I know it’s kind of a morbid thing to think about, but honestly before you decide on a dog breed it’s probably a good idea to investigate the average life expectancy of the breed.
Just today I was talking to one of my friends about dogs and how long they usually live. I mentioned that usually smaller dog breeds live longer then larger dog breeds. While this is not always the case it seems to be a general rule of thumb. From what I understand the larger body has to work harder and is stressed more than a smaller body.
I decided to do a little online research to find out average life expectancies of different dog breeds.
Average Life Expectancy Of Dogs By Breed (in years)
| Afghan Hound (12.0) Airedale Terrier (11.2) Australian Shepherd (12-15)-wikipedia Basset Hound (12.8) Beagle (13.3) Bearded Collie (12.3) Bedlington Terrier (14.3) Bernese Mountain Dog (7.0) Border Collie (13.0) Border Terrier (13.8) Boxer (10.4) Bull Terrier (12.9) Bulldog (6.7) Bullmastiff (8.6) Cairn Terrier (13.2) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (10.7) Chihuahua (13.0) Chow Chow (13.5) Cocker Spaniel (12.5) Corgi (11.3) Dachshund (12.2) Dalmatian (13.0) Doberman Pinscher (9.8) English Cocker Spaniel (11.8) English Setter (11.2) English Springer Spaniel (13.0) English Toy Spaniel (10.1) Flat-Coated Retriever (9.5) German Shepherd (10.3) German Shorthaired Pointer (12.3) Golden Retriever (12.0) Gordon Setter (11.3) Great Dane (8.4) |
Greyhound (13.2) Irish Red and White Setter (12.9) Irish Setter (11.8) Irish Wolfhound (6.2) Jack Russell Terrier (13.6) Labrador Retriever (12.6) Lurcher (12.6) Miniature Dachshund (14.4) Miniature Poodle (14.8) Norfolk Terrier (10.0) Old English Sheepdog (11.8) Pekingese (13.3) Random-bred / Mongrel (13.2) Rhodesian Ridgeback (9.1) Rottweiler (9.8) Rough Collie (12.2) Samoyed (11.0) Scottish Deerhound (9.5) Scottish Terrier (12.0) Shetland Sheepdog (13.3) Shih Tzu (13.4) Staffordshire Bull Terrier (10.0) Standard Poodle (12.0) Tibetan Terrier (14.3) Toy Poodle (14.4) Viszla (12.5) Weimaraner (10.0) Welsh Springer Spaniel (11.5) West Highland White Terrier (12.8) Whippet (14.3) Wire Fox Terrier (13.0) Yorkshire Terrier (12.8) |
*This list is from the Pets.ca website.
A Few Surprises
There were three dogs that really stood out on this list. The first one I already knew about and that is the Bernese Mountain Dog. My neighbor just got one and I’ve noticed that the puppies show up on many advertisements in print, on the internet, and on TV. I had heard the average life expectancy for this breed was 6 years…on this list it’s 7 years. Either way this is a short life expectancy for a dog and while on the larger side at 85-110 pounds it’s still not near the size of some of the other breeds on this list.
The second surprise was the life expectancy of the Irish Wolfhound. While you expect a dog that gets to be upwards of 150 pounds to have a shorter life expectancy it’s sad to hear that these guys on average only live to be 6.2 years old. My Aussie mix Linus is already 3 1/2 years old…I couldn’t imagine thinking he was already halfway through his life.
Finally, the biggest surprise to me was the Bulldog. The Bull Dog was on my list of Dogs Good With Children and also on the list of AKC’s Top Dog List. I would consider the Bull Dog a medium size breed at 50 – 55 pounds and you would expect a dog of that size to have a better than average life expectancy. Unfortuantely, according to the list above the Bulldog’s average life expectancy is only 6.7 years.
Life expectancy is something you should definitely consider before choosing a dog breed. As you can see from this list on average the shortest life expectancy is for the Irish Wolfhound at 6.2 years and the longest is the Miniature Dachshund at 14.4 years. That’s a big difference!
Of course any individual dog can definitely live longer or shorter then the numbers on this list.
Have your dogs lived longer or shorter than the numbers on this list? Did your dog surpass his or her average life expectancy?
About Colby
Ive had cocker spaniels for over thirty years both english and american, barring accidents they have all lived past 14. The one I have now is 16. Ive also known Irish setters and golden retrievers to live to 16. Alot of their care has to do with keeping their weight down and giving them alot of excercise.
specifically what do you feed them?
I had a cocker spaniel/dachshund mix live to 19… I fed him whatever dog food was at whatever supermarket I shopped in…
WOW!!! I hope all of my dogs live till 19!
I’ve got a pure Rottie who’s closing in on his 14th birthday. Of course, the past 5 years have been largely thanks to weekly Adequan injections, and the past year is thanks to daily Prevacox (and Famotidine).
So, absent modern pharmacology, the average life expectancy probably wouldn’t have been far off.
My rottie on no drugs is now 14 years young, I have commented on Colby’s site here a few months back when she had geriatric vestibular disease, but at her age, I believe she has far surpassed the life expectancy I had when I rescued her from a cats and dogs home over 12 years ago, where she was in such a poor state I just hoped to put things right for her.
I believe it is healthy living, exercise and a good bit of luck!
Kind regards
Clare
You did a great thing rescuing her 12 years ago. We rescued Linus 8 years ago and I hope we still have him for at least another 8 more!
I have a beautiful doberman, she is 11, looks young no gray yet, but takes medicne for her bladder. she is very active, still loves to play a lot. dont know what i would do with out her, i have had her sence she was born. Im gratefull I have had her as long as i have.
I hope she still has many years in front of her! Thank you for sharing!
Our pure bred Golden Retriever was 10 years old when we had to put him to sleep. Our second family dog was a border collie mix (we think) and he lived 20+ years.
@Ezra, I agree that keeping your dog’s weight down and exercise does extend the life of your dog.
@Rodney, our border collie mix had a stroke approximately 5 years before we had to put him to sleep. He was taking several different meds during his last 5 years as well.
Well, at least I’m kind on the high end of the scale – that will make Mum a little happier. Our key is to live everyday like it’s your last! No looking back, no regrets. Woofs, Johann
Stetson’s a pure bred Labrador Retriever and that breed is listed at 12.6 years (a little higher then I thought). Linus is a mixed breed and we’re hoping he will be with us for a long time.
If anyone out there has a boxer breed that out lived what this list says, please let me know. We have a 8 1/2 year old boxer, and we are hoping she lives much longer than 10.4 years like this list says. It is our first boxer and she is loved by many. Please if anyone has had or has a boxer please let me know how old they lived to.
I had a beagle and she lived to be 16. According to the list, she should have only lived to be 13.3 years old. I believe these numbers to be somewhat incorrect. Many dogs die early on because of health issues due to miss breading. I believe this to lower the averages. So, I am sure you will your boxer for many years. Feed them good quality food and have them get a lot of activity.
I have a white male boxer who is almost 13. We thinjk he had a stroke yesterday, he has a thyroid condition and arthritis. He is a rescue that came to us in TERRIBLE condition 2 1/2 years ago. GOOD LUCK. HE is the BEST DOG in the WORLD!!!!
My Brindle Boxer, was 12yrs 3 months when she passed.
My bridle boxer, Tiger, was also 12yrs 3 months old when he died five weeks ago. He had cardiomyopathy which we became aware of three years ago. He had various health issues all through out his life and had to have three operations the last one being removal of his spleen and a benign but very large tumour attached to it in May 2011. Until his last day he was on his feet though very weak the last two days with breathing difficulty. He was very well taken care of but more importantly loved so much by my whole family which I think why he tried his hardest to stay with us as long as he could. All the best luck to everyone with their dogs.
We have a boxer that is going on 14
Our boxer is 14 and going strong! He has still maintaned a lot of his muscle tone and still plays like a puppy. Sometimes I think he’s just so happy that his age doesn’t even cross his mind.
Well, our boxer isn’t 10 yet; he just turned 9 in October. He sleeps a lot, but is still full of energy and always gets a clean bill of health from the vet. Only thing about him is he’s had a history of being clumsy so we’ve had a few minor injuries and stitches through the years, but otherwise he’s doing well. I read years ago in an AKC book that the average life expectancy was 8 years for the breed; I am glad to see that has gone up.
Judging on Orion’s current health, I hope, and expect, to see him through his 12th birthday.
We have had our boxer fifteen years she hasn’t. Slowed much. And is frisky. And playful.but tires sooner we keep her in the backyard she runs with grandkids and with my daughters dogs when they stop by.
we had two boxers in the past. our first one lived to be 14 1/2 yrs old. and our second one was 13 years old. way past what this list says. i say it really come down to how you treat them and care for them:)
My Basset Hound passed away a couple of weeks ago. She was 10 years and 4 months old and was not overweight. I had to take her to the emergency room because she was having trouble breathing. Her heart was failing and she was in pain so I let her go. Up to the day before she was a happy and active dog. You never know what tomorrow may bring.
Growing up we never had a boxer, but we did have a purebred Golden Retriever who passed away when she was 10 years old. She had a tumor and had to be put to sleep.
Our second family dog was a mixed breed. We think he might have been a border collie with maybe some lab. We picked him up from the shelter…they said he was approximately 2 years old. We had him for another 18 years, so we think he was 20+ years old when he passed away.
How can someone come up with average life expectancies by ‘online research’. I am assuming that can only mean looking at what other articles give as average age and then averaging that?? Pet people don’t often post their dogs’ ages at death online for a researcher to gather up.
Many of the resources on average life expectancy don’t give any details of how the figure was arrived at.
Information like that should be treated with a big grain of salt, not compiled into a table and discussed as if it were based on genuinbe research.
Leaving decimal points in very simple data is also a common technique for making information sound more accurate/precise than it really is.
The article is pretty amatuerish and adds little to the body of knowledge.
I believe those statistics come from a 1999 study: Michell AR (November 1999). “Longevity of British breeds of dog and its relationships with sex, size, cardiovascular variables and disease”. Vet. Rec. 145 (22): 625–9. PMID 10619607.
@Hans, thank you for referencing the information in this article.
Our purebred golden retriever Annabel died this week at the age of 10. She had nasal cancer that spread to her lymph nodes. The cancer eroded into her blood vessels in her nose and she virtually bled to death. To the very end, she remained spry, happy, loving and hungry! Annabel was the sweetest, most gentle and nicest companion I have ever known. They say golden’s “mold” themselves to their owners; we are devastated by our loss and are so fortunate to have had her in our lives (I’ve had many dogs; and she was truly the nicest, sweetest, and best of them all). My children grew up with a storybook dog.
@Kathleen, I’m sorry to hear about your Golden Retriever Annabel. When I was growing up we had a Golden Retriever that also passed away at the age of 10 from a brain tumor. My parents got her around the same time I was born. She was a wonderful family dog and very tolerant of my brother, sister, and I. My mother used to tell us that we used to climb all over her and sometimes sit on her back. I’m sure that wasn’t too good for her, but she put up with us.
I had a dapple dauschund, Max, who just got put down about an hour ago. I had him since I was 4. Max lived one day shy of 16 years. That means he lived until 112 in dog years. He was a part of the family and will always remain in our hearts.
According to this pet age calculator (http://www.pedigree.com/02All-Things-Dog/Dog-Age-Calculator/Results.aspx?agid=20&bid=62) your dog was 80 in human years.
@Crystal, I’m sorry to here about Max. I’m glad he lived a nice long life. I have a good friend who has a doxie mix and we hope she has a nice, long, fulfilling life like Max.
GAAHHH I have an eighteen year old chow mix…..she is like the energizer bunny!!! Shs still eats twice a day . She does take Dermaxx for arthritis. And she is s little gimpy those first few steps. She still likes to go for walks and loves to sit and beg for beggin strips!!! I just feel like somedays (her bad days) that I am prlonging some sort of suffering for her….this is such a hard, hard decision anybody have any good advice??? I would love for her to just go to sleep….when the time comes…thanks for listening and for any advice one might be able to give. Robin
@Robin, It sounds like your dog is still in pretty good health. I’d love to give you some good advice here, but I think it’s a very personal decision.
My parents had to decide to put our family dog to sleep several years ago and I think that was a very difficult decision for them. He was a rescue dog and lived with us for close to twenty years. In the end his quality of life was no longer what it used to be. He started to have difficulty walking even to go to the bathroom. In the end my parents just new it was time and didn’t want him to live in pain.
I have a mixed breed dog named Louis. He turned 21 on May 1st 2009 and just had a visit to the Vet’s on April 23, 2009. It was for a basic check to see how he was doing and to renew prescriptions. The Vet was amazed at how strong, chipper and curious he was and told me that other than his breathing he should be around for awhile yet. Louis weighed in at 9 and 1/2 lbs. and required 2 prescrip. One for his Gingevitus and the other for expanding his Trachea. I’ll tell you a little bit about my Lou. His mixed breed is a Multipooh and I bought him from a breeder on a farm in July 1988 when he was 7 weeks old in Surry, British Columbia, Canada. His father was a purebred Miniture white Poodle and had been a show dog, his mother, whom I met was a pure-bred Maltese. Louis was from her last litter and still suckling when I went for my first interview and was the largest and quitest of the litter. As I mentioned from above he was weened and only 7 weeks old when I was allowed to pick him up. I believe his mother had a litter of 4 or 5 and he was the last to go. At his present age now he still goes for daily walks unless it is raining. The walks are very slow now and he only has a little bit of his prance left but still likes to have a little play time in the evenings. Lou has cateracts in both eyes and is hard of hearing but is still able to see his way around our home and jump up on his chair, the chesterfield, and my bed with the aid of a foot stool. He knows when someone comes to visit but no longer greets them at the door, instead he waits on the foot of my bed, sitting up like a prince until they are in and then jumps down to greet them. He uses his nose of course to tell if he knows them and his tail, long and white will stand up and wave like a flag in the breeze or just a lot of sniffing to give his approval or not. I have many pictures of him but do not at present know how to get them on this site. I’ll keep this site in mind as soon as I figure things out. My best friend in the world is absolutely amazing and one of the greatest gifts I have ever recieved and I will keep you posted on how my Lou is doing. I have some very interesting stories to tell about Louis and things that have occured in his 21 years of living so far and perhaps telling them from a dog’s point of view could be kind of fun. I am going to search my files to find the proof of when he was born & put it on a blog to continue his story. I do remember it was the year I sold my house in Kitsilano, Vancouver, B.C. of which I do have proof. The files are in storage, so will have to dig them up as well as pictures of Louis when he was a pup, and all the other records of him that I have kept. Perhaps then with proof I can share his story.
@Fay, that’s amazing that Louis is 21 years old. My dogs are 4, 2, and 1 years old and I can only dream that they live as long as your Louis.
If you’d like to add a story with some pictures of Louis I can add it to the website. Just email me at ckmorita@puppyintraining.com and include a picture and anything you’d like to say about Louis and I’ll add it to the site.
I just had my dog Daisy to the vet for her annual check up. Daisy is a 12 1/2 year old small mixed breed. She will be 13 on Christmas Eve. Daisy has an open sore on her head that started out small after an age wart came off. It has grown over the past year and looks just awful. If has never been infected which is what our vet told us to worry about last year. However, the vet said it is some sort of cancer. He can’t say whether it is malignant or not and that it should be removed. SOme of her teeth are also infected and can be extracted at the same time. My husband and rest of my family tell me to just put her down. I am having a lot of trouble justifying that, as she is still very active and is not in any pain. She has slowed down a bit over the last year and is developing cataracts but seems perfectly happy and content. She is actually more active than our youngest dog who is 5 years old. I’m just not sure what to do. I need to talk to my vet further, but am looking for input. There is also a very strong emotional tie to Daisy who belonged to my great-grandmother who lived with us until she passed away about 6 years ago. Any suggestions? Please help.
I would keep her as long as i could if she has quality of life. Our little Yorkie Toby is battling severe sinus infection and we are praying it’s not cancer. He is 11 this year. So precious are babies. So happy Daisy is still enjoying life.
@Linda, I hope your little Yorkie Toby is doing well. I just found out that my girlfriends little yorkie has a liver shunt that requires surgery. I’m hoping everything goes well for her.
I just watched Marley and Me. A DVD. My dog Taegan is half Lab and half Springer Spaniel. He loved the film when he watched the dogs swimming as I take him to the beach most days on Isle of Wight in England.
Is it possible that Taegan would die as young as seven or eight?
Does anyone have information? It would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you….Laurie
Laurie, I have a half lab half springer mix who is about ten years old and still in great health. Once in a while his hips bother him but this seems to happen mostly during the summer. We take walks and run and he loves to swim and play in the snow. I take him to visit my work and my coworkers think he is only a puppy yet. He did used to have problems with weight when he lived with other dogs because he was so concerned about them eating his food he’d eat everything he could get into but now that he’s the only dog in the house he does much better.
Hi my lab/springer cross called Rana is now 15 years old, she is deaf but other than that is very happy and healthy. She has always been an energetic dog and has only this year started to slow down, she has mad bursts of energy, but these are shorter now and she does find it a bit harder to jump up on the bed and climb upstairs.
Wow! I hope my boys have a nice long life as well. They are currently 6 and 8 years old.
@Laurie, I bet Taegan is a handsome boy half Lab and half Springer Spaniel sounds like an excellent mix.
I have two dogs right now Stetson who is turning three this year and Linus who will turn five. I can’t stand the thought of them dying, but I know it’s inevitable. I have a friend who always gets Golden Retrievers and her last two dogs have passed away at 6 and 7 years old. I’m sorry to be such a downer, but I did want to let you know that it is possible that a dog may pass at such a young age.
However, you can extend your dogs life by giving him/her a healthy lifestyle. I walk my dogs several times every day and also take them on runs several times a week. I try not to overfeed my dogs and give them high quality dog food (Stetson my lab is susceptible to overeating and obesity). I take them in for regular vet appointments.
If you can think of other things you do to help extend the life of your dog please let us know.
I have had 5 dogs so far in my life.
The beagle (pure bred) lived to be 14
The beagle mix lived to be 15.
My AKC Dalmaitan died of a rare cancer at the tender age of 22 months.
My Lab/Shepherd lived to be 14.
My current dog is 7. She is a beagle corgi mix and very healthy. We adopted her from the shelter when she just turned 2. She was very overweight, so I think that is why she was at the shelter for so long and no one adpted her. Other than her being overweight she was very well behaved, so cute and very friendly. She weighed about 42 pounds at the time. After we adopted her we immediately took her to our Vet to introduce her to him, and for the Vet to put her on a diet. She is now about 28 lbs.. The prescription food is expensive, about 3 times as much as regular food is, but she is well worth it. And that is cheaper than taking her to the Vet for a bad heart or bad hip or something like that. And most importantly she will hopefully have a longer life. The Vet told us we saved her life twice; one by adopting her and two by helping her lose weight. She will be on a prescription diet for life, that is an issue we will always have, but one that can be controlled. Just takes time and patience…
Love to hear about Beagle/Corgi’s – I have 2 (bro/sis) that just turned 15. The female still acts like she’s a puppy running behind the kids in the neighborhood and laps around the house but the male…he’s getting there but being such a trooper. Arthritis has really set in on his hind legs as well as cataract in the eyes. Whenever we hear a bump, we know it’s poor Goldie running into something. We’ve had them since they were 3 months and have always been on good food.
Not sure how long we’ll have them around but making them comfortable is our goal for now.
I just worry about coming home and finding him and wonder about his quality of life at this point…is he in pain? So far he’s still eating/drinking but I still wonder if I’m making a mistake by not letting him go. Enjoy yours!!
The beagle mix I had before the dog i have now lived to be 15. At the age of 12 we noticed a small lump hanging from his neck. The Vet at first had us put some sort of medicine on it. I don’t remember what is was anymore but it was a bright red color. Anyway, after the lump started growing the Vet dagnosed it as cancer and said it had to be removed. We were worried because he was 12 and that is pretty old to get surgery especially at a very delicate place such as the neck. The Vet later told us it was a very touch and go operation, but my dog Zeke pulled it off with flying colors. He was operated on at 630 or 7am in the morning and my husband picked him up at 4pm. He was pulling on his leash and almost acted like nothing happened except for the Elizabethan collar around his neck. The doctor later said it was cancer of the connective tissue. It never came back and he lived to be 15. The Vet said he was totally amazed how well Zeke came out of the surgery and was back to normal in record time for a senior dog. Zeke was amazing in so many ways. He knew so many words and was the smartest dog we have had so far. I really miss him. We adopted him at the age of 6 and were happy to have 9 solid years with him.
@Linda, I totally agree with you on the weight control. I was at the vet last week and asked about Stetson’s weight. He’s starting to get a little heavy and she confirmed that he could lose 5 to 10 pounds. I’m with you that by controlling his weight we can hopefully avoid problems such as bad heart or bad hips in his future. We’ll keep a close eye on Stetson’s weight and make sure he loses a few pounds.
Thanks for sharing your stories about your five dogs. It’s very interesting to hear all the details.
My female Rottie just passed away on New Years at the age of 16,she was a great friend and will be deeply missed.R.I.P. Pal.
I had a pet dog called Puppy-koly-dheperfoly. She died of a kidney infection at the age of 12 on 31st Dec 2009 at 2:30 A.M.She was very sweet and wonderful . I simply cannot describe her in words.She was a mixed breed between an Alsatian and an Indian Mongrel.Ever since I heard of her death, I have been feeling very guilty because I was not there with her to take her to the vet when she was not keeping well. Due to work commitments I have been staying in Kolkata for the last two years and can manage to go home only once a year.My home is in Tezpur,ASSAM.That’s how she died without medical attention.However, she will always remain in my heart till the day I die.I miss you for ever Puppy! May God send her to me in her next life so that I can give her all the love and attention which I could not give her in this life!
Me and my boyfriend have a 17 year old lab basset hound mix. he will be celebrating his 18th bday this year. And the suprising thing is he still plays and hops and runs around like a puppy…Beat that
Is his mix a Lab? Because im bringing my Basset (we (me and foster mom) think or maybe Beagle) Lab mix home in two weeks and i hope to have him around when i have kids and they can meet him too.
@Samantha, I hope my two dogs get to see their 17th birthday. Stetson is a pure bred Labrador Retriever and Linus is an Australian Shepherd mix.
I had a female American Bulldog named Roxy she was around ten years old, my dad took her to the vet, she had to get put down by the vet a few days ago, she had cancer, she was my best friend in the world:(
R.I.P Roxy, I Love you
We had a male bulldog/boxer mix who lived 11 yrs. 1 mos. He was a very strong and active dog all his life. We recently lost our female bulldog at the age of 9 yrs. 5 mos. She was very active until our male died, when she was about 5 yrs. old. She was over weight, but with her breathing issues, there wasn’t much we could do about it. She was a very happy dog and so loving! She brought us so much joy! We miss her…
We had to put our Golden Retriever, Otis, down yesterday. He was 8 and had cancer. He underwent surgery to remove his spleen after it ruptured. The vet gave him between 1-6 months. In less then 1 month, other organs began bleeding. Our last Golden Retriever was 6 when she was put down after chemo did not help her lymphoma.
Seeing that the average age is 12 here is misleading as Goldens are susceptible to cancer.
I don’t think our next dog will be a golden, it’s too painful,too soon.
@Karen I’m sorry to hear about your Golden Retriever, Otis. Our Golden Retriever was 10 when we had to put her to sleep. We have another friend who always gets Golden Retrievers and her last 2 Golden’s were put to sleep at 6 and 8.
We agree with you the average age of 12 for a Golden seems high from our experience.
I have had 2 Golden Retrievers. Laddie was 12 yrs. old He had heart surgery at 8 yrs. old and then 2 yrs. later had seizures. he was put to sleep at 12yrs.. Oliver had several operations, but at 12 his spleen was bleeding and he had to be put to sleep. I loved them both so much. Now we have a chocolate retreiver and he is very different. More independent and very strong.The Goldens are the most loving dogs.
Hi Jackie,
I think you hit the nail on the head describing Labs and Goldens. Thanks for letting us know about the history of your dogs.
Take care,
Colby
We have a chow mix that just turned 12 on Oct. 1st. She also is like the energizer bunny. I have noticed in the last few months that she sleeps more, and is starting to look “old”, but you ask her if she wants to go for a walk, then get out of the way. My concern is boarding her when we go on vacation. She is a “difficult” dog (I suppose the chow coming out in her), and I’m afraid that the stress of boarding her is going to add to her aging. Anyone have any other experiences on chow mix life expectancy? I don’t want to be 6000 miles away, and get the call that we all dread getting one day.
@Terry –
I never board my animals. There are plenty of pet friendly hotels and accommodations out there. I agree, it is way too stressful to board pets, and there are plenty of horror stories about pet boarding facilities. A pet-friendly vacation is the way to go.
My husband and I were given a dog that was badly mistreated in may of this year. A friend of ours got him from some people that neglected him horribly then about 2 weeks later found out she couldn’t keep him. He is already 8.5 yrs. When we got him he was scared to eat as he was not aloud to come come inside for the last 6 months at his previous owners. When u looked at him h could count every rib without even touching him. He only has 6 teeth at most left I. His mouth from being neglected and scars All over his face from fighting off other dogs to eat. We scheduled a vet apt for him the day we got him and finally he started to eat. When we took him to the vet about 3 weeks later the vet said he looked perfect. He is a great dog and my husbands pride and joy. I can’t even fathom loosing him ever and especially not at 10 years old. We don’t have children yet as were still young but trust me he like our child.
I had a chihuahua corgi mixed and I buried her yesterday at the age of only 7. don’t understand..
I just lost my beloved cocker spaniel Misty at age of 10. She brought sunshine into my life every day that she was here. She played and was her normal happy self right up until the week I lost her.If I can ever bring myself to have another dog, I can’t stress enough with our older dogs to make bloodwork and reg health checks apart of yearly shots. My dog was so very sick hypothyroidsim, anemia, infection etc.( all conditions including epilesy which she had, had as a pup that her breed are at high risk for) and showed no sign that anything was wrong till the end. It breaks my heart to know that a simple blood test months ago and meds might have resulted in such a better outcome. Misty u were with us much too short a time
R.I.P. my precious girl
@Colleen, I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for stressing the importance of making blood work and regular health checks a part of yearly shots. I had not really thought too much about that, but now that my dogs are 5 and 7 years old I think I’m going to make sure I do that when I visit the vet.
I lost my beloved Lady shepherd,collie mix the Best dogs in the world she was my bestfriend in the whole wide world she saved my life when she was only 6 months old and always knew when I was sick before I did . Had to put her down at age 15 years and 3 months I think she had cancer R.I.P Lady I love U!!! I wished I could of saved her on time It hurts so much to know that she’s not here with us.Kids are going to miss her we had her since she was 2 months old! And the cats miss her already.she was so good with babies kids puppies,birds,hamsters everyone!! She is going to be missed everyone knows her as the smart dog.
So many heart wrenching stories here. Toto- the most perfect ,cutest & smartest dog is a rescue terrier mix ( 15 lbs at his top weight) celebrated his 15th gotcha day 4-2.
I have a dachshund cocker spaniel mix . She has a long back . Dogs with long backs are prone to have back problems . A disk in her back popped two days ago . She is now paralyzed and in so much pain . I’m putting her down today so she doesn’t have to suffer . If you have a dog with a long back , don’t let him/her jump onto or off of anything ! They will have a much longer life .
Our Golden Retriever/Cocker mix turned 17 last week. (As far as we know. My husbands mother adopted her from the local vet in 1994 and the vet guessed at her age at the time).
She has her “final” vet appointment on Thursday of this week. She’s still perky, eats like a pig, and wags her tail like crazy….at nothing. But, it is extremely hard for her to stand, lay down and walk in a straight line, she cannot hear at all, nor can she see beyond her nose.
It is a constant morning, noon & night clean up because she doesn’t wake up anymore when she has ‘to go’.
It’s taken me a year to decide that I am doing what’s best for her now, and not what is most convenient for me.
She is a good dog, and the Golden/Cocker is a durable breed.
Huck a cocker spaniel lived to be sixteen and a half.Sugar also a cocker was born in 1994 she is still with me.Huck died of cancer Sugar has all kinds of problems but she still can run, eat ,and will not back down from Pepper another cocker who is twice her size.Huck was always heavy by about twelve pounds,Sugar was never heavy.I know that she hasn’t much more time but for now I would say she is doing pretty good for a real old lady.Last year my wife and I thought she would not make through the summer but it was my wife that passed away and Sugar was her dog as Huck was mine and Pepper was our dog. Any ways with proper medical care Cockers will live along time .
I have a terrier/mutt mix and I just want to know the lifespan of my little dog, Dante!
My German Shepherd / Border Collie mix just passed away after 13 years and one day! Amazing, super intelligent, and extremely fun to be with dog. I’ll miss her DEARLY. I’ve had dogs all my life and once in a while you come across a “remarkable” dog and Xena was that kind of dog. She loved Frizbie and Soccer. I’m not hear to cry on your shoulder but to help you gauge the typical life span of this breed. She suffered a major stroke last October and recovered in about a week. Then suffer 2 more in February of this year, then the final stroke while at home this past Wednesday. To help her with joint pain I gave her Glucosamine for the last 2 years of her life and this allowed her playful years up until the last week of her life.
She did have a contenenace issue when she was sleeping for her last year alive, but she was still trainable to lay on a special blanket that would absorb any leaks. I hope this helps someone out there?
@Arthur sorry to here about your loss. We appreciate you telling us about your German Shepherd / Border Collie mix. We hope that our Labrador Retriever and Australian Shepherd live a long and healthy life too! Thanks again for sharing!
Tina we own a Boxer as well and know others with Boxers who have lived much longer then the average. The key according to our Vet who specializes in Boxers said you need to keep there weight down, make sure they are getting a chance to run in your yard, or if you don’t have a fenced in yard a daily walk. Also make sure you are checking them for any abnormal bumps since they are prone to cancer.
@Blair thanks for the advice on Boxer health. I think regular exercise and keeping weight down is important for any breed of dog (the same could be said for humans as well). Thanks again for visiting and leaving us a comment!
I have a boxer he is 9 and 1/2 years old. My husband thinks he might be sick or slowly dying. We are going to take him to the vet. He is gotten grey around his mouth. He is losing weight, not eating, he fell the other day and went to the bathroom on himself. He peed in the house twice which he usually does not do. Could it be old age or something else. I want to prepare our kids. They lost one of there cats a few months ago, he got hit by a car. So now they have 1 dog who is fading, 1 cat and some fish.
@Tessa I’m sorry to hear about your Boxer. It sounds like he needs to visit the vet. I hope he’s doing better today.
I have had 3 boxers and my first only lived til 5…second til 10…and his son which I have now is 8 and sadly is dying…sorry I couldnt give better news….
Colby,
You are a very kind person.
You asked earlier advice for allowing dogs to live longer.
I have a 14 year old Golden female and a 4 year old male and I thought I would get the puppy for fear of losing the older one and so the puppy could pick up the positive habits of the older dog. This 4 year old still looks and acts like a puppy and I can’t put into words what a considerate little guy he is compared to the spoiled demanding female. Well, I feed both Sacha and Bo Nutro dog food and have a small plastic tank that has a filter built in and all the water in the bowls come from the spicket on the tank. We have the best water in the country, but I think you should always filter the water. Sasha has thunder phobia and now do to advanced age she is in thunder mode until medicated. The vet did blood tests and they were unremarkable. An x-ray showed a gulf ball sized tumor just inside her rib cage and it is most likley cancer. She paces non-stop and confined to the kitchen because she goes to each toliet and opens it and lets it slam. She is trying to push down the child safety fence at each door way to the kitchen. She knocks her bowls around just to make noise. I don’t know what to do as she is really driving me crazy.
Todd,
The older golden is freaking out because you are leaving her alone locked in the kitchen when you are with the younger dog probably relaxing on the sofa. The older dog will not forget those times and will miss them and not understand when you dont want her around any longer. No matter how sick or in pain a Golden is, they will always ignore it for the love of their human. It is hard to tell when a Golden is physically hurting because they do not let that show above all other things.
My advice, she is 14, give her lots of love for a solid week before you decide to take her to her last vet appointment. She will love you for it, and you will feel good knowing you gave her love til the very end. And be in the room when they do it, it makes a difference.
Tina, I had a boxer that died at 11.8 years.
Tina, I always kept his weight down, and had frequent walks with him before nightfall to avoid a heatstroke…
Trina,
Thanks for the advice, but I don’t have the emotional power to send her to heaven.
She is in a very large kitchen with a breakfast room and hearth room. We stay most of the day in the kitchen and the other dog Bo is laying in the corner of the kitchen. When we leave the room or go to bed the stress starts. She will pace the house to the point that my sister, Bo and I get to stressed. Both of our parents passed away in ’02 and ’05. We don’t leave the house for more than two hours. Sacha has seperation issues with exstreme storm fobia where she will tear up the door and tremble. We love this dog so much that we could not board her. We trade off sitting with her during any kind of rain. We have not worked for 10 years as this baby would riddle us with guilt. We recently tried crating her one night and she tried to dig her way out almost hurting herself in the process. We miss our parents so much and just can’t deal with bringing her to the vet or having one come out to put her to sleep. She no longer eats her dog food. The vet said to boil chicken to feed her and she eats the chicken. I wish she would pass away on her own as this would be alot easier on us. She has so much life in her and still goes on fast walks keeping up with Bo. How can I play God and not feel so very guilty by ending her precious life…
Just wanted to talk about my baby girl Desdemona. She is a Keeshound mix and weighs in at 52 pounds. On Aug, 3 2011, God willing, she will be 16 years old. She has cataracts and her hearing isn’t quite what it used to be. She has a little trouble getting up off the hardwood floors but other than that she is wonderful. Loves her walks and has a VERY hearty appetite. I don’t know how much longer we’ll have her but she will be loved and spoiled every day!!!
UPDATE!! Desdemona celebrated her 16th birthday with a tuna steak
She’s still going strong!!!
UPDATE #2!
She has lost a little weight, she now weighs 44 pounds-much better for her old bones!
Desdemona will be 17 on August the 3rd. She’s still doing great! Sometime I can’t believe it!! Sill has a great appitite, loves to go for walks, although the walks are much slower
Hi Michele!
That’s awesome! I hope my dogs live just as long.
Thanks,
Colby
Update on my 14 year old Golden. The vet discovered an exstreme kidney infection and she was given Cipro that made it difficult to walk after a week a urine test said it has improved by 50%. Now she is on a mild antibotic with no side effects. She is on Clopiran that is a miracle form of an anti-deppresant. She rests,walks,even goes up and down 15′ staircase. She no longer paces and only flips the toliet lid once to let us know it is time to go outside in between her normal times. She is free to travel our 7,200 sq.ft. home. She won’t eat her reg.dog food just boiled chicken. I had to buy a nasty roll of lunch meat and bury her medication in it hence she can smell the medicine and won’t eat it any other way.
I appreciate everyones concern. Animal lover seem to me like very loving and carimg people. Non pet owners don’t understand and tend to be a little bit cold.
Todd
My beautiful Golden went to heaven about two weeks ago. She stopped eating and would throw up liquid. I knew in my heart it was her time to go and I did not want her to suffer. I asked the vet to give her a shot to relax her so I could say my goodbyes and in twenty minutes the vet gave her the 2nd shot. Sacha’s heart continued to beat a few minutes after the second shot. I placed her in a blanket and a very thick plastic bag. I placed her in my trunk and buried her at her favorite walking trail on a bluff overlooking a beautiful horse area of a newer estate home. I can see her facial image in my privcacy cedar fence. My 5 year old Golden never went to the side of the yard where the image of Sascha can be seen untill now as he poops at the percise spot in front of Sacha’s image..
hi i have a shitzu poodle his name is caramel i love him so much i want him to live a long live i exercise him twice a day and feed him good food i brush his teeth everynight hes so special.
@Jimmy I hope my dogs will live a long life as well. I’m glad to hear you’re taking such great care of your dog I’m sure it makes a difference in their longevity.
In my eyes, none of ‘em live long enough… I just lost my female mini-dachshund of 13 years. Rest in peace Gretchen Anne..!
I have owned an Irish Wolfhound that lived 10+ years and have first hand experience of several that made it to twelve. I lost one at age four, too- to meningitis. So there is a range. I currently own an Irish Wolfhound that I expect to easily see double digits- he comes from the most screened and tested dogs in the world, is fourth generation raw fed/minimal vaccines.
Our averages improve every year.
One thing I will say about the shorter life span of giant breeds is that they do not experience an old age full of sickness and infirmity- when they get old they die. Having groomed all breeds professionally for 40+ years I have seen more than my share of 18 year old toy breeds that, no offense, should have died years before they did. This is in no way disparaging toy breeds, but they do tend to live on and on and on despite some pretty serious medical conditions. And they are easy enough to carry in and out, clean up after, and nurse in general- not so the big guys.
No pet of mine will ever live long enough to suit me- 6, 10, 15- it will still be too soon.
Just treasure every day because it is all really just a crap shoot.
@Toni, thanks for sharing your experiences with Irish Wolfhounds and other dog breeds. My Labs are not as big, but I’m hoping they live into double digit years.
Just wanted to add that we have enjoyed 11.9 and 12.2 years with our two English bulldog sisters Clara and Sophie. Clara died suddenly in her sleep after a normal active day, and Sophie fought a two year battle with bone cancer. She passed with her Daddy and I by her side in her front yard after a relatively short time of really slowing down. I wouldn’t trade those 12 years or either of them for anything!
I have an 8 year old rotty called harley and reading the net he may not have long left I love this dog and am not happy he is getting older it sucks
!!!!!!
My Golden Retriever just passed away five days ago, he was about 10, I’d like to say. His previous owner was unsure when we got him, but I’ve had the great blessing of having him for about 7 years now. I miss him incredibly, I’ve never had such a perfect and wonderful dog! It breaks my heart he’s gone. However, I just got two two month German Shepherd – Border Collie mixed puppies, I hope the see a great life span!
hi there i have a 5years old shitzu poodle i took him to greece he loves the weather i brush his teeth everyday feed him the best food and walk him twice a day i hope he lives long and to have his puppies.i love him so much his name is caramel.
We got a wonderful Cocker Spaniel… She will turn 15 this year and is still going strong. She has cataracts that impair her vision some and she seems to have lost her hearing for the most part but she’s active and happy… a great deal of gray in her coat but other than that she’s doing well, for her age.
I just lost my beloved cocker spaniel Misty at age of 10. She brought sunshine into my life every day that she was here. She played and was her normal happy self right up until the week I lost her.If I can ever bring myself to have another dog, I can’t stress enough with our older dogs to make bloodwork and reg health checks apart of yearly shots. My dog was so very sick hypothyroidsim, anemia, infection etc.( all conditions including epilesy which she had, had as a pup that her breed are at high risk for) and showed no sign that anything was wrong till the end. It breaks my heart to know that a simple blood test months ago and meds might have resulted in such a better outcome. Misty u were with us much too short a time
R.I.P. my precious girl
i had a yorkshire terrier and her name was princess and she lived for about 15 years. And then we got another yorkshire terrier his name is max and he is 1 and a half now.
I have a two pembroke welsh corgis.. one is 17 years old.. going strong.. no arthritis at all and the other will be 15 in June. We have a 16 year old cat also.. so we have a very geriatric pet family!
I have a Black Lab/Rottie X she is 14yrs and 4 mo, going strong but has to have osteobiflex and baby asprin every day for hae artheritis, she is at least 135+ ges along with every one and every thing, awesome dog, She used to do about 20 tricks and always be on the go, but slower latley due to artheritis, still happy and loveable! I am trying to fid out the oldest dog of her mix? She has eaten everything and anything all her live plus her dog food, which is a generic brand, her food has been always available when she is hungry and she does NOT just gobble it all down! We have had cats live to 21 yrs old. Shadow is our Princess!
So relieved to hear bulldogs life span only 6.7 years ,mine is disgusting she shits all over the house regardless of how often we walk her, she smells no matter how often we bathe her she humps every kid and friend that comes over, she had cherry eye and constantly has goo in her eye,biggest mistake I ever made was adopting this dog!!
Why wouldn’t you just give her to someone who would appreciate her instead of happily planning for her death????? I don’t understand you!! And please, don’t get another dog when you finally rid yourself of this one!
We had a beagle a few days ago, she was healthy and everything, died at 2 1/2 years old. I cant believe it. I cant stop thinking about how she loved everybody, even if someone didnt like her. She just died randomly. What a fucking load of shit.
I just recently had a red english beagle die a couple of days ago. He was only 8 years old. One minute he was playing, barking and having a good time and then the next my dad was giving him cpr and he heard fluid when he was giving cpr. He came back to life walked around for a little bit and he tried to pee but he could not. Then 15 minutes later he passed away. We think he had congestive heart failure and had a heart attack. We are just confused at how sudden it was because there was absolutely no signs that he was ill or sick in any way. Does anyone have an opinion on how this could have just all of a sudden happened.
Also he was very healthy and very fit, he was not over weight at all. And also during this whole ordeal he did not seem to be in any pain. he went peacefully.
We have had 3 Irish Wolfhounds, 1 chow chow, 4 German shepherds (2 of them rescues).
Our first IWH lived to 7 1/2 — He wasn’t a good specimen, cow-hocked, and had hip trouble his whole life. His hips finally gave out and we had to euthanize.
Our second IWH died at age 2 due to a veterinary anesthetic accident administered during an xray.
He was from a good kennel and probably would have lived as long as his half brother.
Our third lived 10 years 11 months, longer than our two male German shepherds. The kennel who bred him no longer is in existence. (It was many years ago). He had to be euthanized because of his hips.
Our chow lived to 11. She was from a puppy mill. Hips.
Our first female GSD lived 12 years 1 month. She got degenerative myelopathy.
Our male German shepherd lived 10 years 9 months. He got lymphoma when he was 10 years 4 months.
Our second male German shepherd just died April 29, 2012, at age 9 years 9 months (we think). He was a rescue shepherd estimated to be 9 months old when we got him. He suffered from a ruptured spleen on 2/21/12 due to hemangiosarcoma. We operated and he had a good post op course, but died 2 months 8 days later.
All the dogs had the best food and vet care available. One shepherd had chemotherapy (lymphona),. We did not do chemo for the second shepherd because we decided the quality of life was more important than the few months chemo would give him.
I am writing this with a broken heart.
i had a cocker spanial named pebbles we just put her down 2 weeks ago i had my little sunshine sence she was born she lived to be 15 yrs old i miss her so much <3 <3
after having lost my cocker spaniel in March at 10 years and being heartbroken, I now have a new black and tan little cockerspaniel Bailey. I still miss my other dog, but when my pup does things that she used to do, I can think of her with happy memories. Puppies are the best way to heal and grieve less
I had a Chow Shepard mix who just died over the weekend. She was 16 years and 3 months old. She was over 70 pounds and lived a long time for being a big dog.
I devoted a lot of time to this dog in exercising her, feeding fresh food along with good dry food, visit to the vet, and giving her a loving and caring home.
If a dog is going to live longer beyond the base constitution of the dog and health issues I think you can extend a dogs life.
While the quality of her life went down over the course of the last year with difficulty in walking and controlling her bladder we saw no reason to put her down. At the same time we did not do anything special to keep extending her with all sorts of extra care the vet wanted to do.
Until the end she was always alert, loving to the family, and seemed like she did not want to go anywhere.
Her body finally gave out and she passed away at our home. I am not sure if something could have been done to detect something or to prevent her passing or it just was time.
I read about life span of dogs, a lot is depending the individual dog and their environment.
My elder sister gave her Terrier (Sansli) away to my mum as the dog became old. But since my mother was also old the dog was in very poor conditions and was being locked in a room all day. So I took her to my aparment.
She is now 17 years and 3 moths old. Been with me for the last 2 years. She is doing fine although she can not hear anything or see beyond 10 cms. She enjoys pooping inside my room.
The bad part is I just moved to a new apartment. There are no dog trails in the city that I live (I live in Turkey). So I walk my dog on the streets. The apartment administration wants my dog out although she never touched the ground within apartment complex. Probably they will start some legal process soon.
The thing that upsets me is that she was not with me in her puppy years. In fact there were times that my elder sister was even setting her on me! I feel like picking the tab of another person.
But the good part is nevertheless I think I love this dog and I want to keep it as long as it takes and pay how much ever it costs. I am considering even moving out of this dog hater apartment shithole. I may even be emotionally tied to this dog and I feel like if she passes away I will feel VERY bad.
My message now is if you are not going to take care of your dog in his/her old years then don’t get one. Love some other’s. Evenually dogs also get old and become less joyful.
Hi Serdar,
Thanks for the message! I love my dogs and can’t imagine what I would do without them. I hope everything works out with you, your dog, and your living situation.
Take care,
Colby
I was surprised to see the staffordshire terrier, aka pitbull, has a life expectancy of ten years. I lost my beloved pet at 17 years old and I have two more that are both 12 and going strong.
Hi I have a boxer that is now 11 years old and we just found out that he has a tomer behind his eye.And we are going to have to have it tackin out to see if it cancer or not. He has lived a long live and i know that he is a old man but he is helthy other than that. So I don’t know if I should put him throught that or not. He is my baby and I am not shure if I should put him down or if I should go the sugery or not.What do you all think I should do for my big baby.Thank you and god bless you for reading this post.
My little fox terrier (think he’s a crossbreed) has been with us for 18years!
I had no idea that was really really old. Not sure what keeps him going but i’ll try and look after him more now.
I’ve had four purebred chows, lost one at 8, two at 12 and one at 15. Have a 10 year old female right now that is totally spry. Our last male had cancer and died of a seizure on the kitchen floor just about a year ago and he was 12.
Just adoped (10 mos ago) a chow / flat coat mix who was a stray and is supposed to be around 4 -now I am terrified after reading all of the history of cancer with the flat coats. He is a very special dog and definitly has the appearance of a skinny chow with the upright ears and a bit of a split personality since there could not be a more differerence in the two breed’s personality. He shows more of the flat coat personality with the silliness and leaping and chewing -
I have an 11 year old dog that is half Chow. Despite the fact that she has been going gray for a few years now (she’s solid black), her problem is apparently that no one ever told her she is old. She has about as much energy as she did when she was three. If she gets loose, forget it, you will never catch her. She can run for hours, two 30 minute walks a day barely take the edge off of her energy. She was aways a “difficult” dog in her youth, and I always told myself as she grew older she would slow down. She had other plans
Megan, it sounds like you are talking about my dear Hank. A lab-chow mix he is 11 years old and still refuses to settle down. Even mentioning the word “walk” gets him running around the kitchen table at top speed. Looks like we are going to enjoy multiple, long walks a day for many more years.
It’s nice to hear you dog is doing so well at 11 years old. Linus recently turned 8 and he’s still going strong!
My golden retriever, Cinnamon, lived to 17 1/2 years before I felt it was best for him to be put to sleep. He was such a wonderful dog for me & my son. I currently have a 12 year old black lab female that I pray will live as long & happy life as her best friend!
We had to set my beloved Desdemonas spirit free on October 25, 2012. She was 17 years, 2 months and 22 days old. My heart is broken but we had to do what was best for her. She could no longer see, barely hear and could not lift herself up anymore. I will miss her till the end of my days.
My boxer just passed four days ago, she was thirteen years old. Her six year old pups are boxer/chow/lab/American bulldog. Now that she is gone, I’ve had her since I was two I’m thirteen now, I’m afraid that I will loose my dog (one of her puppies). Can anyone help me? Both of the puppies I kept are six, healthy other than ever so slightly over weight, and one got bee stings, resulting in loosing part of her tongue, the other got a large gash in her side but it’s healed now. They’re on no meds and have no diseases. Can anyone help estimate how long they’ll live? Thanks!
I’m sorry to hear about your Boxer passing away. Unfortunately, there’s really no accurate way as far as I know to predict how long your dogs will live. My two dogs are 6 and 8 and I do my best to keep them healthy by taking regular visits to the vets office, feeding them well, and exercising them daily. I hope my dogs will be around for many years to come.
My golden/chow is 14 1/2 and other than arthritis and degenerative disc disease, is doing fine. I give him adequon shots every 3 weeks for his arthritis, and he takes fish oil supplements, Dasaquin (joint health) and Senelife (for dementia). He also gets cold laser therapy for arthritis and gets two walks a day and lots of love. Met vet says he is “well managed”
. We feel so lucky to have had him for so long!
I’m glad your dog is doing well. I hope my two are doing just as well when they hit 14 1/2!
This is no joke. When I was a kid we found a 3-4 year old stray mutt (wired hair terrier in part). Probably weighed about 20-30 lbs. We took it in as the family pet at it lived to be 24-25 year old. For many years towards the end it was blind, deaf , and had bladder problems but wasn’t suffering according to the vet. I presently have a 10 lb mutt (Chihuahua, Poodle, Terrier mix) that will be 16 years old this year. Going deaf, a little blind, and has lost most his teeth but is in excellent health otherwise.
Hi Larry,
That’s awesome! I hope my dogs live nice long lives as well. Were you doing anything differently that may have prolonged their lives?
Thanks for stopping by!
Colby
We’ve had our dachshund for over 14 years now. He has asthma, arthritis, pododermatitis, sebacious adenomas, and has had a heart murmur since birth. He’s very far sighted now, and completely deaf. We do medicate daily, but none of this seems to bother him a bit. He loves clean blankies and toys, and semi-weekly soapless showers. He loves to play with his toys, and his appetite is better than ever. He has ramps up to couches and so forth (Dad made them) and his back is still strong. We’re planning on 20, and see no reason to chicken out now! Love That Dog!
I’m glad your Dachshund is doing well at 14. Here’s to another year of good health!
Our beloved Border Terrier, Winnie, died in December 2012. She was 15 years, 4 months, and 17 days. She had a very active life filled with lots of love and affection. She ate high-protein dog food and relatively healthful table scraps. We miss her everyday.
I’m curious about something. Human beings life expectancy has increased over time. According to wikipedia we went from age 43 to age 71 in just a few centuries. Why hasn’t the same been true for dogs & cats? We recently lost our Shih Tzu Rudy, he was only about 11. It just seems unfair that these members of our families have to leave us so prematurely.
That’s a good point. I don’t know why. You would think with all of the medical advances that dog’s would be living longer then they did in the past.
Humans live longer now because of increased availability of better nutrition- transportation of out of season produce is better now than ever. Plus infant mortality is down from years past which increases the averages tremendously. But since the invention and widespread adoption of commercial dog foods, dog nutrition has never been more lacking. You cannot raise healthy, long lived dogs on grains stored in a bag in the closet. Many breeders of so called short lived breeds have increased their dogs lifespans considerably in the past few decades by feeding a raw, biologically appropriate diet. My last giant breed puppy came from a third generation raw fed line and we are seeing dramatically increased years of good, mobile, healthy lives.
It is ALWAYS about food.
I haven’t gone to a raw diet yet with my dogs, but I am considering it to see if it helps Stetson with his skin allergies. Thanks for sharing!
i knew 2 dogs in my life that lived past this i knew a lab named lady who i grew up with to live till 16 years old and i also grew up with a rottie named bou who lived to be 12 i have a new rottie of my own his name is sarge and i rescued him at 1 year and 7 months i hope he has the best life with me i only had him for a day now and i love him to death ! <3
Thanks for the good news! I hope my Lab lives to 16 years old too!
i have a full german shepard his name is King, he will turn 26 yrs (human) this year. he was a road resque. but i found original owner and we done the math to figure out how old he is. King is in awesomely great health. Hardly any teeth left but still does great.
Wow! That’s awesome!
My sister has a Maltese. Does anyone know roughly how long they live? I have 2 mixed poodle and shih-zoo one is 11 and the other is 5. They both are very healthy my older does seem to be loosing some hearing but its a great mix . Very loveable lap dogs.
One of my friends has a Maltese and her dog is currently 10 years old. I’m not too sure of the average lifespan, but in general smaller dog’s seem to have a longer life span.
My border collie died at 22,
It might be worth noting that he was country dog, and never confined to a yard.
Wow! That’s great! Our family dog was a border collie mix and we’re not positive because he was a rescue, but we think he lived till over 20 years of age also.
My roommate has a chichuahua he has had for 9 years. He’s such a softie for that dog the dog is more like a baby than an old man. It’ll be a dark day when the little guy dies…
My two dogs are now 6 and 8 years old. I feel the same about my two.
By the way, I was talking to a friend and after her last dog passed she was so upset she did not ever want to get another dog instead she got a parrot that has a lifespan of 50-100 years.
Hi Colby,
Thanks for all the great info! I never realized that bulldogs have a life expectancy of 6.7 years! Hopefully, our bulldog Argon will live longer than that. I don’t know, does it make a difference what type of bulldog or are all bulldogs in general have this life expectancy? He is now 4 years old, but in very good shape. He loves to play and run with our other dogs in our backyard, which is pretty large and all fenced in just for them to be able to run.
One of our other dogs, Pepper, a husky/yellow lab/German shepherd mix has been really worrying me lately. We discovered a fist-sized lump on her belly just this past Monday, so we brought her to the vet and had it removed on Thursday, but the vet said she may get more in the future.
What I don’t understand is how this tumor grew so quick, that none of us noticed it until now. She did not seem to be bothered or in pain from it at all. She seemed like her normal self…happy and content with everything!
She is almost 11 years old, but still very active and loves to run with the rest of the dogs even though they are much younger. She also has always been in good health and never had a problem being overweight. We have had her since she was only an 8-week-old pup and I actually want to cry already at the thought of losing her. So, I hope she will be with us for at least another 5 years or more, since she seems to be in good shape and health except for the tumor that was removed on Thursday.
Hi Sherry,
Regarding your question on Bulldogs I’m not really sure.
I found a small tumor on Stetson, my black Lab a few months ago and it really freaked me out. My vet said it was benign and also said it did not have to be removed. Stetson is only 6 and just like you I’m hoping he lives a nice long life.
I hope the best for Pepper and I’m glad she is out and about playing with the rest of the dogs.
Take care,
Colby
My cousin had a manchester terrier/ chihuahua mix live to 22 years old. Her name was Skee, and at 15 she had a gray muzzle, and feet. At 18, the gray fur was dominating the cinnamon brown color that she had been. And, at age 22, she was completely white, and I mean glowing white. Skee was an active, amusing & lovable dog, who died peacefully in her sleep at the end of her 22nd yr. She appeared healthy and happy to the end, and the vet said that her heart just stopped beating while she slept. What a way to go……!