How Long Do Dogs Live? Expectancy Chart & Life Extension Tips

Dogs are truly human’s best friends. We spend our lives together—or rather their whole lives.

Though we cherish our dogs, they’ll never live as long as us. It’s a heart-breaking truth for many of us pet parents.

The worst part of being a dog parent is that grieving is all but guaranteed. It isn't easy to say goodbye.

Along the path to this acceptance, it’s not unusual for us to ask, “How long do dogs live?” After all, it can help us set expectations especially since life expectancy varies by breed.

After going through this thought process ourselves, we decided to compile the best data to determine “how long do dogs live” and summarized it into a helpful dog life expectancy chart.

No life expectancy is set in stone, however. These are averages and vary considerably depending on a dog’s health and lifestyle.

So to maximize your years together—and enjoy more cuddles and walks—we’ve also listed some of the top science-backed tips to boost your dog’s life expectancy.

Let’s get started.

Dog Life Expectancy Chart

Dog Breed	Average Life Expectancy (Years)
Afghan Hound	12
Airedale Terrier	11
Akita	10
American Cocker Spaniel	11
Australian Shepherd	12
Basset Hound	11
Beagle	12
Bearded Collie	13
Bernese Mountain Dog	8
Bichon Frise	12
Border Collie	13
Boston Terrier	11
Boxer	9
Brittany Spaniel	13
Bull Terrier	10
Bulldog	6
Bullmastiff	8
Cairn Terrier	14
Cardigan Welsh Corgi	13
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	11
Chesapeake Bay Retriever	9
Chow Chow	9
Collie	11
Dachshund	13
Dalmatian	11
Doberman	10
English Cocker Spaniel	12
English Setter	12
English Springer Spaniel	13
French Bulldog	9
German Shepherd	10
German Short-Haired Point	11
Giant Schnauzer	10
Golden Retriever	12
Great Dane	7
Great Pyrenees	9
Greyhound	9
Irish Setter	12
Irish Wolfhound	7
Jack and Parson Russell Terriers	1
Keeshond	12
Labrador Retriever	12
Lhasa Apso	14
Maltese	12
Mastiff	7
Miniature Dachshund	14
Miniature Poodle	14
Miniature Schnauzer	12
Newfoundland	9
Old English Sheepdog	11
Pekingese	12
Pembroke Welsh Corgi	12
Pomeranian	10
Pug	11
Rottweiler	9
Saint Bernard	8
Samoyed	12
Shetland Sheepdog	13
Shih Tzu	13
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	12
Standard Poodle	12
Toy Poodle	13
Weimaraner	10
West Highland White Terrier	13
Whippet	13

Reference: PetMD/Dog Longevity, Dr Kelly M. Cassidy

How long do mixed breed dogs live?

Above you’ll find the average lifespan for purebred dogs. However, many dogs aren’t pure breeds. To calculate your dog's life expectancy if he or she is a mixed breed, you can use a few general rules.

Smaller dogs tend to live longer lives than their larger counterparts. According to the State of Pet Health report, dogs under 20 pounds averaged 11.3 years. While in contrast, dogs weighing over 90 pounds (like Great Danes and St. Bernards) had an average lifespan of just 8 years. Medium-sized dogs fell somewhere in between [*].

This is pretty unusual. Across the animal kingdom, larger species tend to live longer. It’s led to a lot of head-scratching amongst scientists studying dogs [*].

Additionally, if your dog is a mix of breeds on the chart above, you can take an average of the breeds to estimate your dog's life expectancy.

Finally, keep in mind that most pet parents do no exercise their dogs and feed them poorly (ultraprocessed dry kibble, high sugar treats and/or too many table scraps). This drags down the national aveage.

Your dog's lifespan DOES NOT need to be limited to the national average life expectancy. By following superior health choices, you can increase the time your dog is expected to live. 

How to boost your dog’s life expectancy

No dog can live forever. However, you can do several things to increase your dog's life expectancy by 30% to 50% by promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Here are our top life-extending tips:

1. Exercise at 3-5 days per week

We all know the importance of exercise for humans. Exercise strengthens your body and mind, decreasing the likelihood of conditions such as heart disease or cancer. The same is also true for dogs.

Less frequent exercise in dogs is associated with being overweight—which by extension decreases a dog’s life expectancy [*].

Moreover, canine obesity is linked to arthritis, diabetes, breathing difficulties and cancer [*]. Overweight dogs also have a poorer quality of life and tend to have a shorter lifespan [*].

Even better, mental exercise – focusing on training and mobility – can promote brain function in old age. So, your dog stays sharper for longer [*].

2. Add more probiotics

Living longer is highly correlated to gut health. One review highlighted the sheer range of benefits dogs get from probiotic supplementation.

Probiotics can strengthen canine immune systems, reduce stomach problems (like gastroenteritis and IBD) and even prevent allergies [*].

Meanwhile, another study demonstrated that dogs fed a daily oral probiotic had improved bowel function compared to those taking a placebo [*].

Getting your dog's gut health right puts then in a position to live longer.

3. Low carb diet

We all know eating lots of carbs isn’t a particularly healthy lifestyle for humans. Given dogs' similar digistive structure and more carnivorous nature, you might imagine the same is true for them. You’d be right.

Dogs can eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. However, high-carb diets are known to cause problematic blood sugar levels and disrupt thyroid function [*] [*].

Feeding your dog the right amount of calories per day is also extremely important. If you tend to feed your dog a lot of snacks—take note.

igh-calorie diets were shown in a 2002 study to decrease canine lifespans significantly. According to the study, “[the] results suggest that [a] 25% reduction in food intake increased median lifespan and delayed the onset of signs of chronic disease in these dogs.” [*].

Instead of ultraprocessed high carb dry kibble, opt for a doggy diet rich in healthy natural foods including fresh meat and only the fruits and vegetables necessary for vitamins and minerals. Avoid peas and empty-carb fillers like rice and potato.

Conclusion

How long do dogs live? That depends on the breed, nutrition and lifestyle of your dog.

In the comprehensive dog life expectancy chart above, we detailed the lifespan of the most common dog breeds. However, through regular exercise, probiotics and a low-carb healthy diet—you can boost your dog’s life expectancy further.

That means more walks, more hikes and more years with your dog—potentially into their late teens.