Sunday, March 1, 2009

Happy Birthday Buddy! - How Old is My Dog in Human Years?




Buddy celebrated his 5th birthday yesterday. My granddaughter made sure that Buddy had a grand celebration with streamers (some draped on him!), balloons, presents and a dog food cake with candles. Buddy barks when we sing "Happy Birthday" and that blows out his candles, it's pretty funny. Buddy turned 5 years old which is 36 in human years.

Contrary to popular belief, one "dog year" does not equal seven human years. The veterinarians are using a different chart. How long a dog lives also varies with the breed of dog, and the size of breed. Small breeds tend to live longer and giant breeds have a life expectancy that is significantly shorter. While it is fun to know the relative age of your pet in human years, it can also help you understand your dog's behavior, his special needs as he gets older, and different nutritional requirements as he progresses through life. The chart shown is a fairly accurate measure of the relative age of the average dog when compared to humans.

Age of Pet -"Human Years"
1 year = 15 years
2 years = 24 years
3 years = 28 years
4 years = 32 years
5 years = 36 years
6 years = 40 years
7 years = 44 years
8 years = 48 years
9 years = 52 years
10 years = 56 years
11 years = 60 years
12 years = 64 years
13 years = 68 years
14 years = 72 years
15 years = 76 years
16 years = 80 years
17 years = 84 years
18 years = 88 years
19 years = 89 years
20 years = 93 years