We love our dogs and we want them to stay with us for a very long time. However, we also know that a dog's life expectancy is limited. In this article we answer the question: How old do dogs get and give you tips for a healthy and long dog life!
Dog life expectancy - what it depends on
While mammals such as whales and elephants can live to be 70 - 80 years old, the life expectancy of our pets is nowhere near this impressive age. The average age of dogs is 10 - 15 years. The answer to the question "How old do dogs live?" can depend on many factors. We have compiled the 7 most important ones for you:
Dog life expectancy - 7 decisive factors
- Breed
- Body size
- Genetics
- Nutrition and care
- Medical care
- Activity
- Living environment
The breed and size of the dog play a particularly important role. Smaller dogs generally have a longer life expectancy than larger dogs. It is assumed that large dogs grow excessively fast compared to their smaller counterparts. For example, the average Great Dane lives to be 6 years old, while a Jack Russell can live to be 18.
Many Labrador lovers ask themselves: How old does a Labrador get? In comparison, the Labrador's body size lies between that of a Great Dane and a Jack Russell, reaching an average age of 13 - 15 years.
It is not uncommon to hear of dogs that live to be around 20 years old. The Australian Kelpie dog Maggie is even said to have reached a proud age of 30 years. Chanel from New York is also said to be the oldest dog in the world to have died at the age of 21.
When is a dog old?
The question "How old do dogs get?" usually goes hand in hand with the question "When is a dog old? goes hand in hand. Unfortunately, it is different for dogs than for humans. They are already senior citizens at the age of 7. Their activity decreases more and more, the four-legged friend sleeps a lot and is exhausted more quickly after long walks or active jogging laps. Their eyesight and hearing also suffer. So don't be surprised if your senior doesn't jump up immediately when you call him or if he doesn't recognize you from a distance.
The coat pigments also fade and the intense colors of our pets' coats become streaked with white-grey strands. Other signs of an old dog are a weaker immune system, increased susceptibility to diseases, increased stiffness and sometimes a slightly more pungent mouth odor.
How old can dogs get? - Life expectancy by dog breed
Dog breeds with the highest life expectancy:
- Beagle 12 to 15 years
- Border Collie 13 to 16 years
- Boston Terrier 13 to 16 years
- Chihuahua 12 to 15 years
- Cocker Spaniel 13 to 16 years
- Collie 14 to 16 years
- Dachshund 14 to 18 years
- German Longhair 12 to 15 years
- Doberman 12 to 15 years
- Jack Russell Terrier 13 to 15 years
- Pug 12 to 15 years
- Poodle 13 to 16 years
- Shi tzu 14 to 16 years
- Scottish Terrier 12 to 14 years
- Miniature Poodle 14 to 18 years
- Miniature Schnauzer 13 to 16 years
- Yorkshire Terrier 13 to 15 years
Dog breeds with the lowest life expectancy:
- Berger des Pyrenees 5 to 7 years
- Bernese Mountain Dog 8 to 10 years
- St. Bernard 7 to 9 years
- Dogue de Bordeaux 5 to 7 years
- Bulldog 8 to 12 years
- Bullmastiff 7 to 10 years
- Deerhound 8 to 11 years
- Great Dane 6 to 9 years
- Grand bleu de Gascogne 5 to 8 years
- Greenland Dog 8 to 10 years
- Irish Wolfhound 7 to 10 years
- Leonberger 7 to 9 years
- Miniature Bull Terrier 6 to 9 years
- Shiba 7 to 9 years
Life expectancy of the most popular German dog breeds:
- Australian Shepherd 10 to 14 years
- Border Collie 13 to 15 years
- Chihuahua 12 to 15 years
- German Shepherd 11 to 14 years
- French Bulldog 9 to 13 years
- Golden Retriever 12 to 15 years
- Havanese 10 to 13 years
- Jack Russell Terrier 13 to 16 years
- Labrador Retriever 13 to 15 years
- Pug 11 to 14 years
The right care for a long dog life
A species-appropriate diet, sufficient exercise, regular check-ups and a relaxed living environment are crucial for our four-legged friends to live as long and healthy a life as possible.
Nutrition is an important factor for dogs
A natural and high-quality diet has an impact on the quality of life and health of your four-legged friend. The answer to the question "How old do dogs get?" also depends largely on the breed. Sheepdogs, Goldies and Labradors are among the most popular dog breeds in Germany. It is therefore understandable that owners of Labbies often ask themselves: "How old does a Labrador get?" Especially if their pet is already at an advanced age.
Every dog breed has its own needs and every dog has its own preferences. A natural, species-appropriate diet covers your dog's nutritional requirements and provides it with healthy vitamins, minerals and trace elements. In our article "Vitamins for dogs and cats - artificial vs. natural
It is also a good idea to serve your four-legged friend a light diet of boiled chicken, potatoes and carrots from time to time. This is easy on the sluggish gastrointestinal tract and brings some variety into the daily feeding routine. Alternatively, you can enrich the food with our slightly loose supplementary flakes for dogs, such as BARF vegetable flakes or rice flakes for dogs.
Strengthen the immune system for a long dog life
"How old do dogs get?" Dog owners of older four-legged friends in particular ask themselves this question. Because as dogs get older, aches and pains become noticeable that were not there before. It's not just the dog's metabolism that changes with age, our four-legged friends' immune systems also weaken a little. Cell renewal decreases more and more and they become more susceptible to various diseases. Older dogs also take longer to heal.
Our tip on the topic: How old can dogs get? A strong immune system helps dogs to live longer.
To strengthen your dog's defenses, you should supplement his diet with immune-boosting vitamins and minerals: vitamins B and C and zinc have an antioxidant effect and support your senior dog's immune system. If you want to feed your dog a supplementary food, you should definitely look for natural food supplements, such as our immune-active herbal mixture. It contains vitamin C-rich rosehip powder, barley grass for a high zinc content and the natural antibiotic propolis, among other things.
A strong immune system fends off parasites as well as infections and diseases such as cancer.
Regular check-ups as a preventative measure
Fortunately, veterinary medicine has also made a lot of progress in recent years, so the answer to the question "How old do dogs get? Or: How old does a Labrador get?" can vary depending on the decade. Medical care that was previously only available to humans is increasingly being used for our four-legged friends. As with us humans, medical check-ups are becoming increasingly important for our dogs as they get older and should be carried out more frequently than when they are young.
A thorough medical history and a complete blood count at least once a year are part of an old dog's regular medical check-up. This gives you an important overview of your pet's health and you can detect irregularities and illnesses at an early stage. Especially in older dogs, early detection significantly increases the chances of recovery and extends the dog's life expectancy.
Exercise for more joie de vivre
Although dogs become more comfortable in old age and sleep a lot, exercise should not be completely avoided. Daily walks at a leisurely senior pace stimulate the dog's own body processes and encourage the four-legged friend. The old dog's sense of smell and musculoskeletal system are also stimulated. Exercise also contributes to mental development and stimulates the synapses and signal transmission in the brain.
To keep the dog's musculoskeletal system healthy in the long term, green-lipped mussel capsules can be used from an early age. The New Zealand remedy has been an insider tip for the prevention of joint problems in both animals and humans for generations.
Conclusion
Our conclusion to the question "How old can dogs get?": The age of a dog depends largely on the breed and how it is kept. Our four-legged friends have a limited lifespan, and the life expectancy of a dog varies considerably depending on the breed and size of the dog. Small dogs live almost twice as long as large dogs. However, you can influence and even extend your dog's life expectancy through various factors. Just as with us humans, nutrition, regular preventive health care for dogs and, of course, sufficient exercise have an important influence on the health and well-being of your four-legged friend.
