When is a Dog Considered Senior?

DOGS

Pets age much faster than we do. The life span of a dog depends on its size or breed. In general, the larger the breed or size of the dog, the shorter the life span. For example, in a study of lifespans, only 13% of giant breed dogs lived to be over 10 years old. Conversely, 38% of small breed dogs live to be over 10 years of age.

Dogs are considered senior in the last 25% of their lives. Below is a list of the most common breeds with their life expectancies and age at which they are considered “senior”.When your dog is senior, make sure they have a senior check-up with your veterinarian.

Breed Lifespan Senior Years
Affenpinscher 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Afghan Hound 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Airdale Terrier 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Akita 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Alaskan Malamute 8 – 10 years 6 – 7.5 years
American Eskimo 13 years 9.5 – 10 years
American Foxhound 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
American Staffordshire Terrier 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
American Water Spaniel 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Anatolian Sheepdog 12 – 13 years 9 – 10 years
Australian Cattle Dog 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Australian Shepherd 12 – 13 years 9 – 10 years
Australian Terrier 15 years 11 years
Basenji 13 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Basset Hound 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Beagle 14 – 15 years 10.5 – 11 years
Bearded Collie 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Beauceron 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Bedlington Terrier 13 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Belgian Malinois 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Belgian Sheepdog 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Belgian Tervuren 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Bernese Mountain Dog 8 – 10 years 6 – 7.5 years
Bichon Frise 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Black and Tan Coonhound 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Black Russian Terrier 10 – 11 years 7.5 – 8 years
Bloodhound 9 – 11 years 6.5 – 8 years
Border collie 11 – 14 years 8 – 10.5 years
Border Terrier 13 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Borzoi 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Boston Terrier 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Bouvier Des Flandres 8 – 10 years 6.5 – 7.5 years
Boxer 9 – 11 years 6.5 – 8 years
Briard 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Brittany 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Brussels Griffon 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Bull Dog 8 – 10 years 6 – 7.5 years
Bull Terrier 14 – 15 years 10.5 – 11 years
Bullmastiff 8 – 10 years 6 – 7.5 years
Cairn Terrier 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Canaan Dog 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Cardigan Welsh Corgi 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 12 years 9 years
Chesapeake Bay Retriever 12 – 13 years 9 – 10 years
Chihuahua 15 – 18 years 11 – 13 years
Chinese Crested 12 – 16 years 9 – 12 years
Chinese Shar Pei 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Chow Chow 9 – 11 years 6.5 – 8 years
Clumber Spaniel 12 – 13 years 9 – 10 years
Cocker Spaniel-American 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Cocker Spaniel-English 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Collie 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Curly Coated Retriever 8 – 12 years 6 – 9 years
Breed Lifespan Senior Years
Dachshund 15 – 18 years 11 – 13 years
Dalmatian 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Dandie Dinmont Terrier 13 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Doberman Pinscher 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
English Foxhound 10 years 7.5 – 10.5 years
English Setter 10 – 14 years 7.5 – 10.5 years
English Springer Spaniel 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
English Toy Spaniel 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Field Spaniel 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Finnish Spitz 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Flat Coated Retriever 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Fox Terrier – Smooth 13 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Fox Terrier – Wirehair 13 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
French Bulldog 9 – 11 years 6.5 – 8 years
German Pinscher 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
German Shepherd Dog 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
German Shorthaired Pointer 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
German Wirehaired Pointer 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Giant Schnauzer 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Glen Imaal Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Golden Retriever 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Gordon Setter 12 – 13 years 9 – 10 years
Great Dane 9 – 10 years 6.5 – 7.5 years
Great Pyrenees 8 – 10 years 6 – 7.5 years
Great Swiss Mountain Dog 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Greyhound 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Harrier 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Havanese 13 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Ibizan Hound 12 years 9 years
Irish Setter 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Irish Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Irish Water spaniel 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Irish Wolfhound 6 – 8 years 4.5 – 6 years
Italian Greyhound 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Japanese Chin 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Keeshond 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Kerry Blue Terrier 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Komondor 12 years 9 – 11 years
Kuvasz 11 – 14 years 8 – 10.5 years
Labrador Retriever 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Lakeland Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Lhasa Apso 15 years 11 years
Lowchen 10 – 15 years 7.5 – 11 years
Maltese 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Manchester Terrier – Standard & Toy 13 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Mastiff 8 – 10 years 6 – 7.5 years
Miniature Bull Terrier 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Miniature Pinscher 15 years 11 years
Miniature Schnauzer 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Mix Breed – 1-15 pounds 15 – 18 years 11 – 13 years
Mix Breed – 16-40 pounds 11 – 14 years 8 – 10.5 years
Mix Breed – 41-75 pounds 8 – 13 years 6 – 9 years
Mix Breed >75 pounds 7 – 11 years 5 – 8 years
Breed Lifespan Senior Years
Neopolitan Mastiff 9 – 11 years 6.5 – 8 years
Newfoundland 7 – 10 years 5 – 7.5 years
Norfolk Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Norwegian Elkhound 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Norwich Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Old English Sheepdog 10 – 12 years 4.5 – 9 years
Otter Hound 12 years 9 years
Papillon 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Parson Russell Terrier 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Pekingese 13 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Pembroke welsh Corgi 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen 10 – 14 years 7.5 – 10.5 years
Pharaoh Hound 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Plott Hound 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Pointer 13 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Polish Lowland Sheepdog 13 – 14 years 9 -10.5 years
Pomeranian 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Poodle Miniature 15 – 18 years 11 – 13 years
Poodle Standard 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Poodle Toy 15 – 18 years 11 – 13 years
Portuguese Water Dog 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Pug 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Puli 12 – 16 years 9 – 12years
Redbone Coonhound 11 – 12 years 8 – 9 years
Rhodesian Ridgeback 8 – 12 years 6 – 9 years
Rottweiler 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Saint Bernard 8 – 10 years 6 – 7.5 years
Saluki 13 – 16 years 9 – 12 years
Samoyed 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Schipperke 15 years 11 years
Scottish Deerhound 11 – 12 years 8 – 9 years
Scottish Terrier 10 – 13 years 7.5 – 10 years
Sealyham Terrier 14 years 10.5 years
Shetland Sheepdog 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Shiba Inu 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Shih Tzu 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Siberian husky 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Silky Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Skye Terrier 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Soft – Coated Wheaten Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Spinone Italiano 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Staffordshire Bull Terrier 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Standard Schnauzer 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Sussex Spaniel 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Tibetan Mastiff 9 – 11 years 6.5 – 8 years
Tibetan Spaniel 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Tibetan Terrier 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Toy Fox Terrier 15 years 11 years
Vizsla 14 – 15 years 10.5 – 11 years
Weimaraner 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
Welsh Springer Spaniel 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Welsh Terrier 10 – 12 years 7.5 – 9 years
West Highland white Terrier 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
Whippet 12 – 15 years 9 – 11 years
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon 12 – 14 years 9 – 10.5 years
Yorkshire Terrier 14 – 16 years 10.5 – 12 years
  • Written by: PetPlace.com Staff
  • Last Modified: September 14, 2015