Adog no matter how small or large is always taken as part of the family. We love, cherish, adore and play with them, the same way we would with our kids. It is no wonder people tend to look at their age in the same light as that of humans. But no matter how we try to overlook it, dogs and humans don’t age the same way.
Dogs age in human age
When it comes to converting a dog’s age to that of humans, most people generally go by the common knowledge of 7 years in dog age is equal to 1 year in humans (this is clearly a myth, and we don’t know how and when it started) That is so far from the truth and it should never be implemented when trying to get an accurate age of the dog in human age. The truth is, there are lots of species of dogs with different sizes and also physique, and as such, the rate at which they age is completely different from that of humans.
Dog type and breed
The type, species, size and breed of dog matters when it comes to getting the accurate age of dogs in human age. Larger breeds of dogs are prone to age faster, and their life expectancy is usually short (6 to 8 years) while for smaller breeds, their life expectancy is usually on the high side (20 years) and they tend to age slower. The middle-sized breed is usually in the middle ground.
How to calculate your dog’s age in human age
There are various ways to get your dog’s age in human age, but over time, the methods have been streamlined into three, and they are each effective in their way
Self-calculation: For those that would want to do the math themselves and get their hands dirty so to speak, there are guidelines to follow to accurately get the right age. The general rule of thumb is that the first 15 years of a human is the same as the first year of a dog, while a two-year-old pup is 24 years of human age. After that, each year the dog adds up to its years is equivalent to 3 to 5 human years depending on the size.
Let’s take an example. A big sized dog (great Dane) is aged 7. Converting to human years would be as follows;
The first two years is 24years in human years. We are left with five dog years. Each remaining year is equivalent to 5 years in humans. So, that gives us (5*5=25). 25 plus 24 gives us a total of 49 years.
Online charts and Online calculator : To save us from the stress of calculating and converting the ages, there are helpful charts and online calculators that are very helpful in calculating dog age in human age. These charts and calculator take into account, the size and breeds of the dog to ensure they provide accurate results.
The adage seven dog years equals one human year isn't right when it comes to finding the exact dog age in human years. One has to take into account, size, and breed of the dog. There are guidelines to follow if you want to do the math yourself or online charts and calculators if you choose to go the easy way. What so ever way you choose, they are bound to give you a good result.