What are Dog Years?
The idea of "dog years" is a concept frequently misunderstood by many people. Dogs do not live as long as people do, the average life span of a dog being around 12 or 13 years. Wanting to compare the age of dogs to the age of humans, people use a calculation of seven "dog years" to equal one "human year." This means that for every regular period of 365 (or 366) days, or one year that a dog is alive, in terms of physical and mental maturity, the dog is actually at seven times that of a human being of a similar age. In other words, a dog who has lived for one full year is the same in physical and mental maturity as a seven year old child.
When talking about dogs as a whole group, the ratio of 7:1 makes sense; however, because dogs come in so many different shapes and sizes, the 7:1 ratio does not always work. The size and breed of a dog make a big difference in determining how many "dog years" are equal to the dog's age in "human years." Small dogs tend to live longer and become mature faster than large dogs, which typically live shorter lives and mature slower than the small dogs. If you wanted to calculate the age of a three year old Chihuahua (a small breed of dog) in "dog years," you would use 12.5:1 dog years to human years for the first two years and the ratio of about 5:1 for the third year (and any year after the third one). In the case of our three year old pretend Chihuahua, the dog would be around thirty years old in dog years. If the old calculation of seven dog years to one human year were used, the Chihuahua would only be 21 years old, a big difference in age! Because dogs and humans are so different, an exact conversion between their ages can't be found. However, if you want to find out an approximate age of a dog you know or see how old you would be in dog years, you can use the chart above, find one online (see the "For Further Information" page to find an online dog years calculator), or ask a local veterinarian for assistance.
When talking about dogs as a whole group, the ratio of 7:1 makes sense; however, because dogs come in so many different shapes and sizes, the 7:1 ratio does not always work. The size and breed of a dog make a big difference in determining how many "dog years" are equal to the dog's age in "human years." Small dogs tend to live longer and become mature faster than large dogs, which typically live shorter lives and mature slower than the small dogs. If you wanted to calculate the age of a three year old Chihuahua (a small breed of dog) in "dog years," you would use 12.5:1 dog years to human years for the first two years and the ratio of about 5:1 for the third year (and any year after the third one). In the case of our three year old pretend Chihuahua, the dog would be around thirty years old in dog years. If the old calculation of seven dog years to one human year were used, the Chihuahua would only be 21 years old, a big difference in age! Because dogs and humans are so different, an exact conversion between their ages can't be found. However, if you want to find out an approximate age of a dog you know or see how old you would be in dog years, you can use the chart above, find one online (see the "For Further Information" page to find an online dog years calculator), or ask a local veterinarian for assistance.
Did you know that the popular
"Dog Years" ratio came from math text
books in the 1960s asking children to
figure out a dog's age using the ratio 7:1?
"Dog Years" ratio came from math text
books in the 1960s asking children to
figure out a dog's age using the ratio 7:1?
Now that you have figured out what dog years are, click on
the button below to learn about why there are so many different
kinds of dogs in the world today.
the button below to learn about why there are so many different
kinds of dogs in the world today.