“How old is my dog in human years?”
It’s a question we’ve all asked at some stage or another and it seems to be an obsession that consumes every dog owner on the planet.
Most people will tell you that it only takes the tamest grasp of your 7 x tables to work out your dog’s age, however, it really isn’t that simple.
Factors such as size and breed actually play a huge role when converting dogs to their ‘human age’, as smaller dogs tend to live longer than larger ones, and often mature quicker.
So to stop you from getting your head in a spin, we’ve worked it all out for you!
To find out whether your pup’s a junior or a senior, check out our handy dog age calculator below!
Dog Years To Human Years Chart
How Old Is My Dog?
If your dog is newly adopted or a rescue, it can often be difficult to work out their exact age without some knowledge of their history.
However, there are still ways of totting up your canine’s years without having access to a birth certificate.
Just like with horses, a dog’s teeth can give you a rough idea of their age, although this can vary depending on how good or bad their dental care was before you owned them.
As a rough guideline, you can use these age signifiers below to work out your mysterious mutt’s age:
- The dog has all their baby teeth – Between 8 weeks and 16 weeks old
- The dog has a mixture of baby and adult teeth – Between 12 weeks and 6 months old
- The dog has a full set of white adult teeth – Between 6 months and 12 months old
- The dog’s teeth are slightly dull and the back teeth may have some yellowing – Somewhere around 1 or 2 years of age
- Most of the dog’s teeth have tartar build-up and some have a degree of wear – Between 3 and 5 years old
- Teeth show signs of wear and there may be signs of dental disease – Between 5 and 10 years old
- Teeth are clearly worn and have heavy tartar buildup, some teeth may be missing – Between 10 and 15 years old.
Naturally, this guideline won’t be very helpful if your pup was subjected to fantastic dental care before they came into your life, and it’s also not a great way of identifying dogs over the age of 5.
But unfortunately, it remains the easiest way for us novices to make an estimated guess, and if you want a better evaluation, you’ll have to go to a professional!
Veterinary Age Check
A vet can guess your pup’s age by giving them a complete physical examination and they may even run tests to observe their muscles, organs, joints and bones.
These tests will quickly reveal whether you have a senior dog, as these areas will likely show specific signs of ageing.
Symptoms of old age you may notice yourself include:
- Dull, clouded eyes
- Greying or grey hair, although that’s a bit of an obvious one!
- Looser skin
- Stiff joints and low mobility
