As a general guideline, though, the American Veterinary Medical Association breaks it down like this: 15 human years equals the first year of a medium-sized dog's life. Year two for a dog equals about nine years for a human. And after that, each human year would be approximately five years for a dog.
The truth is that when your dog hits the age of 12 years, he has reached the equivalent of 64 human years if he's a small dog (20 pounds or less); 69 human years if he's a medium dog (21 to 50 pounds); and 77 human years if he's a large dog (more than 50 pounds).
The best way to determine the age of a puppy is by looking at their teeth. All of a puppy's baby teeth should erupt between 3 and 6 weeks of age and their adult teeth should appear between 12 and 16 weeks of age at the front of the mouth and between 16 and 24 weeks toward the back.
A 4-year-old dog is similar to a 52-year-old human. Then by seven years old, dog aging slows.”
Assuming the idea that one human year is seven dog years, every hour to us works out to 7 hours for a dog. 1 day for us, 24 hours of human time, is 7 days in dog time.
420 Dog years old, 60 yrs old b-day equivalent in human age.
As a general guideline, though, the American Veterinary Medical Association breaks it down like this: 15 human years equals the first year of a medium-sized dog's life. Year two for a dog equals about nine years for a human. And after that, each human year would be approximately five years for a dog.
So, a three year old dog is in their late twenties, a four year old dog is in their early thirties, and a five year old dog is in their mid to late thirties. Dogs are in their prime for these few years.
Small dogs are considered senior citizens of the canine community when they reach 11-12 years of age. Their medium-sized friends become seniors at 10 years of age. Their larger-sized colleagues are seniors at 8 years of age. And, finally, their giant-breed counterparts are seniors at 7 years old.
Generally speaking, a healthy dog with a short, smooth coat and no skin problems doesn't need to be bathed often. In most cases, dog baths are more for the benefit of their pet parents than for the dogs themselves. Even so, it's a good idea to bathe your pooch at least once every two to three months.
The aging profile of dogs varies according to their adult size (often determined by their breed): smaller dogs often live over 15–16 years (no longer than 20 years), medium and large size dogs typically 10 to 20 years, and some giant dog breeds such as mastiffs, often only 7 to 8 years.
Georges Buffon, an 18th-century French naturalist, had more or less the same theory: Humans live to 90 or 100 years, and dogs to 10 or 12.
In many cases, you can probably tell very easily that your dog knows the difference between an adult and a baby. Dog owners often remark on the way their dogs treat babies.
Just like with us, the ageing process affects dogs. They can become weaker and more vulnerable to infections. Some dogs may slow down, being less keen to exercise and more prone to putting on weight. Some dogs' moods can change, whilst others age gracefully.
Australian Cattle Dogs
Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, entered the Guinness Book of World Records by living to the ripe old age of 29 years and 5 months, setting the record for oldest dog ever.
As they age, however, they will begin to take longer and more frequent breaks between spurts. Most dogs will lose that seemingly abundant energy as they pass the three-to-four-year mark. As dogs get even older, their bodies will begin to betray them.
“The older they get, the more sleep they need, and that's OK,” says Dr. Rossman. Just like senior citizens need more sleep, an older dog sleeps a lot when compared to their younger counterparts. On the higher end of the scale, a senior dog can sleep up to 18-20 hours a day, says Dr.