They have long been known as “man’s best friend,” so it’s no wonder most dog owners dread thinking about the day their pet dies.
A study now shows that when it comes to life expectancy in dogs, there is a huge difference between the breeds.
Researchers from Dogs Trust analyzed more than 580,000 dogs in Britain to understand the effects of breed, body size, facial shape and gender on lifespan.
The findings may raise alarm bells for owners of Caucasian Shepherd Dogs, Presa Canarios and Cane Corsos, which have been identified as being most at risk of early death.
Owners of Lancashire Heelers, Tibetan Spaniels and Bolognese dogs, on the other hand, can rest easy knowing that their dogs tend to live the longest.
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They have long been known as “man’s best friend,” so it’s no wonder most dog owners dread thinking about the day their pet dies. A study now shows that when it comes to life expectancy in dogs, there is a huge difference between the breeds
Previous research has shown that the average life expectancy of a dog is between 10 and 13.7 years.
Until now, however, it was unclear how life expectancy varies between dog breeds.
In their new study, the researchers set out to rectify this by analyzing data from 584,734 dogs in Britain, including 284,734 that had died.
A total of 155 pure breeds were included in the study, while crossbreeds were grouped together.
The researchers not only took into account the breeds of the dogs, but also looked at their gender, body size and face shape.
The Caucasian Shepherd Dog was found to be the breed with the lowest average life expectancy, living an average of just 5.4 years (stock image)
The results showed that small dogs with long noses, such as miniature dachshunds and Shetland sheepdogs, generally had the highest average life expectancy of 13.3 years.
In contrast, dogs with moderately flat faces, such as French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs, had the lowest average life expectancy: 9.1 years for males and 9.6 years for females.
In terms of specific breeds, the Lancashire Heeler topped the list with the highest life expectancy (15.4 years).
This was followed by the Tibetan Spaniel (15.2 years), Bolognese (14.9 years), Shiba Inu (14.6 years) and Papilion (14.5 years).
At the other end of the scale, the Caucasian Shepherd Dog was found to be the breed with the lowest average life expectancy, living an average of just 5.4 years.
Presa Canario (7.7 years), Cane Corso (8.1 years), Mastiff (9.0 years) and Affenpinscher (9.3 years) followed closely.
In terms of gender differences, female dogs were found to live slightly longer than males (12.7 years compared to 12.4 years).
Although the researchers did not investigate the possible reasons for these discrepancies, previous studies have shown that flat-faced breeds at high risk of a range of health problems.
The results showed that small dogs with long noses, such as miniature dachshunds and Shetland sheepdogs, generally had the highest average life expectancy of 13.3 years.
Presa Canario (7.7 years), Cane Corso (pictured, 8.1 years), Mastiff (9.0 years) and Affenpinscher (9.3 years) were found to be some of the breeds with the shortest life expectancies
Bill Lambert, Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive at The Kennel Club said: ‘We remain concerned about flat-faced breeds and the negative consequences of irresponsibly breeding and purchasing these dogs, including a shorter lifespan as shown in this research, and insist potential owners should “stop and think” before buying a flat-faced dog.
‘Responsible breeders of the most popular brachycephalic breeds should assess their dog’s breathing through our Respiratory Function Grading scheme.
“And puppy buyers should see these health test results, as well as ensure that their puppy’s parents do not have exaggerated physical characteristics.”
The researchers hope the findings will be useful to veterinarians, pet owners and researchers.
Writing in their study, published in Scientific reportswrote the researchers, led by Kirsten McMillan: ‘Breed-specific survival estimates are informative not only for veterinarians and researchers, but also for current and future owners, who want to fully understand their future responsibilities and the potential duration of the dog-owner relationship. .’