In this article, we will learn how to convert dog years to human years. Since the 1950s, the popular calculation of how old a dog was “in human years” has been that 1 dog year is the equivalent of 7 human ones. One explanation for how this formula got started is that the 7:1 ratio seems to have been based on the statistic that people lived to about 70, and dogs to about 10.
Larger dogs age much faster in comparison to their smaller and medium counterparts. By seven years old, a small dog, will be six human years younger than a large breed. Aging in dogs varies from breed to breed, and affects the dog’s health and physical ability.
Common Signs of Aging in Dogs.
- Graying hair
- Poor eyesight, cloudy eyes
- Trouble hearing
- Stiff muscles and joints, arthritis
- Lower activity level
- Behavioral changes such as increased anxiety,
- confusion, accidents in the house, irritability, etc.
The dog’s teeth can also give you a rough idea of their age. These guidelines will vary from dog to dog, and they also depend on the kind of dental care they had before you got them.
- By 8 weeks: All baby teeth are in.
- By 7 months: All permanent teeth are in and are white and clean.
- By 1-2 years: Teeth are duller and the back teeth may have some yellowing.
- By 3-5 years: All teeth may have tartar buildup and some tooth wear.
- By 5-10 years: Teeth show more wear and signs of disease.
- By 10-15 years: Teeth are worn, and heavy tartar buildup is likely. Some teeth may be missing.
Formula to Convert Dog Years to Human Years.
- The first year of a medium-sized dog’s life is 15 years of a human’s life.
- Year two for a dog equals about nine years for a human.
- And after that, each human year would be approximately four or five years for a dog.
Age of the Dog Dog’s Age in Human Years
| Age of the Dog | Dog’s Age in Human Years |
| Small | Medium | Large | Giant | |
| 1 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| 2 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 |
| 3 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 31 |
| 4 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 38 |
| 5 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 45 |
| 6 | 40 | 42 | 45 | 49 |
| 7 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 56 |
| 8 | 48 | 51 | 55 | 64 |
| 9 | 52 | 56 | 61 | 71 |
| 10 | 56 | 60 | 66 | 79 |
| 11 | 60 | 65 | 72 | 86 |
| 12 | 64 | 69 | 77 | 93 |
| 13 | 68 | 74 | 82 | 100 |
| 14 | 72 | 78 | 88 | 107 |
| 15 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 114 |
| 16 | 80 | 87 | 99 | 121 |
Example:
Suppose you have a 3 year old medium sized dog, calculate its age.
Therefore, the dog is (15 + 9 + 5) years old.
Hence your dog is 29 human years old.
