Everyone would wish that your dog lived foreverBut as any pet lover knows, these beloved animals only spend a fraction of our lives with us.
Whether you want to get a new dog or want to make the most of your time with the furry friend you already have, it’s worth knowing the Typical life expectancy of each dog breedespecially now that scientists can answer your questions better than ever before.
A new study by dog ​​protection organisation Dogs Trust UK has calculated the Life expectancy of 155 different dog breeds and has found that breeds such as the Tibetan Spaniel and Shiba Inus tend to live the longest, while others such as the Mastiff and Saint Bernard are among the shortest.
The study, published Thursday in the scientific journal Scientific Reportshas analyzed data from more than half a million dogs in the United Kingdom to investigate how they influence their life expectancy race, body size, sex, and face shape.
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Dogs with the longest and shortest life expectancy
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The study has indicated that The average life expectancy of all dogs is 12.5 years. Although some breeds tend to live longer.
Among purebred dogs, The five breeds with the lowest risk of premature death They are the Lancashire heelers, the Tibetan spaniels, the Shiba Inus, the papillons and the Lakeland terriers.
Longest living breeds
Others tend to live much less. Among purebred dogs, The five breeds with the highest risk of premature death They are the Caucasian Shepherds, the Presa Canarios, the Cane Corsos, the Mastiffs and the Saint Bernards.
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Shorter-lived breeds
The fact that these breeds do not live as long is no coincidence. All five are large dogs, which have 20% higher risk of premature death than small dogs, according to the study. In addition to body size, the study found that sex and face shape influence longevity.
Male dogs, for example, They live an average of 0.3 years less than females, supporting the female survival advantage hypothesis. This indicates that in many mammal species (including humans) females survive longer than males.
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In addition, dogs with flat whites, such as French bulldogs and pugs, have 40% higher risk of premature death that dogs with moderately long faces, such as Labradors or golden retrievers, explained Kirsten McMillan, lead author of the study, Business Insider.
These flat-faced breeds often suffer Respiratory problems and heart diseaseaccording to Blue Cross, which probably explains their shorter life expectancy.
In the following graph you can see a list of Dog breeds that live the shortest: Many are large, such as the Newfoundland and Burmese Mountain Dog, and several have flat faces, such as the Boxer and Bulldog.
Kirsten McMillian / Dogs Trust UK
So far we have talked mostly about pure breeds, but scientists have also analyzed crossbreeds, discovering that The average life expectancy of purebred dogs is 0.7 years longer than these others.
According to McMillan, the difference could be explained by the emergence of “designer” crossbreedssuch as labradoodles. These breeds have emerged from artificial breeding practices, but were considered crossbreeds for this study. Data has suggested that crossbred breeds live shorter lives, McMillan said.
A different study
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Although previous studies have looked at factors such as sex, face shape, race, and body size independently, this is the first study to explore how all of these relate to artificial breeding and, ultimately, How does that affect a dog’s life expectancy?McMillan commented.
“No one has really explored the potential link between evolutionary history and lifespan even though we’ve created these breeds,” McMillan said.
Canine domestication began about 16,000 years agobut the great diversity of breeds we see today emerged much more recently, some within the last 200 years.
In fact, the Lancashire heeler, the breed with the longest life expectancy According to the study, it was just recognized in January as the newest dog breed by the American Kennel Club. Why breed so many dogs?
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Artificial breeding has shortened the lives of dogs
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Humans began to artificially breeding dogs to achieve desired characteristics or abilitiesDachshunds, for example, were specifically bred to herd badgers. Their short legs and narrow, elongated bodies keep them low to the ground to track scents. They also allow them to squeeze into narrow burrows.
Humans have shaped the evolutionary history of dogs for centuries and, in turn, their lifespan. According to McMillan, artificial breeding practices such as inbreeding, trait selection and population isolation can reduce genetic diversity and cause serious problems health.
They have been documented Nearly 700 hereditary disorders in domestic dogssuch as hip dysplasia, endocrine disorders and blood disorders.
“Ethical and welfare concerns around breeding have become one of the most important issues within the canine welfare“McMilla said. “And not just in the UK, but around the world.”
This study can help you be better for your pet
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McMillan hopes that this research will help future pet owners make informed choices about the breeds they want to welcome into their lives, and provide current pet owners with Important information about the aging process of their dogs.
Longevity not only influences the amount of time spent caring for the pet, but also the risk of having to face major health problems at an earlier stage in the dog’s life, which can be costly both financially and emotionally.
“Dogs are members of our family,” McMillan said. “We want to make sure we provide them with a long, happy and healthy life.”
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Tags: studies, Health, Animals, Pets