I know as a dog owner you want that your dog to live a long and happy healthy life as you do, and maybe even more than that. But the fact is that a dog’s lifespan is quite different from a human lifespan. You can see some dogs are fully grown even at the age of 2 years. But how can you calculate your dog’s age in human years? Read the article till the end, so can get the ease that you deserve.
Calculating a dog’s age in human years
| Dog size | 20 lbs or less | 21 to 50 lbs | 51 to 100 lbs | 100+ lbs |
| Dog age | Age in human years | |||
| 1 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| 2 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 |
| 3 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 31 |
| 4 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 38 |
| 5 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 45 |
| 6 | 40 | 42 | 45 | 49 |
| 7 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 56 |
| 8 | 48 | 51 | 55 | 64 |
| 9 | 52 | 56 | 61 | 71 |
| 10 | 56 | 60 | 66 | 79 |
| 11 | 60 | 65 | 72 | 86 |
| 12 | 64 | 69 | 77 | 93 |
| 13 | 68 | 74 | 82 | 100 |
| 14 | 72 | 78 | 88 | 107 |
| 15 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 114 |
| 16 | 80 | 87 | 99 | 121 |
Aging signs in dogs
You can estimate your canine’s age by looking at its physical and behavioral signs. For instance, a dog teeth timeline helps a lot in determining a dog’s age. Dogs have a full set of 42 teeth by the age of 5 to 7 months. Their teeth become duller and might be slighter yellowish by the age of 1 to 2 years. You might see the symptoms of dental disorders in your canines by the age of 5 to 10 years.
- Some other aging signs in your dogs include:
- Gray hair.
- Poor eyesight and cloudy eyes.
- Hearing issues.
- Stiffness in muscles and joints, arthritis.
- Reduced level of activity.
- Changes in behavior like increased confusion, anxiety, irritability accidents in the house, etc.
How to help your dog live longer?
Exercise
Not just physical but mental exercise is also important for your dog to live a longer and healthier life. These include enrichment occasions, play sessions, and daily walks. It makes your dog wealthy and helps maintain the weight, and energy buildup, giving strength to cardiac health and the immune system.
Health Diet
A healthy diet is what makes everyone wealthy. Try choosing a diet that completes all the nutritional content that your dog needs in his routine.
Vaccination
To protect your dog from fatal diseases, vaccination is an important factor. You have to keep an update of all the vaccinations on your dog that are suggested by your veterinarian. For more detailed information, check out what shots do dogs need to be boarded?.
Regular Checkups
Don’t forget to visit your vet for regular canine checkups. If your dog is having any problem, it will be determined in the early stages which makes it easy for your vet to cure it within the time. You don’t have to wait to see the signs of any illness so you can make a vet visit. Regular checkups should be a part of your canine love.
Spending The Time Together
What can be more beautiful than love and affection which makes even a human live longer so why not our dogs? Make sure you are spending much time with your canine to make them healthy and happy in every aspect.
Why do smaller dogs live longer than larger dogs?
Typically large mammals like whales and elephants live longer but why do smaller dogs live longer than larger dogs?
According to researchers, larger dogs age more quickly, and “their lives seem to unwind in fast motion,” according to researchers.
| Factors | Smaller dogs | Larger dogs |
| Metabolism | Slow | Fast |
| Cellular activity | Slow | Fast |
| Cancer chances | Low | High |
| Aging rate | Slow | Fast |
| Lifespan | Long | Short |
- Slow metabolic rate in small dogs slow the aging process.
- Slow cellular aging means less erosion on the body.
- The common reason behind canine death is cancer and the cancer chances in smaller dogs are low.
- A slow aging rate increases the overall lifespan.
Why is it important to understand a dog’s age?
Understanding a dog’s age is important so you can know how they are old and how they are aging. It helps to give you clues about their proper take care and how can you give the best life to them.
You can see the aging signs in larger dogs by the age of 5 to 6 years. While smaller dogs show aging signs around 7 to 8 years. When you find your dog at senior age, you have to pay keen attention to their behavior like eating habits and activity level. Factors like plenty of exercise, a healthy diet, dog weight maintenance, and regular checkups help for a healthy lifespan in your dog. Don’t forget to have a pet insurance policy that suits your dog’s style.
