The question of life expectancy is one that inevitably comes up when a new canine family member is being considered. People either want to know the commitment they have to make, or want to be prepared for the sad eventuality of losing a beloved companion. Regardless of the reason behind the curiosity, there are a variety of factors that impact the lifespan of a dog.

The breed of a dog is the most important predictor of how long a dog might live. Each breed of dog has a specific lifespan (with a small range, of course) which is usually highly reliable. Aside from the breed of a dog, there are other factors that play into how long a dog might live.

  • Lifestyle: Like humans, a dog’s lifestyle can directly impact its longevity. Dogs that life a healthy lifestyle that includes plenty of exercise, mental stimulation, and good living conditions will live longer, and also enjoy a higher quality of life, even in old age.
  • Nutrition: In addition to exercise, and good living conditions, high quality food (and in proper portions) will directly contribute to the health and longevity of a dog. Selecting the proper food designed for whatever life stage in which a dog finds itself, and paying attention to ingredients in order to avoid foods with high amount of fillers, by products and artificial flavors and colors, can extend a dog’s life.
  • Medical Care: Many of a dog’s health problems can be prevented or properly managed by high quality and timely medical attention. Providing a dog with high quality medical care that includes regular checkups, and vaccinations can help prevent disease, and provide opportunity for early diagnosis when things do go wrong. This type of care can extend the lifespan of a dog.
  • Spaying & Neutering: Another contributor to a longer lifespan is the reduction of cancer rates and other diseases related to sex organs that results from spaying or neutering a dog.

Other Factors that contribute to a longer life include:

  • Breed Size: Generally, smaller dog breeds tend to live a longer life than larger breeds, as you can glean from the life expectancy chart below.
  • Sex: Similar to humans, female dogs are generally expected to have a longer life as compared to their male counterparts within the same breed.

Life Expectancy of Mixed Breed Dogs

The best way to predict the life expectancy of a mixed breed dog is to use the weight of a specific dog. As with pure breeds, small sized dogs live a longer life as compared to larger ones, and females live a longer live compared to male dogs of mixed breed.

The smaller a dog is the longer it likely to live. As a general rule one can expect dogs weighing 20 pounds or less to have an average life span of around 12 years, while dogs weighing 90 pounds or more to live around 8 years.

Afghan Hound 11 to 13
Airedale Terrier 10 to 12
Akita 10 to 12
Alaskan Malamute 12 to 15
American Foxhound 10 to 12
American Water Spaniel 12 to 15
Anatolian Shepherd Dog 12 to 14
Australian Sheppard 12 to 14
Beauceron 10 to 12
Belgian Malinois 12 to 14
Belgian Shepherd 13 to 14
Bernese Mountain Dog 7 to 8
Coonhound 10 to 12
Bloodhound 10 to 12
Borzoi 10 to 12
Bouvier des Flandres 10 to 12
Boxer 12 to 14
Briard 10 to 12
Bulldog 8 to 12
Bull Terrier 12 to 14
Chesapeake Bay Retriever 10 to 13
Chow 12 to 15
Collie 12 to 15
Coonhound 10 to 12
Curly-Coated Retriever 12 to 14
Dalmatian 12 to 14
Deerhound 11 to 12
Doberman Pinscher 10 to 13
English Foxhound 10 to 13
English Setter 10 to 12
Flat-Coated Retriever 10 to 11
German Shepherd 10 to 13
German Shorthaired Pointer 10 to 12
German Wirehaired Pointer 10 to 12
Giant Schnauzer 12 to 15
Golden Retriever 10 to 13
Gordon Setter 10 to 12
Great Dane 7 to 10
Great Pyrenees 10 to 12
Greyhound 10 to 14
Irish Setter 12 to 14
Irish Water Spaniel 10 to 12
Irish Wolf Hound 6 to 8
Komondor 10 to 12
Labrador Retriever 10 to 15
Newfoundland 8 to 12
Mastiff American 10 to 12 Yeas
Mastiff English 10 to 12
Newfoundland 8 to 11
Old English Sheepdog 10 to 12
Otterhound 10 to 11
Pitbull 12 to 14
Pointer 12 to 15
Poodle Standard 12 to 14
Pyrenean Mountain Dog 9 to 12
Rhodesian Ridgeback 9 to 12
Rottweiler 9 to 12
Saint Bernard 8 to 10
Saluki 12 to 14
Samoyed 12 to 15
Shetland Sheepdog 12 to 15
Siberian Husky 10 to 14
Spinone Italiano 12 to 14
Vizsla 10 to 14
Weimaraner 10 to 13