Everyone knows the typical formula for calculating dog years: one year is seven dog years. This means that if the dog is four actual years old, this corresponds to the age of a 28-year-old human.

But if you take a closer look at this calculation, it doesn't necessarily add up. A one-year-old dog would then be like a seven-year-old human. But a one-year-old dog is already fully sexually mature! Conversely, a ten-year-old female dog can still give birth, whereas this is rather unlikely for a 70-year-old woman.

 

So how is the real age of a dog calculated?

In the first two years of life, a dog ages much faster compared to humans than during the following years. The life expectancy of larger breeds is generally shorter than that of medium-sized or small dogs. A large dog is often already a senior at the age of five, while smaller dogs are only counted as seniors from the age of ten.

The following conversion into dog years is quite simple and much more accurate than multiplying by 7. A one-year-old dog therefore corresponds to the maturity of a 12-year-old human, a two-year-old to that of a 24-year-old. From the age of three, four years are added per year. A three-year-old dog therefore corresponds to a 28-year-old human, a four-year-old to a 32-year-old and so on.

The average life expectancy of a dog is 14 years, or 72 years in human terms. This figure varies depending on the breed. As with humans, bitches usually live longer than males.