How to Tell How Old a Dog Is? Do not you know what your dog’s age is? Did you just adopt a dog but you do not know how old he is? Getting to know how old a dog is is very simple, although as always it will be the veterinarian who determines with accuracy the age of your pet. Next, we will explain different formulas to calculate the age of your dog approximately.
On the one hand, it is possible to find out the age of the dog according to the teeth: the puppies have 28 temporary teeth (known as “milk teeth”), of which 14 are in the lower jaw and 14 in the upper jaw, while adult dogs have 42 permanent teeth or “real teeth”. Of course, keep in mind that the dog’s breed, diet, size, and chewing are factors that influence the state of the teeth and, therefore, could be an obstacle to calculate how many years it has your adult dog
Another way to know the age of dogs is by looking at their size, fur, behavior and the tone of their eyes. Generally, dogs under two years old have a soft and thin coat, are very agile and active and their eyes are brighter and clearer than those of older dogs. In contrast, an adult dog has a greater muscle definition, have more opaque eyes and are calmer and calmer during the day.
Once you know the approximate age of your dog, you can calculate the age of the dog in human years. But, remember that only the veterinarian can calculate how old your dog is with a complete physical examination and medical tests that assess your bones, muscles, joints and vital organs. This is the best way to get an accurate result and a reliable assessment of the actual age of your dog in a short time.
How to Tell How Old a Dog Is?
According to the BBC World site, not all breeds age the same and, in addition, dogs can age at different rates in different stages of their lives. Then, the calculation depends on the race and how old our dog is currently.
Weight, Height, and Teeth: The Animal ID
“Statistically, the greater the weight (size) of the dogs, the lower their average life, the larger ones have an average life expectancy of 12 years and the smallest can live up to 16 years or more. of course, of the food quality, hygiene and the type of life that it takes “, explain Ezequiel Olivieri and Julieta Balduzzi, directors of MascotasOK. And they add a datum: “It is fundamental to bear in mind that a dog reaches its final height when it reaches its first year, only then can we evaluate its measure”.
“If you think about the statistical correlation between average life and body size in mammals, it usually tends to be positive: gorillas, elephants, and whales live much longer than hamsters, moles, and mice.” , explain in the BBC.
Therefore a Rottweiler breed dog should live many more years than a Poodle, but in reality, it is the other way around. What happens is that small dogs have fewer years of youth and more years as adults: they grow faster than the big ones during the first 24 months of life but more slowly once they mature. As reflected in the portal “although it sounds strange, a can of a small race is older than a big one when he is two years old, but younger when he turns five”.
So, is it true that it is always said that small dogs live longer than large dogs? “Yes, according to the size, they have a biological clock that is a bit different, they become adults before as they have less physical demands to reach the final size,” says Olivieri.
The true “doggy age”
But in addition to size, there are other indicators that determine it:
- -The teeth: from 6 or 7 years the dog can begin to lose teeth or have inflammation in the gums.
- -The hair: the appearance of gray hair begins, generally, in the snout and legs. In addition, the coat becomes finer and is a fundamental indicator of the aging process.
- -Musculature: as in men, the muscles lose volume and firmness over the years. This is also a clear sign of the age of the dog.
- -The behavior: dogs of medium and advanced age begin to be slower, less active and, generally, more irritable. In addition, they may begin to have different behaviors such as not wanting to go for a walk, sleep more hours, ignore familiar people, etc.
You can also read: When Do Dogs Stop Growing & How long are Dogs Pregnant
Breeds That Live Longer … And Less
According to research conducted on 200,000 dogs by the University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala, north of Stockholm, smaller dogs, a Terrier or a Poodle, for example, are the healthiest. However, and as in the case of people, the life of a dog depends on the care he has during his life. Another important fact revealed by some veterinary studies of recent times is that the trend indicates that females live longer than males.
As for the races specifically, for Balduzzi, “in general, the small races live longer and this is because while the older ones mature more slowly, they also age faster. Therefore, a Chihuahua can live to be 16 or 18 years old, while a Great Dane or a Saint Bernard lives – on average- between 8 and 10 “.
