We’ve been trained to believe that figuring out a dog’s age is as easy as multiplying by 7. But this method is a bit too general—depending on your dog’s breed, the answer may not be at all correct.
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What’s the rule?
According to Jesse Grady, a veterinary medicine instructor at Mississippi State University, you can’t apply the same ‘x7’ rule to both a Chihuahua and a Labrador!
The animal’s size must be taken into account. After all, there are:
- Small dogs, like Jack Russell terriers
- Mid-size dogs, like Spaniels
- Large dogs, like Labradors
- Extra-large dogs, like Saint-Bernards
An 8-year-old small dog would be about 40 human-years-old, whereas an 8-year-old large dog would be closer to 65.
Exceptions
The table is only for reference, however, as there are some exceptions to be taken into account. A large dog will not necessarily have a shorter life than a smaller one. The dog’s breed, life conditions, and overall health also matter.
So, how old is your dog in human years? Check out the video above to see how you can work it out for yourself!
