Dog age compared to humans

How Does Dog Age Compare to Humans?

Over the centuries, a Dog’s age compared to that of humans has been calculated in the simple ratio of 1:7 (every one human year is equivalent to 7 age in dog years).

This calculation is relatively accurate, but not completely true.

Click on the following link to find out how old is your dog with the Canine Age Genetic Test.

How to calculate your dog age?

In order to equate to the average human age, the initial calculation of 1:7 was based on the idea that:

• The average human age at the time was 70 years old.
• That a dog of average size would reach approximately 10 years of age (human years).

The reason for this calculation was to establish a lifespan timeline for the average canine and decide:

• When the animals were ready to bread.
• When they would need to start being cared for as an older animal as they grew older in years.

 

Your dog age calculation in modern days

In 2020, studies have uncovered that we need to update this calculation, as the 1:7 ratio is no longer as true as we expected.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, age in dogs years can be calculated far more accurately as follows:

• The first year (human year) of a dog’s life is equivalent to that of 15 years (dog age).
• A dog second year (human year), adds another 9 years to the 15 years, totalling to 24 years (dog age).
• After which each additional human year is equal to an additional.
  5 years (dog age).

This sounds far more complicated than it actually is.
Example: Dog Age to Human Age

Human years	Dog age in human years	Additional years
1	15	+15
2	24	+9
3	29	+5
4	34	+5
5	39	+5

 

As you can see from the table above, the first two years (human years) of a dog’s life acquire their adulthood.This is a  far more accurate calculation compared to that of the 7:1 ratio which would equate to 14 years (dog age).

Nowadays 14 years human would not have reached complete sexual maturity, while a dog would be able to reproduce healthily.

Many people find out the dog age with a simple test

Nowadays there are different ways to find out the age of your Dog like charts and calculators. However, it has become a tendency that many pet owners are more concert and about his four-leg pet and his health. Are you one of them?

If you really want to know the genetic age and breed of your dog the Canine Age Genetic test is being one of the most in-demand methods in 2020.

The advantage of a genetic test is that it can predict the longevity and health of your canine, therefore recognize illnesses and health problems

Factors to consider the age of your dog

1) Dog’s weight

An important factor when considering that converted age of your dog would be the weight.
Smaller breeds and smaller dogs, in general, tend to live longer. The reasoning behind this is unknown but there are theories that due to larger breeds accelerated cell growth, they are more prone to disease.

Click on the following link to find out your Dog’s Breed

2) Dog’s age reproduction

One of the aspects which affect the above calculations is a dog’s ability to sexually reproduce successfully. Most breeds of dogs attaining sexual maturity within the first 10 months of their existence. A few points you may be interested in knowing about your dog are listed below.

What is the best age to spay female dog?

There are a number of factors to consider when you plan to spay your female dog.
However, the most important would be:

• Age
• Size

Many dog breeds may reach their sexual maturity as early as 6-12 months.
It is for this reason that veterinarians have recommended that female dogs have their spaying procedures within the first 6-months of their life.

The reason for this is simple, as the older the female dog becomes, the more muscle and fat tissue are developed within the abdominal area. As both the ovaries and uterus will need to be safely removed from females, this makes for a fairly complicated process that will become more complex as the female dog gets older.

The younger the female, the fewer complications as their bodies are young enough to undergo the surgery without causing complications. These complications may get the worst if your dog has an inherited disease.

Especially seeing as though a female dog’s ovaries are close to their kidneys.
Your best option is always to consult with your veterinary professional on the procedure in order to mark a more informed decision regarding the breed, size and age of your female dog.

At what age can a male dog breed?

Male dogs may begin breeding successfully with females as early as 7 months into their lives. In fact, smaller breeds of dogs may even reach their sexual maturity a little earlier than the larger dog breeds.

According to The Dog Calculator, this means that:
“In the first year(1) a dog has reached an average of 13-14 years (dog age to human age)”

This is for more accurate to that of human age sexual maturity, when comparing the old dog age to human age ratio of 7:1. It is important to know the breed of your dog when considering to breed, one of the popular and cheap methods is by doing a simple DNA Dog Breed Identification Test which will give you clear indications of the breeds that make up your dog.

What is the oldest age a dog can have puppies?

As a general rule, the average dog should only be bread up to 5 years of age. 5 years of age is approximately 36-45 when converted dog age to human age on The Dog Calculator.

This guideline should always be observed with advice from your veterinary professional your female dog’s individual health is very important. Over and above the guideline, please consider that it is not recommended that any female dog exceeds 3-4 litters.

We hope that you have learned something new and interesting in our article. Please take the time to bookmark our page and visit us Dog Test page to find out more about your four-legged friends.

Related articles:

• DNA Testing Kits for Animals
• 6 Things you can Discover about your Dog through DNA Testing!
• 10 Of The Most Effective Dog Training Tips
• Most Popular Dog Names

 

 

Sources:
https://www.avma.org/
https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care/dog-age-calculator
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/how-to-calculate-dog-years-to-human-years/