Last Updated on June 10, 2021 by Dogs Vets
Dogs Years To Human Years – How to determine how old your dog is
What Is Your Dog’s Age?
Dogs years to human years – How do you calculate a dog’s age
The American Veterinary Medical Association says: the first year of an average-sized dog’s life is equivalent to about 15-years of a human’s life.
A typical dog’s second year of life equates to about nine years for a human. And after that, for any human dog, a year equals about four or five years.
If you are living with a dog, you must have heard this rule: 1 year for Fido equals 7 years for you. Turns out the math isn’t that simple.
Dogs mature faster than we do early. So the first year of your cute dog’s friend’s life equals about 15 human years.
Size and breed also play their part. Generally, smaller dog breeds tend to live for much longer than larger ones, but they may mature faster in the first few years of life.
A sturdy puppy may age more slowly at first but will reach middle age by 5. Tiny and toy breeds do not become ‘seniors’ until around 10 years of age. In both cases, the medium-sized poops are somewhere in the middle.
DOG’S OLD EASY CALCULATION
A simple way to calculate a dog’s age is to take 1 dog’s year and multiply it by 7 years. This is based on the assumption that dogs live on average about 10 years and humans about 70 years.
For example, a 5-year-old dog is 35 years old in “human years.” From a health perspective, this is not a bad way of looking at it because it helps us, humans, understand that our dogs are not the same as our children.
As pets get older, they need extra care and attention. Small dogs are usually considered to be older by the age of seven. Larger breeds are often older when they are 5-6 years old.
Be aware of arthritis and associated discomfort or irritability, weight control, vision and hearing problems, and changes in behavior or activity that may indicate more serious problems.
Visit your vet regularly for examinations; adjustments can be made to help your pets have a more comfortable, longer, and healthier life.
CALCULATE YOUR DOG’S YEAR MORE ACCURATELY
Statistics from pet insurance companies, breed club surveys, and veterinary hospitals have helped us learn more about the age of dogs.
Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not age 7 years every year. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association:
- The first year of life for an average-sized dog is equivalent to about 15 years of a human’s life.
- A dog’s second year of a dog’s life equals about nine years for a human.
- The first year of life for a human is about nine years for a dog.
In other words, the number of years in human life accumulates faster during the dog’s rapid growth to full maturity.
Tips To Look Out For
If you have one way or the other adopted a puppy or big dog, but you do not know their birth history, you may not know how old they are.
Even if you don’t know their date of birth, you can still guess their real age.
The dog’s dental should give you a close random rough idea of their real age. This set of guidelines will vary from dog to dog and also depend on the type of dog’s dental care history (if any) they had before you got them.
- By the age of 7 – months: All permanent teeth are in and are white and clean.
- By 8 weeks: All baby teeth are completed.
- By the age of 1 to 2 years: The dog’s teeth are duller, and the back teeth may have some yellowing.
- By the age of three to five: All the dog teeth may most likely have tartar buildup and some tooth decay
- By 1-2 years: Teeth are duller, and the back teeth may have some yellowing.
- By 5-10 years: Teeth show more wear and signs of disease.
- Between Ten to Fifteen years: The dog’s teeth are most likely worn, and heavy tartar buildups. In some cases, some teeth may be missing.
Your vet will also be able to guess your age based on a full physical exam or by looking at your bones, joints, muscles, and internal organs. Older dogs may show some specific signs of aging.
How Can You Tell The Age Of Your Dog?
How can you tell how old a dog is?
According to the Humane Society of America, Checking their teeth is known to be one of the most reliable ways to tell a dog’s age
- Examine their coat
- Look at their eyes – Cloudy eyes
- Pay attention to their hearing
- Think about their muscles and structure
- Don’t forget genetics.
- Grey hair. It starts around the cone and then spreads to other areas of the face, head, and body.
- Loose skin
- Stiff legs
You can also find a free dog’s age calculator Here!
Fact Check
We strive to provide the latest valuable information for pet lovers with accuracy and fairness. If you would like to add to this post or advertise with us, don’t hesitate to reach us. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!
Reference: Almanac.com
