Pets age much faster than we do. The life span of a dog depends on its size or breed. In general, the larger the breed or size of the dog, the shorter the life span. For example, in a study of lifespans, only 13% of giant breed dogs lived to be over 10 years old. Conversely, 38% of small breed dogs live to be over 10 years of age.
Dogs are considered senior in the last 25% of their lives. Below is a list of the most common breeds with their life expectancies and age at which they are considered “senior”.
When your dog is senior, make sure they have a senior check-up with your veterinarian.
| Breed | Lifespan | Senior Years |
| Affenpinscher | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Afghan Hound | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Airdale Terrier | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Akita | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Alaskan Malamute | 8 – 10 years | 6 – 7.5 years |
| American Eskimo | 13 years | 9.5 – 10 years |
| American Foxhound | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| American Water Spaniel | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Anatolian Sheepdog | 12 – 13 years | 9 – 10 years |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Australian Shepherd | 12 – 13 years | 9 – 10 years |
| Australian Terrier | 15 years | 11 years |
| Basenji | 13 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Basset Hound | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Beagle | 14 – 15 years | 10.5 – 11 years |
| Bearded Collie | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Beauceron | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Bedlington Terrier | 13 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Belgian Malinois | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Belgian Sheepdog | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Belgian Tervuren | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Bernese Mountain Dog | 8 – 10 years | 6 – 7.5 years |
| Bichon Frise | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Black and Tan Coonhound | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Black Russian Terrier | 10 – 11 years | 7.5 – 8 years |
| Bloodhound | 9 – 11 years | 6.5 – 8 years |
| Border collie | 11 – 14 years | 8 – 10.5 years |
| Border Terrier | 13 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Borzoi | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Boston Terrier | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Bouvier Des Flandres | 8 – 10 years | 6.5 – 7.5 years |
| Boxer | 9 – 11 years | 6.5 – 8 years |
| Briard | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Brittany | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Brussels Griffon | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Bull Dog | 8 – 10 years | 6 – 7.5 years |
| Bull Terrier | 14 – 15 years | 10.5 – 11 years |
| Bullmastiff | 8 – 10 years | 6 – 7.5 years |
| Cairn Terrier | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Canaan Dog | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 12 years | 9 years |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | 12 – 13 years | 9 – 10 years |
| Chihuahua | 15 – 18 years | 11 – 13 years |
| Chinese Crested | 12 – 16 years | 9 – 12 years |
| Chinese Shar Pei | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Chow Chow | 9 – 11 years | 6.5 – 8 years |
| Clumber Spaniel | 12 – 13 years | 9 – 10 years |
| Cocker Spaniel-American | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Cocker Spaniel-English | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Collie | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Curly Coated Retriever | 8 – 12 years | 6 – 9 years |
| Breed | Lifespan | Senior Years |
| Dachshund | 15 – 18 years | 11 – 13 years |
| Dalmatian | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 13 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Doberman Pinscher | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| English Foxhound | 10 years | 7.5 – 10.5 years |
| English Setter | 10 – 14 years | 7.5 – 10.5 years |
| English Springer Spaniel | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| English Toy Spaniel | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Field Spaniel | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Finnish Spitz | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Flat Coated Retriever | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Fox Terrier – Smooth | 13 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Fox Terrier – Wirehair | 13 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| French Bulldog | 9 – 11 years | 6.5 – 8 years |
| German Pinscher | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| German Shepherd Dog | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| German Shorthaired Pointer | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| German Wirehaired Pointer | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Giant Schnauzer | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Glen Imaal Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Golden Retriever | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Gordon Setter | 12 – 13 years | 9 – 10 years |
| Great Dane | 9 – 10 years | 6.5 – 7.5 years |
| Great Pyrenees | 8 – 10 years | 6 – 7.5 years |
| Great Swiss Mountain Dog | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Greyhound | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Harrier | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Havanese | 13 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Ibizan Hound | 12 years | 9 years |
| Irish Setter | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Irish Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Irish Water spaniel | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Irish Wolfhound | 6 – 8 years | 4.5 – 6 years |
| Italian Greyhound | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Japanese Chin | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Keeshond | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Kerry Blue Terrier | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Komondor | 12 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Kuvasz | 11 – 14 years | 8 – 10.5 years |
| Labrador Retriever | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Lakeland Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Lhasa Apso | 15 years | 11 years |
| Lowchen | 10 – 15 years | 7.5 – 11 years |
| Maltese | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Manchester Terrier – Standard & Toy | 13 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Mastiff | 8 – 10 years | 6 – 7.5 years |
| Miniature Bull Terrier | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Miniature Pinscher | 15 years | 11 years |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Mix Breed – 1-15 pounds | 15 – 18 years | 11 – 13 years |
| Mix Breed – 16-40 pounds | 11 – 14 years | 8 – 10.5 years |
| Mix Breed – 41-75 pounds | 8 – 13 years | 6 – 9 years |
| Mix Breed – 75 pounds | 7 – 11 years | 5 – 8 years |
| Breed | Lifespan | Senior Years |
| Neopolitan Mastiff | 9 – 11 years | 6.5 – 8 years |
| Newfoundland | 7 – 10 years | 5 – 7.5 years |
| Norfolk Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Norwegian Elkhound | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Norwich Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Old English Sheepdog | 10 – 12 years | 4.5 – 9 years |
| Otter Hound | 12 years | 9 years |
| Papillon | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Parson Russell Terrier | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Pekingese | 13 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Pembroke welsh Corgi | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen | 10 – 14 years | 7.5 – 10.5 years |
| Pharaoh Hound | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Plott Hound | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Pointer | 13 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Polish Lowland Sheepdog | 13 – 14 years | 9 -10.5 years |
| Pomeranian | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Poodle Miniature | 15 – 18 years | 11 – 13 years |
| Poodle Standard | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Poodle Toy | 15 – 18 years | 11 – 13 years |
| Portuguese Water Dog | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Pug | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Puli | 12 – 16 years | 9 – 12years |
| Redbone Coonhound | 11 – 12 years | 8 – 9 years |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 8 – 12 years | 6 – 9 years |
| Rottweiler | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Saint Bernard | 8 – 10 years | 6 – 7.5 years |
| Saluki | 13 – 16 years | 9 – 12 years |
| Samoyed | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Schipperke | 15 years | 11 years |
| Scottish Deerhound | 11 – 12 years | 8 – 9 years |
| Scottish Terrier | 10 – 13 years | 7.5 – 10 years |
| Sealyham Terrier | 14 years | 10.5 years |
| Shetland Sheepdog | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Shiba Inu | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Shih Tzu | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Siberian husky | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Silky Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Skye Terrier | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Soft – Coated Wheaten Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| cSpinone Italiano | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Standard Schnauzer | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Sussex Spaniel | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Tibetan Mastiff | 9 – 11 years | 6.5 – 8 years |
| Tibetan Spaniel | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Tibetan Terrier | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Toy Fox Terrier | 15 years | 11 years |
| Vizsla | 14 – 15 years | 10.5 – 11 years |
| Weimaraner | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| Welsh Springer Spaniel | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Welsh Terrier | 10 – 12 years | 7.5 – 9 years |
| West Highland white Terrier | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
| Whippet | 12 – 15 years | 9 – 11 years |
| Wirehaired Pointing Griffon | 12 – 14 years | 9 – 10.5 years |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 14 – 16 years | 10.5 – 12 years |
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