As a child I’d always wonder how a dog born when I was five be older than me when I’d turn six. My parents have always answered that one human year equals seven dog years. In the 70’s this was accepted as the calculation, now it is known as “Popular Myth”. This is proven outdated since the basis of dog age today is based on dog breed and size. There is another theory called “One size fits all”, stating that the first two years of a dog’s life equals ten and a half dog years. The following years is computed as equal to four years. Again, consideration to breed and size are neglected. At present, the most accurate computation would be the “Size/ breed specific” calculations base their results on the size and breed of the dog.

A rough estimation of dog age is: 1 dog year= 10 to 15 human years. This is so, because a one-year old dog reaches its full growth and sexual maturity within a year. A dog’s second year is equal to 3 to 8 human years; this is when your dog reaches physical and mental maturity. The succeeding dog years are then equal to 4 to 5 human years.

Size and breed become significant since small dog breeds (like terriers) are said to reach geriatric age at 11 years; medium-sized dogs (spaniels) reach geriatric age at 10 years; large breed dogs (like the German Shepherd) reach old age by 8 years and giant breed dogs (the Great Dane) reach old age by 7 years. Mongrels, which differ in size and breed, hold a life expectancy of 13.5 years.

One thing I’ve noticed in the list was the larger the size, the shorter the life expectancy is. It’s safe to say that bigger dogs have more physical complaints like hip joint disabilities and arthritis.

How can dog age be so important? Knowing the age of your pooch in dog years and human years will always help dog-owners provide the proper care our pets need. There may be examinations that are needed by pets at certain ages, which are significant to disease cure or maybe prevention.