Converting Dog Years To Human Years

If you're like most people you probably have thought about how old your dog really is. However, converting dog years to human years requires more than a simple formula. Not many years ago it was said that 10 human years was the equivalent of one dog year. More recently that has been modified to seven people years for every dog year. But, there is still a lot more that needs to be taken into account before you will truly know how many candles to put on your dog's birthday cake.

For example, not all types of dogs age at the same rate. Larger breed dogs tend to age slower during their first few years of life and then age much more rapidly. They also have much shorter life expectancies than smaller breeds. Small to medium sized dogs often age rather quickly in their first few years and then at a slower rate for the remaining years; thereby making them appear much younger and more active than larger breeds of the same age.

Based on these facts it can be assumed that when a small dog reaches one year it is similar to a teenage human. Yet, a large dog at this age may only be equivalent to a preteen human. A medium-sized dog that has aged to seven years is entering middle-age (just like a human of 40 or 50). Whereas, a large dog of the same age is entering its senior years (similar to a 60 or 70 year old person). So, you can see, converting dog years to human years is in no way a simple feat. We differ in so many ways, dogs and humans, and our aging process is just one of the ways in which we differ.

Interesting fact: The oldest reported dog lived to the ripe old age of 29!

So, how old is your dog?