Mary Allen
How many years can dogs actually live? The answer can be very different depending on the breed of the dog, including. PetReader shows which dog breeds have a particularly high lifespan and which factors also influence this.
The average life span of dogs is about twelve years. How many years your dog can actually live depends on various factors: in addition to diet, fitness, and health, the dog’s breed also plays a role.
Because depending on the breed, you can expect a different number of years with your four-legged friend. The difference in life expectancy is huge: at 14 years old, it is the same as that of the Jack Russell Terrier, for example, twice as long as the Irish Wolfhound, which on average lasts only seven years.
In general: Smaller dogs often live longer than their larger counterparts. And mixed breed dogs have a longer life expectancy than purebred dogs. Plus, spaying can extend your dog’s life – by an average of one to two years.
But what breeds of dogs now have a particularly high lifespan? Here’s an overview:
Dog Breeds With High Longevity
When it comes to the question of which dog breeds live the longest, the information varies slightly depending on the source. But most of them agree with these breeds and ages of dogs:
- Chihuahua – 15 to 17 years old
- Dachshunds – from 14 to 16 years old
- Jack Russell Terrier – 14-16 years old
- Maltese – from 13 to 16 years old
- Miniature Spitz – 16 years old
- Shih Tzu – 14 to 15 years old
- Beagle – 15 years old
- Yorkshire Terriers – 13 to 15 years old
- Labrador and Golden Retriever – 12 years old
- Australian Shepherd – 12 years old
By the way, the oldest known dog was 29 years and 160 days old: an Australian Shepherd dog named Bluya lived from 1910 to 1939 and is included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Three mixed breeds – Beagle, Dachshund, Labrador Retriever, Pug, and Welsh Collie – are also among the top ten oldest dogs of all time.