Is it true that every dog year equals 7 human years?
Not really – it’s a bit more complicated. That’s because dogs mature more quickly at the beginning, then flatten off in the middle years. So it’s not uncommon to hear about a small dog who is 15, 16 or even 17 years old. With the old formula, in people years, that would be impossible.
But in the new way of figuring, worked out by Veterinarians and scientists, a 15-year-old dog is more like a 76 year person; a 16 year old dog is more like 80 human years; and a 17 year old dog is like an 84 year old. That sounds much more reasonable.
Young dogs “age” or mature faster
By the time a puppy has finished his first year, he is more like a 15 year old person, not a 7 year old.
According to more up-to-date methods of calculating a dog’s age in “people years”, a puppy matures quickly then starts to level off. (Full chart below)
By the time a small dog is 9 or 10 in our years, he’s generally considered a senior, even though a 55 year old person certainly doesn’t feel that way 🙂 And then by 15 people years, he’s considered geriatric.
This method of comparing a dog’s age to ours is far from perfect, but it’s much closer to reality.
The bigger the dog, the shorter the life
Sadly, large breeds do not live as long as small ones. Some giant breeds (90+ pounds) age so fast that they’re considered seniors by the time they’re only 5 years old. Their life expectancy is typically only 9 or 10 years. The huge French Mastiff (Dogue de Bordeauxs), is believed to be the shortest living dog breed with a life expectancy of a mere 5 to 8 years.
Here’s how small dogs age
See the full Equivalent Age Chart for your Morkie
Click the chart to see it in full size or to download.
