puppies, different dogs grow at different rates. Small breed dogs tend to mature more quickly than large breed dogs, in general. While a small breed dog may be considered mature at 1 1/2 years of age, most large and giant breeds do not reach maturity until 2 years of age (roughly).
Different Breeds of Dogs Age At Different Rates
Different breeds of dogs not only age differently than others as puppies but they also age differently into maturity and beyond. For instance, while a small breed dog may be considered middle-aged at 7 years of age, a giant breed dog would likely be approaching senior or even geriatric status by the same age.
As a result of these differences, it is nearly impossible to quantify one year in a dog’s life to a specific number of years in a human’s life.
Genetics Plays a Role in Both Dog and Human Aging
Just as in people, dogs can be affected by genetic factors that affect their aging process. In the same way that some people at 80 years old are still active and in relatively good health, some dogs at 10 years old may be also. However, other people and dogs alike may suffer from degenerative joint disease, heart disease, cancer or some other disease which has a genetic basis. This may affect how healthy a dog or a person is at any given age.
Environmental Factors and Their Role in Dog Versus Human Years
Environmental factors play a big role in both human and canine health. As a result, they can also play a big role in deciding how quickly a human or a dog ages.
Other Health Factors that Affect the Aging Process for Dogs and Humans
How healthy a pet remains overall throughout his lifetime will also affect his aging process and the length of time he is likely to live. For instance, dogs that are kept at a lean body weight (as opposed to being overweight or obese) are known to live longer and healthier lives. So, if your Golden Retriever is 10 years old and has been fit his entire life, he will likely be healthier than a 10 year Golden that has suffered from obesity throughout his lifespan. The difference in dog versus human years will be different for these dogs. The obese dog will appear to be older (in human years) than his more slender counterpart.
As you can see, comparing dog years to human years is no easy task. There are numerous factors that enter into the equation. And then there’s the fact that we humans don’t always age at the same rate either!
Photo Courtesy of Undertow851/Flickr.com
About Lorie Huston, DVM
Lorie Huston is a veterinarian, pet health and pet care expert, professional writer, blogger, social media and blogging consultant, and SEO strategist.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s not how old they are, it’s how old they feel
Good point, Jana!
Interesting post. I have never thought there was an easy comparison.
You were right, there’s really not
Jana Rade, I agree with you. How old they feel is definitely more important.
@Sheltie Times, you’re right. There is no easy comparison
business says
….Note It is a common belief that 1 human year is equal to 7 dog years. That is..not very accurate since dogs reach adulthood within the first couple of years…The formula used above is from a canine expert and is a bit more accurate… as accurate as one can judge these things ..The formula is 10.5 dog years per human year for the first 2 years then..4 dog years per human year for each year after…..
Dogs are cute no matter how old they are!!!!!!!:)
I can’t argue that point, Reagan.