Determining the age of a dog in "human years"can be calculated using three different methods. The first is that one human year equals seven dog years. However, this dog year calculation fails to use dog size and dog breed in its calculation.
The second dog aging profile is that the first two years of a dog's life equals 10 1/2 years, with subsequent years equaling 4 human years. This method is more accurate than the first but it still doesn't consider dog size and breed.
The third dog aging profile uses dog size/dog breed calculators which classify the dogs as small, medium and large. Dog size/dog breed calculators are the most accurate method of calculating a dog's age.
There is no formula for dog to human age conversion that is agreed upon scientifically but the following method is the best for gaining a rough approximation of dog years. The human equivalent of a one year old dog is between 10 and 15 years. The second year of a dog's life is between 3 to 8 dog years and subsequent years are equal to 4 to 5 dog years.
What are common characteristics of the oldest dogs?
According to a study by the British Veterinary Association, females usually have a longer lifespan than males, with neutered females living the longest. Neutering reduces or eliminates the risk of some causes of early death, for example pyometra in bitches, and testicular cancer in males.
As far as diet is concerned there is disagreement whether a pure vegetarian diet is better than a mixed or meat only diet. There are confirmed cases of "vegetarian" and non-vegetarian dogs living 26 years or more.
What dog breeds live longest?
The oldest dog breeds
The next oldest dogs by average are the Beagle, Border Collie, Border Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Chihuahua, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, English Springer Spaniel, Greyhound, Jack Russell Terrier, Pekingese, Random-bred/Mongrel, Shetland Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, Wire Fox Terrier and Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, with an average life of 13 years.
Dogs with the shortest average lifespan include the Bulldog and Irish Wolfhound (6 years), Bernese Mountain Dog (7 years) followed by Bullmastiff, Great Dane (8 years old).
The oldest dog on record was Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog, who died at 29 in 1939. In the 2000s, at least two other of the oldest dogs were still living at 27 or 28 years old.
source: wikipedia.com, guinness book of world records
image: aboutpedigreedogs.com









