Outliving the Giants

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Scientists recently analyzed data from nearly 590,000 dogs in the United Kingdom to determine what sort of factors determine a pooch’s lifespan, Smithsonian Magazine reported.

The sample included purebreds and crossbreeds, including more than 280,000 deceased canines. Researchers wrote that the study targeted size, face shape, as well as genetics and lifestyle.

The researchers realized that the secret to determining a dog’s longevity lies in their size and the shape of their nose, according to the resulting study.

The median lifespan for all pooches was 12.5 years, but smaller and long-nosed canines lived longer than larger and flat-nosed dogs.

For example, dachshunds – both small and long-nosed – had a median lifespan of 14 years. But French bulldogs, which are medium-sized with flat noses, had a median of 9.8 years.

Meanwhile, the findings also showed that purebreds had lived longer than crossbreeds, with the former having a median lifespan of 12.7 years and the latter around 12 years.

The purebred Lancashire heeler took the top spot with 15.4 years, while the bear-hunting Caucasian shepherd – a crossbreed – had the shortest lifespan with about 5.4 years.

And similar to humans, female dogs lived longer than males.

Some researchers said the study challenges the long-held belief that crossbreeds had longer lives because of more variation in their genes.

However, the research does come with some caveats because it only focuses on dogs in the UK and does not explore why these factors contribute to shorter lifespans.

The authors hope that the findings can encourage scientists worldwide to conduct similar studies, as well as help pet owners and breeders to make more informed decisions about the health and welfare of their dogs.