2016-01-27
We share, all the time, about how much we love and provide special care for senior dogs. We know that every dog is unique, and regardless of their stage of life, their health should be monitored and a top priority.
When we ran across this article, we found it all very interesting, but one section really stood out to us. They take on the myth that a dog’s true age is human years times seven. From “11 SURPRISING MYTHS ABOUT PETS“:
“Contrary to popular belief, there is no exact formula to gauge how much a dog develops or ages in comparison to so-called “people years.” Aging is as individual for dogs as it is for people. Taking a dog’s age and multiplying it by 7 is an overly simplistic formula and does not reflect a dog’s actual developmental status. A more accurate rough guide is as follows:
1-year-old-dog equals a 15-year-old human
2-year-old-dog equals a 24-year-old human
4-year-old-dog equals a 32-year-old human
7-year-old-dog equals a 45-year-old human
10-year-old-dog equals a 56-year-old human
15-year-old-dog equals a 76-year-old human
20-year-old-dog equals a 98-year-old human
Of course, there is a distinct difference in aging between small dogs and giant breed dogs. Large dogs have a significantly shorter life span than do small dogs. Their development in the early years is about the same as other breeds; however, large and giant breed dogs developmentally are much older than smaller breeds in their later years, starting at about 7 years of age.”
