Dogs are the most popular pets around the world, and their loss can deeply affect many owners. Scientists have identified which breeds of this species have the longest and shortest lifespans, offering valuable data on the care and acquisition of these pets.
The research, carried out in the United Kingdom by Kirsten McMillan, data scientist at Dogs Trust – the largest canine charity in the United Kingdom – and lead author of the article published in the journal Scientific Reports, highlights that the companion dog It is one of the species with the greatest phenotypic diversity. The variability between breeds encompasses not only physical appearance and behavior, but also longevity.
“This (the research) gives us the opportunity to improve the lives of our canine companions,†McMillan explains to Metro, noting that there is evidence that some breeds are at greater risk of having a shorter lifespan.
The study found that small, long-nosed (or dolichocephalic) dog breeds, such as whippets, have the longest life expectancy in the UK, while medium-sized, flat-faced (or brachycephalic) male breeds phalluses), like English bulldogs, have the lowest.
To reach this conclusion, researchers created a database of 584,734 individual dogs using data from 18 different UK sources, including breed registries, vets, pet insurance companies, welfare charities animal and academic institutions.
“I hope our results help owners better understand what they are assuming and the range of factors that influence health and longevity, especially when purchasing a dog.”
â Â Kirsten McMillan, Scientific Researcher at the Dogs Trust.
Using this data, they calculated the average lifespan for all breeds individually and for the cross-breed group, and finally for each combination of sex, size and head shape.
The results indicated that small dolichocephalic breeds of both sexes (such as the miniature dachshund and Shetland sheepdog) had an average life expectancy of 13.3 years. In contrast, medium brachycephalic breeds had an average life expectancy of 9.1 years for males and 9.6 years for females.
“We hope that this work will help future owners to acquire a dog responsibly, and will support them in their research into possible health and well-being problems related to specific breeds, characteristics or morphologies,†concludes McMillan.
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Pure breeds of dogs were analyzed in the study.
Breeds with lower life expectancy
Caucasian Shepherd (5.4 years old)
Presa Canario (7.7 years)
Cane Corso (8.1 years)
French Bulldog (9.8 years old)
Breeds with the longest life expectancy
Healer de Lancashire (15.4 years)
Tibetan Spaniel (15.2 years old)
Teckel miniatura (14,0 años)
Interview
Kirsten McMillan
scientific knowledge of the Dogs Trust
Q: What led you to study the longevity of companion dog breeds?
– Despite being a nation of dog lovers, with 31% of British households owning a dog, we did not have a solid understanding of our canine population, especially their life expectancy. We conducted this research because, although previous studies have identified sex, face shape, and body size as factors contributing to canine longevity, no one has investigated the interaction between these factors or explored the possible relationship between evolutionary history and life expectancy.
Q: Are there breed-dependent factors that affect the longevity of dogs?
-Determining why any race, characteristic or morphology has a longer or shorter life expectancy is quite a challenge, and I would not like to speculate. Overall, these results help breeders, policy makers, funding bodies and welfare organizations make informed decisions to improve the welfare of companion dogs. More specifically, this research offers the opportunity to improve the lives of our canine companions by identifying issues related to lifespan across the canine tree of life. We provide clear evidence that some races or groups are at greater risk of living shorter lives. However, I hope that this document serves as a catalyst for others to start asking why these dogs die younger. Not only researchers, but also veterinarians, breeders, policy makers, funding bodies and governments should participate in this research. This is a complex issue that likely involves biological factors, such as genetic makeup, observable traits, and physiology, and nonbiological factors, such as environment, training, exercise, and diet. The impact of these factors may vary by breed. But with every question we answer, we get closer to improving the lives of our canine companions. So there is hope! This is not a pessimistic view of the situation.
Q: Tell us more about the conclusion of the study.
– On average, companion dogs live 12.5 years. Among all purebred dogs, the average life expectancy was 12.7 years, slightly lower for crossbred dogs at 12.0 years. However, the term “mongrel†includes everything from designer breeds to adorable mutts, so further research is necessary.
Body size influences longevity. Small and medium breeds live longer, with a life expectancy of 12.7 and 12.5 years, respectively. Large breeds have a 20% higher risk of short life span than small breeds, at 11.9 years. This was observed in both males and females.
The shape of the dog’s face also affects life expectancy. Brachycephalic, or flat-faced, dogs, such as French Bulldogs (9.8 years), have a 40% greater risk of living less than dogs with typical faces, such as Border Collies ( 13.1 years) or the Golden Retrievers (13.2 years).
Body size, face shape and sex interact. For example, a medium-sized, flat-faced male (such as an English Bulldog) is almost three times more likely to live less than a small, long-faced female (such as a Miniature Dachshund or an Italian Greyhound).
Q: What real-world application might the variation in canine longevity estimates have?
– This study fills an important gap in research on canine lifespan. The results have crucial implications for the pedigree dog health debate and can help breeders, policy makers, funding bodies and welfare organizations make informed decisions to improve the welfare of companion dogs.
For the general public, I encourage all potential owners, whether they are looking to rehome a dog or buy one, to consider all dogs and find one that suits their lifestyle.†Dogs Trust offers extensive information and advice on its website about responsibly buying a dog.
This document is also intended to help future owners acquire a dog responsibly and support their research into possible health and welfare problems associated with specific breeds, characteristics or morphologies.
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