Have you ever thought about how long your beloved dog will live? How much longer can it accompany you on walks or cuddle with you?
An in-depth survey of the life expectancy of pet dogs found that the top three are: (from birth, i.e., zero years old) Jack Russell Terrier, with an average life expectancy of 12.7 years; followed by Border Collies at 12.1 years; and then Springer Spaniels at 11.9 years.
In contrast, some trendy dog breeds favored by online celebrities have shorter lifespans, causing heartbreak prematurely. The shortest lifespans are found in four flat-faced dog breeds (also known as flat-headed dogs) – for example, the French Bulldog has a life expectancy of only 4.5 years; the English Bulldog: 7.4 years; the Pug: 7.7 years; and the American Bulldog: 7.8 years.
These dogs are affected by several life-limiting diseases, such as respiratory problems, spinal diseases, and difficult births, all of which affect the overall lifespan of these breeds.
Here is a ranking of the life expectancy of some pet dogs from birth:
Jack Russell Terrier, 12.72 years old
Yorkshire Terrier (also known as Yorkshire Terrier) 12.54 years old
Border Collie, 12-10 years old
Springer Spaniel, 11.92 years old
Crossbred dog, 11.82 years old
Labrador Retriever, 11.77 years old
Staffordshire Bull Terrier, 11.33 years old
English Cocker Spaniel, 11.31 years old
Shih Tzu (also known as Lion Dog) 11.05 years old
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, 10.45 years old
German Shepherd Dog, 10-16 years old
Boxer, 10.04 years old
Beagle, 9.85 years old
Husky, 9.53 years old
Chihuahua, 7.91 years old
American Bulldog, 7.79 years old
Pug, 7.65 years old
English Bulldog, 7.39 years old
French Bulldog, 4.53 years old
While age lists like the one above (18 breeds plus some hybrids) have appeared before, this one is the most detailed and complex to date, as it is based on analysis of a massive database in the UK called Veterinary Records Data (VetCompass). This monitoring system, operated by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), currently holds information on 20 million animals.
The above rankings are for reference only, and there are exceptions.
Many factors can influence a dog's lifespan, so the so-called average lifespan can only be used as a reference and is only partially useful. For example, the life expectancy of a Chihuahua is only 7.9 years, so you might feel that rescuing and adopting a 6-year-old Chihuahua is not very meaningful, because according to the life expectancy, you may only have 2 years left to live with it.
However, veterinary records show that a significant number of Chihuahuas die very young, thus lowering their average lifespan. This means that a 6-year-old Chihuahua could potentially live much longer than the average lifespan of 8 years. We know that some Chihuahuas live to be 15 or 16 years old.
