When you look at your dog, you are surely wondering how long he can live. How many more years can you play with him?
A recently published new scientific study has looked at the life expectancy of several popular dog breeds in the UK.
Research shows, for example, that a Jack Russell terrier can live an average of 12.7 years. Border Collies live an average of 12.1 years and Springer Spaniels 11.9 years.
On the other hand, some of these popular dogs can die sooner than you might think.
Four snubnosed breeds have the shortest lifespans French bulldogs live an average of just 4.5 years. English bulldogs, 7.4 years and pugs, 7.7 years. American Bulldogs live 7.8 years.
These breeds are prone to a number of lifelimiting medical conditions such as respiratory problems, spinal problems, and birthing difficulties, all of which limit overall lifespans.
Life expectancy of dogs (in years)
- Jack Russell Terrier: 12.7
- Yorkshire Terrier: 12.5
- Border Collie 12.1
- Springer Spaniel: 11.9
- Mestizo: 11.8
- Labrador Retriever: 11.7
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 11.3
- Cocker Spaniel: 11.3
- Shih Tzu: 11
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: 10.4
- German shepherd: 10.1
- Boxers: 10
- Beagle: 9.8
- Hoarse: 9.5
- Chihuahua: 7.9
- American Bulldog: 7.7
- Pug: 7.6
- English Bulldog: 7.3
- French bulldog: 4.5
Age lists like this one (for 18 selected breeds and crossbreeds) have been produced before, but the current version is the most mature yet as it is based on an analysis of a large database of veterinary records called VetCompass.
Managed by the RVC (Royal Veterinary College), this surveillance system currently contains information on 20 million animals.
The research team of Kendy Tzuyun Teng was allowed to create socalled “life tables”. Simply put, they are charts that divide a population into age groups, with each group showing the probability of death.
Many factors affect your dog’s life expectancy, so the average lifespan is only partially meaningful.
Take the Chihuahua for example. The life expectancy of the animal is 7.9 years.
But veterinary records show that many Chihuahuas die at an even younger age, lowering the average life expectancy. And that means a Chihuahua that lives six years is likely to live much longer than eight years. There are Chihuahuas that live to be 15 or 16 years old.
“It’s that ‘damn lies and statistics’ phrase,” said study coauthor Dan O’Neill.
“Sometimes a statistic that’s a single value that tells you the mean of a curve is technically correct, but there’s a lot more nuance in the data and distributions. And the Chihuahua is the perfect example of where those nuances matter. “Age distribution can be misleading,” the RVC veterinary epidemiologist told BBC News.
This approach is very helpful for people who are considering adopting an adult pet or who are deciding whether to seek expensive medical treatment for their aging pet. As pet insurance becomes more prevalent, actuaries will be avid readers of the new charts.
Justine Shotton, President of the British Veterinary Association, commented: “These mortality tables provide important insight into the life expectancy of popular dog breeds in the UK and will provide veterinarians and pet owners with a useful tool in assessing dog temperament.”
“One worrying finding is the shorter lifespans of the flatfaced breeds. While the study does not prove a direct link between these breeds’ potential welfare problems and shorter lifespans, the results serve as a renewed reminder that future owners should make breed decisions based on health, not appearance.”
O’Neill agrees with Shotton’s view of snubnosed breeds, but adds that the very short life expectancy of the French Bulldog in particular is likely to be influenced to some extent by its rapidly increasing popularity in the country. As numbers in the breed’s population in the UK have skyrocketed, it’s still difficult to realistically assess their longevity.
The number of French Bulldogs registered with the Kennel Club in the UK has increased from 2,771 individuals in 2011 to 39,266 in 2020.
“That means there are more young on average in this population than in other breeds. So there are more hatchlings ‘available’ to die,” explains O’Neill.
“Over time, as we gather more data, their life expectancy probably won’t be as low. But I doubt it will go any further than the pug and English bulldog have achieved.”
Tzuyun Teng is affiliated with National Taiwan University. Her and O’Neill’s study was published in Scientific Reports.