“We conclude that large dogs die young mainly because they age quickly.” Professor Elgar says that a larger dog, because of its size, may put more strain on its physiological processes, meaning they tend to wear out more quickly.
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.
In general, giant breeds tend to live an average of 8 to 10 years, whereas large dog breeds live 10 to 12 years.
A larger dog takes a bit more time than a smaller one to reach full adult size because those bigger bones need more time to grow. “Giant breed puppies grow until they are 12 to 18 months old,” says Dr. Klein. Large to giant breed pups usually weigh 70 or more pounds as adults.
#1 – Dogue de Bordeaux
Dogue de Bordeauxs, or French Mastiffs, are perhaps the shortest living dog breed in existence with a life expectancy of 5-8 years.
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.
Most puppies start to calm down as they approach their maturity age, which is usually around 12 months, but for larger breeds it can be more likely to occur between 18 months and 2 years.
Most dogs enter their senior years at around 7 years old, a little sooner for larger dog breeds. They begin to slow down, they may gain weight more easily, their senses start to dull. An older dog's behavior will give you plenty of hints as to what he needs, but sometimes it helps to put it in words.
Approximately 35% of owners and trainers voted 8-9 months as the toughest age citing new challenging behaviors associated with their puppy's now larger size such as pulling on the leash or counter-surfing.
Licking is a natural and instinctive behaviour to dogs. For them it's a way of grooming, bonding, and expressing themselves. Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
Well, dogs are in possession of faster metabolisms and hearts that work harder than our own. Because of all this extra work, dogs age faster and, consequently, live shorter lives. It also means they grow up more quickly. A dog that's a year old is the equivalent of a human child ready to start school.
The “Seven-Year Rule”
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.
Medium-size dogs align more with the overall average dog lifespan of 10-13 years. But some medium-size dogs can be very long-lived; the oldest dog on record was a Rafeiro do Alentejo named Bobi, who's 30 years old and counting! Medium-size dog lifespans and diseases of concern vary from breed to breed.
At 30 years and 266 days old, a Portuguese dog named Bobi was crowned the world's oldest dog ever on February 1, breaking an almost century-old record, per Guinness World Records (GWR). The previous titleholder, an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, was born in 1910 and lived for 29 years and 5 months.
Large Dogs
Their typical lifespan is about 12 years so they would enter their senior years at 8 to 9 years old. Giant breeds such as the Bernese Mountain Dog have significantly shorter lifespans - 'Berners', in particular live to be an average of 6 to 8 years old, so would be considered seniors around 4 to 5.
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.
Larger dogs that are between the sizes of 50 and 100 pounds are considered middle aged between the ages of 6 and 8. However, dogs that are over 100 pounds in size will be considered middle aged between the ages of 5 and 7.
“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.
12–18 Months
Somewhere during this period, your dog will reach emotional maturity; sooner, with small breeds, and later for large dogs.
1. Border collie. According to The Intelligence of Dogs, which ranks 131 dog breeds in terms of their relative intelligence, the border collie is the smartest dog breed known to man.
Bobi has lived more than three decades with the Costa family in the rural village of Conqueiros, in Leiria, Portugal, Guinness World Records (GWR) said in a statement. Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, which is a breed of livestock guardian dog with an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.