It is customary to say that we must multiply the age of a dog by 7 to obtain its equivalent in human age. It is unfortunately a little more complicated than that, because they grow faster at the beginning, and more slowly once past puberty (otherwise bitches who have their first heat between 8 and 12 months would have their puberty between 5 and 7 years old). ‘human age equivalent).

If we unfortunately know that our pets live shorter than us, note that their average life expectancy has increased by more than 20% over the past 10 years (according to a study by Royal Canin, in 2012). This increase is mainly due to increasingly optimized quality food, but also to increasingly efficient veterinary medicine. The combination of these two skills has made it possible to produce rations adapted to the risk factors for diseases of each type of dog, which delay their onset.

However, since always, the speed of development and the life expectancy of dogs depend on their format. Small breeds start quickly and age slowly, whereas for large breeds the opposite is true, they develop more slowly but then age very quickly. It is therefore not easy to answer the question simply, there is no valid formula for all dogs.

Puppies grow and develop very, very quickly. It is estimated that at 12 months, a puppy is the equivalent of 16 to 20 years in human age. In other words, each month spent for him equals about 1 ½ years for us.

Also we recommend that you invest a lot of time this first year in his nutrition, his education and his socialization.

After the first two years, we find ourselves on a more regular rate of aging, but which still depends on the size of the dog. Small breeds (less than 15 kg) age about 4 years per year, medium breeds (between 15 and 40 kg) about 6 years per year, and large breeds.

Two factors make it possible to keep your pet for as long as possible by his side: food and medicalization.

Diet

A complete and balanced food is the basis, and in the trade there is a lot of choice, and unfortunately sometimes products of poor quality. Because no, not all croquettes are equal, and unfortunately it is not enough to read the composition. One thing is certain: the cheapest are necessarily of poor quality. But the opposite is not always true. In addition, lately, there has been a lot of disinformation on the Internet and in particular, we must not forget that if the dog is indeed a descendant of the wolf, he deviated from it genetically around 100.000 years ago, and since then he has been become a carnivore with an omnivorous tendency, that is to say that only half of its diet should consist of meat. For the rest, it absolutely needs carbohydrates and fiber. Another thing, its needs vary enormously over the course of its life, depending on whether it is a growing young, an athletic adult, or an apartment senior … (there are 6 physiological stages in dogs: puppy, junior, adult, mature, senior) and everyone needs a very different ration. In any case, observe his stools: loose or bulky stools, possibly accompanied by gas, are undoubtedly a sign of poor digestion. We recommend that you take advice from your veterinarian to choose the most suitable diet for their breed and stage of life.

Be careful not to make certain mistakes. For example, to unbalance the ration with side dishes, leftover meals or too many sweets. As with us, it is the foods that the dog prefers that are often the richest and unbalanced. Her stomach needs a lot of regularity, and giving her the same thing every day is a great practice.

Medicalization

Medicalization is the second factor of longevity, and in particular medical prevention, the interest of which is no longer to be demonstrated. It is especially important to vaccinate them, to fight against internal and external parasites (worms, fleas, ticks), and to sterilize your animal if you do not plan to breed it (prevention of genital infections and tumors). Pay particular attention to his overweight, because overweight, even slight, predisposes to heart disease, joints, dermatology, and diabetes.

Looking at it closely, one realizes that it would be more appropriate to speak of “stages of the life” of dogs, than to want at all costs to know their human age. Growing puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs all have different needs. It’s up to you to adapt your ration, activity and medicalization … to keep them as long as possible.