The study of more than 150 breeds and crossbreeds shows that size matters, as small dogs live longer, and the same goes for those with a medium head shape rather than a flat face.
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| The Lancashire Heeler is the longest-lived breed. Photo: hansbenn/Pixabay |
By Zazie Todd PhD
We all want our dogs to live longer. New research conducted in the United Kingdom finds that the average dog lives 12.5 years. In contrast to previous research, dogs in this dataset lived slightly longer if they were purebred dogs and less long if they were mixed breed.
The study, published in Scientific reportsexamined data from more than half a million dogs, including more than a quarter of a million deceased dogs, to investigate factors related to longevity.
The breeds with the shortest average lifespan are the large ones: the Caucasian Shepherd, the Presa Canario, the Cane Corso, the Mastiff and the Saint Bernard.
However, the top 10 for shortest lifespan also includes some smaller dogs with flat faces: the Bulldog and the French Bulldog.
When dogs have a flat face (known as brachycephaly) there are a number of health conditions that often accompany this, including brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome when these dogs really struggle to breathe. This study found an interaction between face shape and breed size, as medium or large flat-faced dogs had the shortest lifespan on average.
A long face (dolichocephalic) is associated with a slightly shorter lifespan than a medium face (or mesocephalic).
The breed with the longest longevity is the Lancashire Heeler. This breed is considered vulnerable and at risk of disappearing due to declining registrations, according to the UK Kennel Club. Only 149 Lancashire Heeler puppies have been registered with the UK Kennel Club in 2022. However in 2024 the American Kennel Club recognized the Lancashire Heeler as a breed for the first time. Perhaps these data will increase the popularity of the breed.
The Tibetan Spaniel, Shiba Inu, Papillon, Lakeland Terrier, Schipperke, Border Terrier, Italian Greyhound and Miniature Dachshund also had longer-than-average lives.
To ensure there was enough data for each breed, the scientists only included breeds in the dataset where at least 20 dogs were still alive and at least 20 deceased. The size of this dataset gives the findings weight compared to previous research with fewer dogs.
Half of the purebred dogs belonged to just 12 breed groups, with Labrador Retriever, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, English Cocker Spaniel, German Shepherd and Jack Russell Terrier being the most common breeds.
In addition to body size and head shape, scientists have also looked at the effects of phylogeny on lifespan, or how breeds developed and evolved over the years. Although dogs have a very long history with humans, dating back perhaps 16,000 years or more, most breeds are very recent, having developed in the Victorian era. The researchers found that when breeds were closely related to each other, they also tended to have similar lifespans. This is the first time this has been investigated.
As in previous research, females live slightly longer than males. Whether the dog was spayed or neutered was not included as a variable in this study.
The data comes from a wide range of sources, including veterinary clinics, dog charities and insurance companies. This helps avoid some of the biases that might be present with just one type of data. For example, dedicated pet guardians are more likely to purchase pet insurance and perhaps more likely to receive immediate veterinary care for their pet, so an insurance company’s data would reflect this type of guardian and the his dog.
The data does not include information on the causes of death, so it is not known whether they were due to health or behavioral problems.
For the crossbreeds, the researchers had no information on the breeds involved. It is likely that some of these are so-called designer dogs such as Labradoodles or Cavapoos, rather than mixes of many breeds. This may explain why mixed-breed dogs in this study had a slightly shorter lifespan on average.
Previous research has found this out keeping your dog at a healthy weight and having dental cleanings is associated with a longer life.
I spoke to CBC Radio The first edition about this research on the lifespan of dogs. You can listen here.
Overall, this study is a reminder to make the most of every moment with your dog.
Reference
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., et al. Longevity of pet dog breeds: those at risk of premature death. Sci Rep 14, 531 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w
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