A Recent Study Of Over 150 Dog Breeds Has Provided Detailed Lifespan Predictions For Pups And Sheds Light On Various Factors Impacting Longevity
Owning a dog is a bittersweet experience. Of course, they hold a special place in our lives as cherished family members, providing lifelong love and friendship.
But dogs have shorter lifespans, meaning we often have to face difficult farewells much earlier than we’d like.
Well, recent research is now providing dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians with detailed lifespan predictions for over 150 dog breeds.
This valuable information can help assist all dog lovers in preparing more effectively for their furry friends’ future.
Past estimations had pegged the average lifespan of dogs at 10 to 13 years. However, there have always been noticeable differences observed informally between breeds.
So, a team of British researchers delved into an extensive pool of data, including breed registries, medical records, and pet insurance information from over 584,000 dogs in the UK.
Their findings quantified this variation, revealing that dogs’ lifespans can range significantly– with some living just over five years, while others reach a remarkable 15 years.
Some common beliefs about breed differences still hold true. For instance, larger breeds like Mastiffs and St. Bernards tend to have shorter lifespans, whereas smaller breeds such as terriers often enjoy longer lives.
Understanding these facts helps set realistic expectations when choosing a dog and sheds light on the specific health challenges faced by certain breeds.
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So, Kristen McMillan, the study’s lead author, gathered information from 18 different sources, such as animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and insurance firms.
This comprehensive data collection provided lifespan figures for 155 dog breeds once the researchers adjusted for the “censorship effect.”
This effect refers to the fact that the data naturally included dogs that were still alive when the analysis was conducted.
Purebred dogs show a wide range of life expectancies, with the median age ranging from as low as 5.4 years for the Caucasian Shepherd Dog to as high as 15.4 years for the Lancashire Heeler.
Crossbreed dogs, on average, have a life expectancy of about 12 years. However, it’s important to be cautious about generalizing the robustness of crossbreeds.
This category encompasses a varied mix, including both intentional crosses of purebreds, like Labradoodles, and dogs with more random mixed ancestries.
This diversity within crossbreeds might mask more specific patterns of lifespan within this group.
The key determinant of a dog’s lifespan turned out to be its adult body size, grouped into small, medium, and large categories.
The research team also divided purebred dogs by head shape: brachycephalic (short-nosed), mesocephalic (medium-nosed), and dolichocephalic (long-nosed).
Breeds that are both small and have long noses, such as Miniature Dachshunds and Shetland Sheepdogs, tend to live the longest, averaging 13.3 years.
On the other hand, breeds that are medium-sized with flat faces have the shortest lifespans. Male dogs of this type live about 9.1 years on average, while females live slightly longer, averaging 9.6 years.
Think about breeds like the English Bulldog or French Bulldog, which are known for their adorable, bulging eyes and squished noses. These breeds are incredibly popular as pets and hold a significant status, but they usually don’t live past 10 years.
On the other hand, newer breeds, like the Papillon, often live up to 15 years. So, a practical approach to increasing the lifespan and improving the welfare of these small-faced dog breeds could be to thoughtfully adjust their extreme physical traits through careful breeding.
Additionally, well-known dog breeds such as Labradors and Jack Russell Terriers typically have lifespans of 13.1 years and 13.3 years, respectively.
Interestingly, the research also shows that purebred dogs tend to have longer lifespans than mixed breeds.
On average, purebreds live about 12.7 years, whereas mixed breeds have a slightly shorter life expectancy of around 12 years.
Now, the research team did note that their findings mainly represent the conditions of dogs living in the UK. Moreover, they strictly categorize crossbreeds as dogs not acknowledged as purebreds by kennel clubs.
So, they suggest that future studies should individually assess “designer breeds” such as Cockapoos and Labradoodles, as they may show varied genetic diversity in comparison to conventional mixed breeds.
Lastly, the data revealed connections between gender and lifespan, too. In both pure and mixed breed groups, females generally live about 4 percent longer than males.
While the exact reasons for this aren’t completely understood, it’s observed in many species that females tend to live longer.
This could be due to factors like lower risk-taking behaviors and less taxing reproductive demands. In humans, this trend is even more pronounced, with females outliving males by nearly 10 percent.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Scientific Reports, visit the link here.
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