How do you convert a dog’s age to human years? Forget multiplying by 7

Many pet owners would like to know how old their pet is in terms of human years. This may answer the question of whether he is already middle-aged or still a canine teenager. For years, it was believed that there was a simple way to convert age to the equivalent of human years. This method was based on the assumption that a human lives on average about 70 years, while a dog – 10. Therefore, it was assumed that a year of a dog’s life corresponds to seven human years. To calculate the age of a dog, it was enough to multiply it by 7. Some time ago, American scientists recognized that this method was wrong.

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The age of the dog in human years. Method developed by scientists

The group considered that the method of multiplying by 7 was based on an incorrect assumption. So they created a complicated, but based on conclusions from genetic research, mathematical formula. According to the analysis of scientists, dogs do not age at a uniform rate. In young animals, the aging process is particularly rapid in the first years, slowing down over time. So what is the pattern suggested by scientists?

Human age = 16 x natural logarithm of dog age + 31

This means that a one-year-old dog is already 31 years old in human years. What does it look like in the following years?

• 2 dog years – 42 human years,
• 3 dog years – 49 human years,
• 4 dog years – 53 human years,
• 5 dog years – 59 human years,
• 6 dog years – 60 human years,
• 7 dog years – 62 human years,
• 8 dog years – 64 human years,
• 9 dog years – 66 human years,
• 10 dog years – 68 human years,
• 11 dog years – 69 human years.

How to calculate the age of a dog? The table may be helpful

There is also a simple method that the American Veterinary Medical Association. This method takes into account the size of the dog and is slightly less complicated. To calculate the average age of a dog in human years, just use the conversion factor:

• 1 dog year is equivalent to 15 human years
• 2 dog years are equivalent to 24 human years
• Each year of a dog’s life corresponds to 5 human years.

However, the specific data varies depending on the size of the pet. When trying to calculate the age of a dog, it is also good to take into account its size, but also diseases such as arthritis, hearing problems or weight, which can “age” the pet. How to calculate the age of a dog? The table below will help.

• 1 year dog – 20 years (small), 18 years (medium), 12 years (large),
• 2 years of dog – 30 years (small), 28 years (medium), 22 years (large),
• 3 years of dog – 33 years (small), 35 years (medium), 31 years (large),
• 4 years of dog – 36 years (small), 40 years (medium), 41 years (large),
• 5 years of dog – 40 years (small), 45 years (medium), 48 years (large),
• 6 years of dog – 44 years (small), 52 years (medium), 55 years (large),
• 7 years of dog – 48 years (small), 58 years (medium), 62 years (large),
• 8 years of dog – 50 years (small), 63 years (medium), 68 years (large),
• 9 years of dog – 55 years (small), 69 years (medium), 75 years (large),
• 10 years of the dog – 58 years (small), 75 years (medium), 82 years (large).