Calculating Dog Age in Human Years
Everyone knows that dogs have a shorter lifespan than humans do. However, knowing approximately how many people years your dog’s age equals may be helpful for you to understand what stage of life your dog is currently living in. Let’s take a look at a few different factors that help determine your dog’s age in ‘human years.’
The Traditional Calculation
Dating all the way back to the 1950s is the most commonly known way to calculate how old your dog is in relation to human years. You simply take the number of birthdays that your dog has had and multiply this number by 7. This gives you the equivalent of how old your dog is in people years.
A Modern Day Approach
While this 7:1 ratio is the traditional way to estimate a dog’s age, the American Veterinary Medical Association says that it should really be approached in a different way.
- The first year of a medium-sized dog’s life is equal to about 15 human years.
- A dog that is in year two adds another 9 years to the dog’s total.
- Each year after that adds another 5 years to the dog’s total.
- Size and breed play a role in whether the dog is actually aging faster than 5 years each year.
Calculating Your Dog’s Age
Keep in mind that the information above is meant to be specifically related to medium-sized dogs. Larger dogs age faster and generally do not have as long of a life as smaller dogs do. As a result, one dog year for a large dog would actually equal more than five human years.
A quick way to figure out your dog’s age in human years is to try this dog age calculator.
Final Thought
It would be great if our canine companions could stay by our side all of our lives. However, the reality is that puppies blossom into adulthood within the first 2 years of their life. Their life span moves quicker than ours. Before you know it, they belong in the senior dog category. Cherish the time you spend with your pets every day and the love you share throughout their lifetime will bless you both.