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Dog Lifespan by Breed: How Long Do Dogs Live?

Dogs live about 11 to 12 years on average, and the spread by breed is enormous: 7 to 10 for a Great Dane, 14 to 16 for a Chihuahua. Search or sort 131 breeds below, then open a breed page for what decides its number and to convert your own dog's age.

Quick answer: average dog lifespan is 11.2 years (VetCompass UK, 2022). Small breeds 12 to 16, medium 10 to 14, large 9 to 12, giant 7 to 10. Size, breed and body condition are the three biggest predictors.

131 breeds: typical lifespan

Type to filter, tap a column to sort. Breed club ranges cross-checked against VetCompass life tables.

Breed

Size class

Breed ↕	Size ↕	Typical years ↕	Mid ↕
Afghan Hound	large	12 to 15	13.5
Airedale Terrier	medium	11 to 14	12.5
Akita	large	10 to 13	11.5
Alaskan Malamute	large	10 to 14	12
American Bulldog	large	10 to 12	11
American Eskimo Dog	medium	13 to 15	14
American Staffordshire Terrier	medium	12 to 14	13
Anatolian Shepherd	giant	11 to 13	12
Australian Cattle Dog	medium	12 to 16	14
Australian Shepherd	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Basenji	medium	13 to 14	13.5
Basset Hound	medium	12 to 13	12.5
Beagle	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Bearded Collie	large	12 to 14	13
Belgian Malinois	large	14 to 16	15
Bernedoodle	large	12 to 15	13.5
Bernese Mountain Dog	giant	7 to 10	8.5
Bichon Frise	small	13 to 15	14
Black Labrador	large	11 to 13	12
Bloodhound	large	10 to 12	11
Boerboel	giant	9 to 11	10
Border Collie	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Borzoi	large	10 to 13	11.5
Boston Terrier	small	11 to 13	12
Boxer	large	10 to 12	11
Brittany	medium	12 to 14	13
Brussels Griffon	small	12 to 15	13.5
Bull Terrier	medium	12 to 13	12.5
Bulldog	medium	8 to 10	9
Bullmastiff	giant	7 to 9	8
Cairn Terrier	small	13 to 15	14
Cane Corso	giant	9 to 12	10.5
Cardigan Welsh Corgi	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	small	10 to 14	12
Cavapoo	small	12 to 15	13.5
Chesapeake Bay Retriever	large	10 to 13	11.5
Chihuahua	small	14 to 16	15
Chinese Crested	small	13 to 16	14.5
Chiweenie	small	12 to 16	14
Chocolate Labrador	large	10 to 13	11.5
Chow Chow	large	8 to 12	10
Cockapoo	small	12 to 15	13.5
Cocker Spaniel	medium	12 to 14	13
Corgi (Pembroke)	medium	12 to 13	12.5
Coton de Tulear	small	14 to 16	15
Curly-Coated Retriever	large	10 to 12	11
Dachshund	small	12 to 16	14
Dalmatian	large	11 to 13	12
Doberman	large	10 to 12	11
Dogue de Bordeaux	giant	5 to 8	6.5
English Pointer	large	12 to 15	13.5
English Setter	large	12 to 14	13
English Springer Spaniel	medium	12 to 14	13
Finnish Lapphund	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Flat-Coated Retriever	large	8 to 10	9
Fox Terrier	medium	12 to 15	13.5
French Bulldog	small	9 to 12	10.5
German Shepherd	large	9 to 12	10.5
German Shorthaired Pointer	large	10 to 12	11
Giant Schnauzer	large	12 to 15	13.5
Golden Retriever	large	10 to 12	11
Goldendoodle	large	10 to 15	12.5
Goldendoodle (Mini)	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Gordon Setter	large	12 to 13	12.5
Great Dane	giant	7 to 10	8.5
Great Pyrenees	giant	10 to 12	11
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog	giant	8 to 11	9.5
Greyhound	large	10 to 13	11.5
Harrier	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Havanese	small	14 to 16	15
Husky (Siberian)	large	12 to 14	13
Irish Setter	large	12 to 15	13.5
Irish Wolfhound	giant	6 to 8	7
Italian Greyhound	small	13 to 15	14
Jack Russell	small	13 to 16	14.5
Japanese Chin	small	10 to 14	12
Keeshond	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Kelpie	medium	12 to 14	13
Komondor	giant	10 to 12	11
Kuvasz	giant	10 to 12	11
Labradoodle	large	12 to 14	13
Labrador (Yellow)	large	11 to 13	12
Lagotto Romagnolo	medium	15 to 17	16
Leonberger	giant	7 to 9	8
Lhasa Apso	small	12 to 15	13.5
Maltese	small	12 to 15	13.5
Maltipoo	small	12 to 15	13.5
Mastiff	giant	7 to 9	8
Miniature American Shepherd	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Miniature Dachshund	small	12 to 16	14
Miniature Pinscher	small	12 to 16	14
Miniature Poodle	small	13 to 16	14.5
Miniature Schnauzer	small	12 to 15	13.5
Morkie	small	10 to 14	12
Neapolitan Mastiff	giant	7 to 9	8
Newfoundland	giant	8 to 10	9
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever	medium	12 to 14	13
Old English Sheepdog	large	10 to 12	11
Papillon	small	14 to 16	15
Pekingese	small	12 to 14	13
Pit Bull Terrier	medium	12 to 14	13
Pomeranian	small	12 to 16	14
Pomsky	small	13 to 15	14
Portuguese Water Dog	medium	11 to 13	12
Pug	small	10 to 13	11.5
Puggle	medium	10 to 15	12.5
Rat Terrier	small	13 to 16	14.5
Rhodesian Ridgeback	large	10 to 12	11
Rottweiler	large	9 to 10	9.5
Rough Collie	large	12 to 14	13
Samoyed	large	12 to 14	13
Schnoodle	medium	13 to 16	14.5
Scottish Deerhound	giant	8 to 11	9.5
Shetland Sheepdog	medium	12 to 14	13
Shiba Inu	medium	13 to 16	14.5
Shih Tzu	small	10 to 16	13
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier	medium	12 to 14	13
Spanish Water Dog	medium	12 to 14	13
St Bernard	giant	8 to 10	9
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	medium	12 to 14	13
Standard Poodle	large	12 to 15	13.5
Standard Schnauzer	medium	13 to 16	14.5
Tibetan Mastiff	giant	10 to 12	11
Toy Poodle	small	13 to 16	14.5
Vizsla	large	12 to 14	13
Weimaraner	large	10 to 13	11.5
Welsh Springer Spaniel	medium	12 to 15	13.5
West Highland White Terrier	small	13 to 15	14
Whippet	medium	12 to 15	13.5
Yorkipoo	small	12 to 15	13.5
Yorkshire Terrier	small	12 to 15	13.5

Breed lifespan guides

Each guide covers the range, the factors that decide it for that breed, life stages with human-age equivalents, and a breed-preset age calculator with a shareable ID card.

How long do dogs live, and what moves the number

Size first. Small dogs age slowest after maturity (about 4 human years per dog year), giants fastest (about 7). Then breed: some breeds concentrate one disease that shortens the average (Cavalier heart valves, Doberman cardiomyopathy, Berner cancer, Frenchie airways). Then the owner-controlled part: body condition, dental care and how fast lumps and lameness get looked at. Lean-fed dogs in the only lifetime feeding trial ever run lived almost two years longer than their littermates.

Size class	Adult weight	Typical lifespan	Aging after year 2
Small	under 20 lb (9 kg)	12 to 16 years	about 4 human years per year
Medium	20 to 50 lb (9 to 23 kg)	10 to 14 years	about 4.5 to 5
Large	51 to 90 lb (23 to 41 kg)	9 to 12 years	about 5 to 6
Giant	over 90 lb (41 kg)	7 to 10 years	about 7

Dog lifespan FAQ

How long do dogs live on average?

About 11 to 12 years across all breeds; the 2022 VetCompass UK life table put overall life expectancy at 11.2 years. Small breeds average 12 to 16, giants 7 to 10, and individual breeds range from under 5 (French Bulldog, in that dataset) to 15 or more (Jack Russell, Border Collie, Chihuahua).

Do small dogs live longer than big dogs?

Yes, consistently. Small breeds age slowest after maturity and giant breeds fastest; a Great Dane is geriatric at 7 while a Chihuahua of the same age is middle-aged. Within dogs, bigger means shorter, the reverse of the pattern across mammal species.

Which dog breeds live the longest?

Small terriers and toy breeds lead: Jack Russell, Chihuahua, Toy and Miniature Poodle, Yorkshire Terrier, Dachshund and Border Collie regularly reach 15 to 16. Mixed-breed small dogs do similarly well.

Which dog breeds have the shortest lifespans?

Giant breeds and the flattest-faced breeds: Great Dane, Bernese Mountain Dog, Irish Wolfhound, Mastiffs, and in UK primary-care data the French Bulldog and English Bulldog.

Do mixed-breed dogs live longer than purebreds?

On average slightly, mostly because mixes are less likely to carry a breed's concentrated hereditary disease. Size still dominates: a giant mix will not outlive a small purebred.

What extends a dog's lifespan the most?

Lean body condition (the Purina Labrador study found lean-fed dogs lived 1.8 years longer), dental care, neutering timed with your vet's advice for the breed, and catching lumps and lameness early. Breed-specific screening matters most in breeds with one dominant disease.

Related dog calculators

Sources: Teng et al., Scientific Reports 2022 (VetCompass life tables, 18 breeds and crossbreeds); breed club health information; Kealy et al., JAVMA 2002; AAHA canine life stage guidelines. Breed ranges are typical, not maximum. Last reviewed August 2026.