Pets are a fundamental pillar of every family. Also, according to some surveys 9 out of 10 they consider their four-legged friends an essential member of the family group.
When it comes to defining the “human” age of dogs, it has always been believed that that was enough take the age of the dog and multiply it by seven. However, it’s a little more complicated than that. A recent survey claims that aging dogs varies by breedtherefore the aforementioned mathematical model is no longer so valid.
The factors that determine the age of a dog
An investigation of the BBC ensures that there are several factors that can influence the average life of dogs. One of the main ones is weight: the more the animal weighs, the shorter its average life will be. However, this can also depend on the quality of the food you eat, your diet and hours of exercise.
This should not be confused with dog size, as if this logic is followed, a Labrador should live longer than a Poodle, and it is quite the opposite. Small dogs live longer than big ones since then they ripen faster during the first 24 months of life.
Teeth, hair and muscles: another way of knowing age
In addition to weight, there are other indicators that can roughly show a dog’s age. from the 6 or 7 yearsdogs can start showing inflamed gums or even tooth loss.
On the other hand, the coat also suffers as a dog ages. they start to appear White hair in the area of the muzzle and paws; in addition, the fur becomes more beautiful and lose thickness. Another factor is the musculaturewhich over time begins to decrease and lose strength and volume.
How to calculate a dog’s age in human years
Although historically the human age of dogs was calculated by multiplying it by seven, a British scientist conducted a study testing a different calculation. Second Christian YatesSenior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology at the University of Bath, a dog’s first year is equivalent to 31 human years.
From then on, whenever the dog’s chronological age doubles, the number of human years is equivalent increases by eleven. So, eight years represents three doublings, so the dog would have a human age of 64.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.