Dogs provide us with unconditional love, so we want our loved ones to be alive and healthy for longer periods. Generally, Small breeds live longer.

Small dogs average life expectancy is between 10 -15 years of breeds under 20 pounds.

While the larger dogs average life expectancy is around 8- 10 years breeds those over 90 pounds.

Middle-sized dogs average life expectancy is around 10 -13 years.

There is no specific answer to ” How long does my dog live?”. Given details are an overall average age for the breeds, sometimes your dog can live longer than that.

We have all gone through the pain of losing our dog at least once in our lifetime. It’s an irreplaceable asset, we can only adopt the other dog but we can’t get our dog back. I would suggest adoption is the right choice, it’s like giving life to an orphan dog. You know in return dog will give back unconditional love.

Top 10 Longest living dog breeds

List of top 10 longest living dogs along with their average lifespans :

1. New Guinea singing dog
2. Chihuahua
3. Toy poodle
4. Jack Russell terrier
5. Cockapoo
6. Lhasa apso
7. Shih Tzu
8. Australian Shepherd
9. Beagle
10. Maltese

1. New Guinea Singing Dog

Rarest breed found in New Guinea, Australia. Not an average domesticated dog and not recommended as a house pet as its closely related to the wild dog. Why is it called a singing Dog? It has the ability to vary the pitch of its howl. If properly socialized, then this can be a very good pet. But not an apartment pet. NGSD is an outdoor dog.
Average lifespan: 18 years

2. Chihuahua

Though this is one of the smallest dogs, these live a long beautiful and happy life. This doesn’t belong to Brachycephalic category (flat faced), so they are very less prone to diseases which all flat faced dogs face. They are famous as purse puppies. Most of the high-profile celebrities have them.
Average lifespan: 17 years

3. Toy poodle

Toy poodles are a great outdoor dog. They are very good athletes. One of the most trainable and smarted of all breeds. Polite with strangers and sociable with other animals. Their peace of mind keeps them live longer.
Average lifespan: 16 years

4. Jack Russell terrier

Super active and super smart dog. Jack Russell terrier require any fulltime job like running in the backyard, playing with you, follow you for an outdoor job or hunting a rat. If it has nothing to do then the dog is very destructive. Requires a lot of consistent training and exercise to keep him sane.
Average lifespan: 16 years

5. Cockapoo

Cross between Cocker Spaniel and a poodle. The best of both breeds are in Cockapoo. They are happy, affectionate and are bred to be a companion dog. Cockapoo has a moderate energy level but still, require exercise for at least 15 minutes a day.
Average lifespan: 16 years

6. Lhasa apso

One of the oldest breed coming from Tibet. It was once a watchdog in monasteries and palaces. But now a family dog who crave a lot of cuddles.
Average lifespan: 15 years

7. Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu is a companion dog. Loves people to be around. Shih Tzu is affectionate with children. One of the most beautiful dog breed. Best breed for the people who live in an apartment.
Average lifespan: 15 years

8. Australian Shepherd

As the name suggests its good as a shepherd. Very active, more focused and Agile are characteristics. Perfect outdoor dog. Require a lot of exercises to keep him fit and busy.
Average lifespan: 15 years

9. Beagle

Though a small dog, they are very active and hardy. They love to hunt for new scents. Love the company of kids. They were initially bred as a hunting dog as they are good at tracking smell.
Average lifespan: 15 years

10. Maltese

Maltese generally have white floor length coat. Loos beautiful and small. They are playful and charming. They are excellent watchdogs and very good runners.
Average lifespan: 15 years

There is no specific answer to ” How long does my dog live?”.

Large breeds

Lifespans for certain large dog breeds:

• Great Dane (8-10 years)
• Bernese Mountain Dog (7-10 years)
• Irish Wolfhound (8-10 years)
• Newfoundland (10-12 years)
• Giant Schnauzer (10-12 years)
• Dogue de Bordeaux (9-11 years)
• Rottweiler (10-12 years)
• St. Bernard (10-12 years)
• Scottish Deerhound (10-12 years)
• Flat-Coated Retriever (10-12 years)
• Akita (11-15 years)
• Anatolian Shepherd (11-13 years)
• Irish Setter (12-14 years)
• Belgian Malinois (14-16 years)

Medium sized dogs

Lifespans for certain medium dog breeds:

• Australian Shepherd (12-15 years)
• Chinese Shar-Pei (12-14 years)
• Cocker Spaniel (13-15 years)
• Poodle (12-15 years)
• Whippet (12-15 years)
• Puli (10-15 years)
• Welsh Springer Spaniel (13-15 years)
• Bulldog (10-12 years)
• Boxer (10-12 years)
• Chow Chow (11-13 years)
• Curly-Coated Retriever (11-13 years)
• French Bulldog (11-13 years)

Small breeds

Lifespans for certain small dog breeds:

• Chihuahua (15-17 years)
• Chinese Crested (15-17 years)
• Smooth and Wire Fox Terrier (13-15 years)
• English Toy Spaniel (13-15 years)
• Pomeranian (14-16 years)
• Rat Terrier (13-15 years)
• Russell Terrier (12-14 years)
• Lakeland Terrier (12-14 years)
• Manchester Terrier (12-14 years)
• Yorkshire Terrier (12-15 years)

A complete list of dog breeds and their lifespan

Factors determining Dogs lifespan

1. Dog Size
2. Inbreeding vs Crossbreeding
3. Diet
4. Neutering
5. Exercise
6. Oral hygiene
7. Vet checkup

1 . Dog Size

As we see from the above chart the Smaller dogs tend to live longer than larger dogs up to several years more. There are a few reasons behind this. One of the reason is the larger breeds grow at a faster pace from puppies to adults. The abnormal cell growth results in various diseases, which will hinder the life expectancy.
Inbreeding vs Crossbreeding
Inbreeding reduces the lifespan of dogs. The health issues and genetically carrying diseases will be more visible in inbreeding puppies, these will hider the life expectancy. In contrast, Crossbreeding is good and the live longer life in comparison.

2 . Diet

The overfed dog will have a lot more problem and reduce life expectancy. Dogs need a proper nutritious diet, consult your Vet if you are not sure about the diet of your dog.

3 . Neutering

Neutering is a small procedure which will prevent dogs to make puppies. The minor surgery has to be done at a young age. This positively affects the dog’s lifespan. The risk of ovarian, testicle cancers can be avoided. If you not planning on breeding, then Neutering is the best option to improve your dog’s lifespan.

4 . Exercise

Dogs require a lot of exercises to keep them fit and healthy. Dogs require a normal long walk or running and fetching toys. Also, dogs do need exercise mentally too. Spend time with your dog as much as possible. Do not ever me a reason for their depression or mental illness. A happy dog will live for more years than a sad one.

5 . Oral hygiene

Most of the oral diseases are pretty severe for the dog in their old age. For example plaque buildup, gingivitis. A good toothpaste with a soft brush is pretty much needed for keeping dogs oral hygiene up to the mark. Do not ever neglect the oral care, during old age dog will have a hard time to break down his food.

6 . Vet checkup

Take your dog to Veterinarian at least twice in a year for a general checkup. As humans, we can communicate if we are facing any slight problem in our health but for dogs even if they show signs to us. We can hardly get those subtle signs seriously nor we don’t understand. So its good to visit the vet for their peace of mind. Giving treatment at early stages solves some of the major disorders or diseases.