Determine a Dog's Age in

Human Years
By Melissa Maroff

It has always been commonly believed that each year of

a dog's life is equivalent to seven in human years.
However, this isn't exactly accurate, since a one-year-
old dog can give birth, whereas a seven-year-old child
cannot. And how would you explain the world's oldest
living dog on record making it to 29? (That would be 203
in human years!) Then, of course, there's your 11-year-
old dog that sure seems frisky for 77. That is why
veterinarians have determined that 77 is the "new 60"
and have come up with a more accurate way to calculate
a dog's age in human years. The following steps will show
you how.
If a dog is a year old, that is the equivalent of 15 in
human years (not seven as we always thought).
When a dog reaches the age of two, he is already
approximately 24 in human years (not 14 as commonly
believed). But not to worry, read on.
Add four years to every year after age two. For example,
a three-year-old dog is equivalent to 28 in human years;
a four-year-old is 32, a five-year-old, 36, a six-year-old,
40--and so on.
Take the dog's size into consideration, since
smaller dogs generally have longer life spans than larger
dogs, with toy breeds tending to live the longest and
giant breeds, the shortest. For example, according to the
above method, a six-year-old dog is considered 40 in
human years, when in fact a larger dog may actually be
closer to 42. However, veterinarians consider this a good
general chart to follow for all dogs.

• The average canine life span is about 12 years, but

varies by breed.
• Most dogs are considered seniors when they reach
the age of seven, however it's generally a year or
two older for toy or smaller breeds and a year or two
younger when a giant breed becomes a senior.
• A border collie in Britain lived to be 27 on a vegan
diet, although there is no conclusive evidence that a
vegan diet will make a dog live longer.