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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