Have you any idea how long dogs live? We have previously discussed this query, and now we will help our fellow pup parents to know the possible reasons behind their pup’s death or how they can help it live a longer life. Let's discuss Why do dogs die so fast?
All living things have different lifespans, but why do the animals closest to our hearts have shorter lifespans?
Yes, they are our pup friends.
Dogs have shorter lives; that’s a tragedy that our furry friend leaves us very early despite how much we care for them and how much they are a reason for our joy and happiness.
The average lifespan of a dog ranges between 8 to 15 years, which depends upon the breed and external and internal factors that affect their lives. Larger dogs have a shorter life than smaller dogs; an average Dane has a maximum of seven years of age, and a teeny tiny toy poodle lives 14 years of age. Many humans grieve the early death of their favorite pet. That’s why everyone curiously asks why do dogs die so early or how to make dogs live longer.
Why Do Dogs Die So Fast
What if a pup owner, who is completely attached to his furry friend and doesn’t want to leave, asks why dogs live less than humans? The answer is not as simple as we think because it depends on different factors deciding a dog’s lifespan.
Reasons Why Do Dogs Have A Short Lifespan?
You will get the correct answer here; let's see what pet scientists and cynologists have inferred from the studies related to dog lifespan. So, check the reasons 'why do dogs live so short.'
Size
Size matters in the lifespan of animals, but it is reversed in a dog’s life. In other animal species, bigger animals live a long life while smaller ones have a short life; an elephant lives a life of 70 years, and a tiny bee lives for 24 hours only. In the dog category, shorter dogs have longer lifespans, and big dogs have short life spans, which is proven through some scientific research that is as follows:
According to one new scientific research, they age faster than any other living thing specie. A study conducted by an American naturalist that drives data from the Veterinary Medical Database, research conducted on 74 breeds and over 50,000 dogs, and has an eye on when and why they died. Some of the researchers of the American Society of Naturalist writes:
“Large dogs have an accelerated life pace because their adult life runs faster than small dogs.” This is the answer to why larger dogs die faster than smaller ones because of their accelerated life pace.
Another study has defined and answered the query “why do dogs die so young” in this way:
The pet scientists' research findings demonstrate a strong positive correlation between the body size of a dog and the speed at which its mortality hazard increases, regardless of breed. Even when considering the aging rate relative to their current mortality hazard level, it was apparent that larger dogs age at an accelerated pace, suggesting that their adult lives progresses quickly. The study found that larger dogs have a higher baseline hazard than smaller ones, and age is connected to it. However, there was no clear indication in the results of a relationship between the onset of senescence and size.
Dog’s Breeding Practices
Why do dogs die so soon? Another prominent reason for this is its breeding practices. Many dog breeds have genetic defects that are passed to the next generation and hence lower the life span of the breed. Therefore, you should be careful while buying a pup or an adult dog.
Studies tell us genetically related breeds have shorter lifespans and are never recommended. Studies also show that an individual dog that doesn’t inherit characters could live longer than the average dog.
Evolutionary Pressure May Be A Reason
Environmental hazards also threaten an animal's survival. These hazards could be predators, lack of water, food competition, contagious diseases, etc. Smaller animals are more prone to live hazardous lives than larger animals, with less risk of predators, competition, and other hazards, so their generation can last long.
Wild dogs of ancient times faced more evolutionary pressure than ancient humans, who had fewer predators, that's why their life stage sped up, and they died early. As they altered themselves, their teeth began to emerge more quickly, their growth rate accelerated, they reproduced at a quicker pace, and ultimately, their shortened lifespan resulted from this hastened way of living.
Factors That Affect Dog's Lifespan
Domestic dogs belong to the same specie, but they have different lifespans, and that is just because several other factors contribute to the age of a domesticated dog:
Lifestyle
The lifestyle of a dog plays a vital role in its life expectancy. Their lifestyle includes diet, environment, home exercise, mental health, and safety precautions to protect them from harm and accidents.
Keeping their lifestyle perfect as dog owners will give them a better chance to live longer. A healthy lifestyle matters a lot and contributes to the age of your favorite pooch, and they stay with you longer. Remember, you cannot alter their genetic profile but give them a better living.
Genetic Cause
You don’t rely on the average breed lifespan table because many breeds of dogs don’t obey the rules of this table. The French bulldog is a smaller dog that is much more popular to buy nowadays. The reason is that this dog has a long lifespan due to its smaller size, like 10 to 12 years, according to American Kennel Club (AKC). Many people expect that it will be up to 20 years.
On the other hand, many flat-faced breeds face multiple health issues like breathing, tooth, ear, skin, and heart problems that minimize their life expectancy. So, it doesn’t mean every french bulldog can live in their 12.
Breed
As discussed earlier, larger dogs have a shorter life span. For example, a Great Dane lives up to 8 to 10 years, and a Yorkshire Terrier lives up to 16 years. This is just because larger dogs' organs work harder to make them live their lives longer and keep them going.
A study in Uk records the age of different famous dog breeds and tells us that size is not the only factor in determining a dog's age. It also depends upon breed, just like Chihuahua's average age is 7.9 years, and you bought it at the age of 6 years and feel sad to have him for only 1 and half years. There is nothing to worry about because Chihuahuas are a dog breed when age crosses six years; they surprisingly live to an impressive age of 15.
How To Make Dogs Live Longer
The reasons for dogs' short life are discussed in detail above, but it is necessary to discuss how to keep our favorite pets with us and what efforts we try to make so that they live longer.
Scientists have discovered that domestic dogs' life span has doubled in the last forty years, compared to other dogs, and the most probable reason is their diet, lifestyle, and regular routine checkup that helps them to live longer.
The dog aging project helps us to understand how genes, environment, and lifestyle influence aging. We can use this information to help our pets increase their lifespan by making them disease-free for a long time. The dog aging project report is very helpful in making our pups live longer.
Watch this video to know what veterinarians, part of the dog aging project, say about "do dogs live longer."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Q2X8GF6sY
Regular Exercise And Mental Stimulation
Regular exercise helps your furry friend to live longer. Dog parents who take care of their dogs' regular activity and exercise will help them have healthy hearts, lungs, and strong bones.
The best exercise for dogs is walking with their human companion, but if you are busy, you can use machines for dog exercise. Mental stimulation is also necessary for a dog's good health, as older dogs suffer from cognitive decline. It is essential to keep their mind interactive with playful toys so that they exercise their minds along with their bodies.
Different Diseases And Injuries
Different injuries and diseases also cause a dog's early death. It may be a collision with vehicles and other various accidents. Thus, dog safety should be your priority to reduce the risk of an accident.
One of the other great things you can do is to train your dog because a poorly trained or untrained dog is more vulnerable to accidents. Use safety gear and lashes with fluorescent stripes that are helpful at night. Use an appropriate carrier if your dog travels with you in a car or motorbike.
To save them from diseases, you can take them for proper vaccination and take advice from your personal veterinarian about the pup's health. Illnesses may include cancer, infectious diseases, tooth decay, etc.
Healthy Weight
One of the most severe canine health problems is obesity, especially in the US. 40 to 45% of dogs are overweight at ages 5 to 11. Obesity affects dogs' health in the same way as humans.
It causes heart disease, osteoarthritis, bladder stones, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. These diseases take your favorite pet away from you at an early stage. So it is essential to take care of your pooch's weight and take your obese dog to the vet for advice.
Neutering And Spaying
Intact dogs have shorter life spans than fixed dogs, but that does not make more difference because intact dogs are more vulnerable to fights and suffer from trauma and infection, while on the other hand, fixed dogs get some serious types of cancer.
Care And Attention
Every pet needs care and attention from the owner, and pet parents are responsible for keeping a check on their pets to help them live longer. If they find some difference in pet behavior, they should take them to the vet for investigation. The condition of the canine can be treated if it caught up early.
Why Does A Larger Dog Have A Shorter Lifespan Than A Smaller Dog?
Large dogs die at a young age because they age quickly. According to Professor Elgar, larger dogs, because of their size, put a strain on their physiological processes, that's why they die out quickly.
Conclusion
We hope this article will help you increase your furry friend's lifespan, and you will get all the information about the leading causes and factors that affect the dog's life.