"We believe the relationship between a dog's body size and their lifespan may be caused by an evolutionary lag in the body's cancer defenses, which are unable to keep up with the rapid and recent selective breeding of bigger dogs," he said.
In Dr. Urfer's study, small dogs had a longer median lifespan at 14.95 years, medium-size dogs lived an average of 13.86 years, and large dogs lived 13.38 years. The dog's body size was the most important variable in predicting lifespan, more important than whether or not the dog was purebred.
The smaller breeds of dogs tend to live the longest. Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Toy Poodles and Lhasa Apsos are the breeds who typically live the longest with these averaging a lifespan of up to 20 years. This is much higher than the average lifespan of a dog which is between 10 and 13 years.
Breed. There is a general understanding that larger dogs have shorter lifespans. It is thought that this is because their organs have to work harder to keep them going and simply wear out quicker. As an example, a Great Dane would be expected to live for 8-10 years but a Yorkshire Terrier can live for up to 16 years.
The much faster pace at which dogs grow means they also age much quicker. So they will reach the end of their lives sooner than their human friends will.
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.
Four flat-faced breeds were found to have the shortest life expectancy at age zero - with French Bulldogs only expected to live 4.5 years, followed by English Bulldogs at 7.4 years, Pugs at 7.7 years, and American Bulldogs at 7.8 years.
Is 14 years old for a dog? 14 years old can generally be considered old for a dog. A small dog is considered old when they're 11, a medium dog is considered old when they're 10, and a large dog is considered old when they're 8.
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.
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.
Sex. Researchers found that female dogs are expected to live longer than male dogs, but really not by much — the average life expectancy for female dogs is 11.41 years, while the average life expectancy for male dogs is 11.07 years.
The answer to this question isn't a simple “yes” or “no.” Dog owners know that each dog is an individual with different personalities and preferences. So some dogs love to be carried around while others may find it uncomfortable or even upsetting.
Affection, safety and love can work wonders in prolonging your dog's life. Treating your dog like a member of the family will only add to their health and wellbeing.
Experts recommend at least 30-60 minutes of exercise per day for adult dogs (and many dogs do better with even more). And while your senior may not be up for the half-day hikes they used to do, if they're mobile, keep to a regular schedule of physical activity, including at least a half hour of daily walks.
Age is just a number, but distance isn't.
Your older dog may begin to struggle with longer walks. The key is to make your walks shorter, but more frequent. That way, your four-legged friend is still getting regular exercise, but you aren't tiring them out all in one go.
Even if your dog is considered senior, you'll still want to give them at least 30 minutes of daily exercise. Because of their age, exercise might need to become shorter but it's still necessary to make sure they're getting the required stimulation.
Like many larger breeds, Great Danes are at particular risk for hip dysplasia. Dilated cardiomyopathy and many congenital heart diseases are also commonly found in the Great Dane, leading to its nickname: the heartbreak breed, in conjunction with its shorter lifespan.
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.
The Sulcata Tortoise, Leopard Tortoise and the Egyptian Tortoise are among the longest-living pets and the chances of them outliving their owners are very high.