{"id":4511,"date":"2024-08-26T14:28:46","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T18:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=4511"},"modified":"2024-08-26T14:28:47","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T18:28:47","slug":"average-dog-lifespan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/","title":{"rendered":"Average Dog Lifespan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In a perfect world, our dogs would live forever. The truest of companions, dogs add so much love, joy, laughter, and acceptance to a person\u2019s life. Whether you are considering getting your first dog or are thinking of adopting a new breed, or making health decisions for an existing dog, knowing an average<strong><em> dog lifespan<\/em><\/strong> for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dog Lifespans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While many factors will affect how long a specific <a href=\"https:\/\/www.akc.org\/expert-advice\/health\/how-long-do-dogs-live\/\">dog will live<\/a>, in general, the lifespan typically spans between 10 and 13 years. Smaller dogs like chihuahuas tend to have a longer lifespan, with an average closer to 14-16 years. Bigger dogs, however, like great Danes or St. Bernards tend to only live about 7-10 years. Certain breeds are more susceptible to certain diseases like cancer. Basically genetics, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/litter-size\/\">size<\/a>, build, lifestyle, and nutrition can all have an impact on the length of a dog\u2019s life. We recommend researching the health concerns about certain breeds before you adopt a dog so you can be prepared to offer the best care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Genetic Factors That Affect Dog Lifespan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes a dog is dealt a bad hand when it comes to genetics. Diseases like cancer and congenital abnormalities might affect a dog that lives an otherwise healthy life. While there might not be a way to prevent certain diseases, health testing can help you learn about your dog\u2019s risk of developing a disease like this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nutritional Factors That Affect Dog Lifespan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The kind of food a dog eats can significantly impact <strong><em>dog lifespan<\/em><\/strong>. It is very important for overall health to keep a dog at a healthy weight for his breed and size. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/new-years-resolutions-tackling-pet-obesity\/\">Obesity<\/a> in dogs increases strain on the body and organs, and increases risks for diseases like cancer and diabetes. In fact, just a little bit of extra weight can decrease a dog\u2019s expected lifespan by 2 whole years. In such a short frame of time, 2 years is a huge percentage of the animal\u2019s life. Talk to your veterinarian about the best diet for your dog and try to make sure he or she remains at a healthy weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Veterinary Care Can Affect Dog Lifespan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Annual wellness visits to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/extending-your-pets-life-specialty-care-for-aging-pets\/\">trusted veterinarian<\/a> are also an integral aspect of a <em>dog\u2019s lifespan<\/em>. The combination of vaccines, preventives, and the ability to spot any potential health issues early can help a dog live a long and happy life. Once your pet reaches his or her senior years, bi-annual wellness visits are important for overall health and longevity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Environmental Factors That Affect Dog Lifespan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dogs who have safe, loving homes have a much higher likelihood of living longer than stray dogs who sleep outside. When animals are not constantly exposed to the elements, other animals, cars, and other dangerous factors found in the wild, they have a better chance of growing up healthy. In fact, trauma caused by situations like car accidents or dog fights is one of the leading causes of early death in dogs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>We hope this helps you know what to expect as far as <strong><em>dog lifespan<\/em><\/strong> for your dog or dog to be. At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/about-us\/\">OVRS<\/a>, we do everything we can to extend the lifespan of the dogs we see. With our specialty veterinary and emergency services, we can provide extra help when your pet needs it. To learn more about our services, please call (248) 334-6877.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a perfect world, our dogs would live forever. The truest of companions, dogs add so much love, joy, laughter, and acceptance to a person\u2019s life. Whether you are considering getting your first dog or are thinking of adopting a new breed, or making health decisions for an existing dog, knowing an average dog lifespan [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-for-dogs","category-pet-health-wellness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Average Dog Lifespan | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knowing an average dog lifespan for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely when getting a new pet or make the best choices for an existing pet.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Average Dog Lifespan | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Knowing an average dog lifespan for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely when getting a new pet or make the best choices for an existing pet.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ovrservices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-26T18:28:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-26T18:28:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"OVRS Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"OVRS Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"OVRS Staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/624f934086950c0c4fde65d49fc64823\"},\"headline\":\"Average Dog Lifespan\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-26T18:28:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-26T18:28:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/\"},\"wordCount\":569,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"For The Dogs\",\"Pet Health &amp; Wellness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/\",\"name\":\"Average Dog Lifespan | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-26T18:28:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-26T18:28:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"Knowing an average dog lifespan for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely when getting a new pet or make the best choices for an existing pet.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":563},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Average Dog Lifespan\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services\",\"description\":\"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services Blog\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/OVRS_logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/OVRS_logo.png\",\"width\":696,\"height\":696,\"caption\":\"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ovrservices\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/624f934086950c0c4fde65d49fc64823\",\"name\":\"OVRS Staff\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b80b9c3ccfe4b645ff35a623de5c58ef22606b7868bac923ebc89d15ca05c921?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b80b9c3ccfe4b645ff35a623de5c58ef22606b7868bac923ebc89d15ca05c921?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"OVRS Staff\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/author\/ovrs\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Average Dog Lifespan | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services","description":"Knowing an average dog lifespan for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely when getting a new pet or make the best choices for an existing pet.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Average Dog Lifespan | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services","og_description":"Knowing an average dog lifespan for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely when getting a new pet or make the best choices for an existing pet.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/","og_site_name":"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ovrservices","article_published_time":"2024-08-26T18:28:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-26T18:28:47+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"OVRS Staff","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"OVRS Staff","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/"},"author":{"name":"OVRS Staff","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/624f934086950c0c4fde65d49fc64823"},"headline":"Average Dog Lifespan","datePublished":"2024-08-26T18:28:46+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-26T18:28:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/"},"wordCount":569,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg","articleSection":["For The Dogs","Pet Health &amp; Wellness"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/","name":"Average Dog Lifespan | Oakland Veterinary Referral Services","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg","datePublished":"2024-08-26T18:28:46+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-26T18:28:47+00:00","description":"Knowing an average dog lifespan for various types of dogs can help you choose wisely when getting a new pet or make the best choices for an existing pet.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OVRS-Lifespan-shutterstock_2463173867.jpg","width":1000,"height":563},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/average-dog-lifespan\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Average Dog Lifespan"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/","name":"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services","description":"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services Blog","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services","url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/OVRS_logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/OVRS_logo.png","width":696,"height":696,"caption":"Oakland Veterinary Referral Services"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ovrservices"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/624f934086950c0c4fde65d49fc64823","name":"OVRS Staff","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b80b9c3ccfe4b645ff35a623de5c58ef22606b7868bac923ebc89d15ca05c921?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b80b9c3ccfe4b645ff35a623de5c58ef22606b7868bac923ebc89d15ca05c921?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"OVRS Staff"},"url":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/author\/ovrs\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4511"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4514,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4511\/revisions\/4514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}