How to calculate the age of the dog in human years
We have always heard that 1 year of dog is equal to 7 human years, a widespread myth that however is not true . And to calculate the approximate age of a dog in human years is important to take into account some factors such as the breed and size of the dog as well as the stage of development in which it is. It is also important to be clear that our development is not comparable to that of a dog for which the mere fact of wanting to do the calculation is not entirely a logical measure. If, in spite of that, you want to know the approximate age of your animal, then in .com we teach you how to calculate the age of the dog in human years .
Not all dogs are the same
The first thing we must have very clear is that during its first year of life the dog grows 20 times faster than a human being, which is why its sexual maturity is reached between 12 and 18 months depending on the breed. But in the same way that not all breeds live the same amount of time and that small dogs tend to be more long-lived than large ones, so the way to calculate their age will vary according to the size of the animal and also to the stage at which this.
During the first 2 years of life dogs grow and develop in a very accelerated, however this process of growth and aging slows down after 24 months, from this moment the calculation of the age of the dog in human years it will vary.
Based on all these details regarding the physical conditions of the dogs, the geneticist Daniel Promislow and the professor of internal medicine Kate Creevy, both of the University of Georgia, offered in an interview to the BBC the result of their investigations about the appropriate way of calculating the age of the dog in human years based on the size of the breed and the years of the animal.
Calculate the age of a small breed dog in human years
Based on the previous explanation and the research carried out by these specialists, to calculate the age of the dog in human years we must separate the first two years of life from the rest, at which time the animal grows faster.
In a small breed dog, each of its first two years of life is equivalent to approximately 12.5 human years . This means that after reaching two years the animal will have about 25 human years. However, after reaching this age, aging slows down, so from 3 years each year the dog is between 4.3 and 5.9 human years, except in the case of breeds such as the French bulldog It calculates that it has reached 7.5 human years from this moment.
Some examples that researchers have given regarding the number of human years that small breeds meet after 3 years are:
- Dachshund or sausage 4.32 years
- Chihuahua: 4.87 years
- Beagle: 5.20 years
- Schnauzer: 5.46 years
- Cocker Spaniel: 5.5 years
- Pug 5.95 years
Calculate the age of a medium-sized dog in human years
In the case of medium dogs, every year up to 2 years is equivalent to 10.5 human years, so at the age of two this type of breed will have around 21 human years. After 3 years, the age varies between 5.3 and 5.7 years, some examples are:
- Golden Retriever: 5, 74 years
- Labrador retriever: 5, 74 years
- Staffordshire bull terrier: 5, 33 years
Calculate the age of a large breed dog in human years
For large breed dogs every year up to two years is approximately equivalent to 9 human years, from 3 years each year fulfilled will be around 7.8 and 8.9 years depending on the breed of the animal.
Why do small dogs live longer than large ones?
It is a fact that small breeds such as chihuahua or poodle have a life expectancy higher than 13 years, while larger dogs live much less. The Great Dane considered a giant breed lives around 7 years, while races like the Golden Retriever live between 10 and 12 years, the Rottweiler between 8 and 10 or the German Shepherd between 9 and 13 years.
Although researchers do not know for sure why this relationship between size and life expectancy is due, there are some theories that point to the cause of this condition. It is the hormone IGF-1 present in both dogs and humans and that determines the growth factor, the greater the presence of the hormone, the more chances there are of suffering from health conditions such as cancer or heart problems, in this way they believe that dogs of medium, large and giant breed age faster and have greater chances of developing certain diseases at an early age than smaller breeds.
So if you have a large dog you should take it to your veterinary consultations frequently to ensure maximum welfare.
