Question: When does a 7-year-old have grey hairs? Answer: When he’s a Great Dane. The first seven years, although formative, are just a chapter in the average human life. But for many dogs, seven years can encompass their life story.
Question: When does a 7-year-old have grey hairs?
Answer: When he’s a Great Dane.
The first seven years, although formative, are just a chapter in the average human life. But for many dogs, seven years can encompass their life story. Like humans, dogs age at different rates. But in canines, the most diversified species on the planet, these rates vary widely. Weight and breed contribute immensely to these dissimilarities.
Size matters. Although smaller dogs may live 15-16 years, medium and large pooches live 10-13 years, and giant breeds a mere 7-8 years on average. Basically, the bigger they are, the sooner they’ll fall.
It’s weight not height that really affects longevity. When it comes to dog mass (but not chocolate, definitely not chocolate) less can be more. According to webmd.com, nearly 40 percent of small breed dogs live longer than 10 years, but only 13 percent of giant breed dogs live that long. Dr. Kimberly Greer of Indiana University East co-authored a study that demonstrated that dogs that weigh less than 30 pounds live longest.
If you’re bullheaded about getting a bulldog (and who can blame you), beware: Breed also has an effect. Although the average bulldog weighs 40-50 pounds, their typical lifespan is 6.3 years. Labrador retrievers, on the other hand, weigh 55-75 pounds but live almost twice as long. That’s according to research by biologist Dr. Kelly M. Cassidy and no cock and bulldog — I mean bull — story.
Sorry guys, there is a female advantage. Steven Austad, PhD, a researcher on aging at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, says female dogs live slightly longer, smell nicer and are better at following directions. Okay, I may have made up the last two. Dr. Austad also believes that mixed breeds survive longer. Indeed, Australian pooch, Chilla, a mostly vegetarian Australian cattle dog/Lab mix lived 32 years!
In canine years (but not human, please), 32 is old, very old. Still, it’s not as old as some popular canine age calculators may lead you to believe.
The oft-reiterated ratio of seven dog-years to one human-year may only be close to being spot-on when Spot is 41⁄2 years old. Many factors contribute to this. For starters, dogs age fastest during the first two years of their life. Also, breeds age at different rates. For example, some giant breeds take longer to mature even though they live shorter lives. This reminds me of the males of … but I digress.
No matter when it happens, losing our best buddies can feel premature. You can increase the odds of sharing a long life with your pooch by choosing smaller female mutts or from breeds that live statistically longer lives. Obviously, minimizing environmental or physical stresses by raising your pets in safe and healthy environments also helps.
Of course, at the end of the day, picking a pooch is like picking a partner. It’s your heart, not your mind that does the choosing. Whether you fall in love with a Great Dane or a great dame, it’s a gift. Savor your time together just like one would chocolate.
• Moksha McClure is the founder of Whiskers Resort, a pet hotel in Lihu‘e offering doggie day care, training, grooming, and overnight boarding for cats and dogs for more than a decade. Prior to owning Whiskers, Moksha hiked multi-dog packs off-leash “dog whisperer” style in the mountains of Santa Fe, N.M. An animal lover since an early age, Moksha became vegetarian when she was age 8 and has been pet-sitting most of her life. She has cared for a smorgasbord of animals from bunnies to burros and reptiles to racehorses. Visit www.WhiskersResort.com or call 241-PETS.
