To evaluate the equivalence between the age of a dog and the age of a man, it was thought for a long time that it was enough to multiply the age of the animal by 7. This formula could have been founded if the relationship between these two ages had been linear. But it is far from being the case. On the contrary, we have to take into account the evolution of the dog according to its breed, and this is not an easy task. Let's make the point.
Age equivalence dog/human : points to consider
There are real differences between small breed, medium breed, large breed and even giant breed dogs because depending on their category, their life expectancy varies greatly.
Regardless of the type of dog, by the end of its first year of life, it is already 10 to 15 times "older" than a one-year-old. But this time it is in the small breed dog such as the Chihuahua that we see the biggest difference, since the age of maturity is significantly higher than that of a giant breed dog such as the Great Dane for example. But that's not all: the dog ages more or less quickly from one year to the next. Thus, the data to consider are:
- The size (breed) of the dog,
- Its life expectancy,
- The age at which he reaches his sexual maturity.
These are of course only approximations, because what also weighs in the balance is the health of the animal related to his lifestyle. He also has a better chance of living in good health and staying "young" longer if he is regularly followed by a veterinarian. Sterilization can also help a dog to age less quickly...
Examples of dog age vs human age equivalences
There is no need to make approximate calculations, and in any case you should not multiply the age of your dog by 7 because the result obtained would be far from reality. It is enough to use an online estimation form which takes into account the type of dog and its real age to give an equivalence in human age. There are also very informative equivalency charts on the Internet.
The signs of senescence do appear at different ages depending on whether the dog is small or large. The slow degradation due to the biological process of aging occurs much earlier in the larger breeds of dogs even though they age less quickly at the beginning of their lives than small breeds. This is the reason why pet health insurance companies set an age limit beyond which they do not always accept to insure the animal.
