Apparently,one human year is not equal to seven dog years. We all thought this ratio is true until recently. If this is not true, then what is your Bulldog’s real “dog” age?
The Origin of the 7:1 Ratio
Myths do not just pop out of nowhere. The 7:1 ratio we know today is believed to have originated way back in 1268. A Judgment Day computation found and declared that humans and dogs’ life spans have a 9:1 ratio – which shows that humans live up to 81 years-old while dogs live up to 9. This ratio was then adjusted to 7:1 in the 1950s. During the time, the average life span of humans decreased to 70 while dogs lived up to 10 years-old. The 7:1 ratio has since become the basis of computing dog age.
Read: Why Do Bulldogs Drool?
Computing Dog Age in Modern Days
According to experts, the belief that there are 7 dog years in one human year has no basis. If it were true, no dog would be able to give birth or father puppies at the age of one. Of course, we all know that dogs can get pregnant or get another dog pregnant at that age.
Not all dogs live up to 7 years old. Some even live longer than that. Dogs’ average life span is between 8 years and 16 years. The difference in years has something to do with how fast each dog breed’s body matures.
The 7:1 ratio was first opposed in 1953. French scientist Lebeau argued that dogs’ growth rates differ according to their size and breed. Lebeau argued that our furry buddies do not mature at the same rate all their lives adding that dogs mature 15 to 20 times faster than humans during their first year.
After turning a year old, dogs’ growth rate generally slows down to a 1:5 ratio. But since different dog breeds mature at different rates, using just one scale wouldn’t be right. By averaging dogs’ growth rates, Lebaeau found that a 1-year-old dog is like a 15-year-old human. Then aging slows down after that –averaging at4 dog years per 1 human year.
How Old is Your Bulldog?
Dogs mature at different rates depending on their size, breed, and weight. Smaller dog breeds generally mature slower than larger dog breeds. To compute the “dog” age of dogs, experts classified dog sizes into small, medium, large, and giant.
- Small dogs (20 pounds or less);
- Medium dogs ( 21 to 50 pounds);
- Large dogs (51 to 90 pounds);
- Giant dogs (over 90 lbs).
In the table below, you’ll find out how each dog breed/size ages!
via Daily Mirror
So, how old is your Bulldog?
