Dog Years

With a new year upon us it made me think about how it is said that for every one calendar year that passes it is equivalent to 7 years passing in a dogs life. So is this 1 to 7 ratio the correct way to calculate a dog’s age?

The dogs average lifespan is only a fraction of the humans average life span and this is how the age calculation ratio came about. This 1 to 7 year ratio is a simple way to estimate a dogs age although it is not entirely correct. The rate that a dog ages is also influenced by their breed and weight, with large breed and heavier dogs aging faster than smaller dogs. Dogs mature much faster than people, particularly in the first 2 years of life. Infact, the first year of a dogs life is actually equivalent to 14-15 human years. Small breed dogs are usually considered to be senior at around 8-10 years. Larger and giant breed dogs age faster and can enter their senior years at 5-7 years.

The ratio of one human year equalling seven dog years is not entirely correct as the ratio is higher during the dogs early years and then decreases as the dog ages. I found a very simple pet age calculator on the Hill’s Pet Nutrition website here which will help you determine your dogs age.

It seems that it is not as simple as multiplying calendar years by seven to calculate a dog’s age. So although the 1 to 7 year ratio is a simple way to estimate a dogs age, it probably shouldn’t be considered the rule of thumb (or paw).

Until next time,
Bec

Information sourced from:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/how-to-calculate-your-dogs-age
http://www.hillspet.com.au/en-au/seniors/pet-years-in-human-years.html