Exact Answer: 15 Human Years
If you own a dog as a pet then you must have heard of people saying that one dog year is equal to seven dog years. Although this was something people used to believe before. However, as veterinary science and the respective fields evolved, it was found that this is not the truth. It is a fact that one single dog year is nowhere equal to one human year. Instead, one dog year is much more than one human year.
How Long Is A Dog Year?
A dog year can vary depending upon the fact that what dog year you want to know. The first dog year period is completely unequal to the second dog year and the same goes for the third, fourth, and further dog years. Another fact that must be simultaneously considered while calculating the dog year is the breed of dogs. Dogs are majorly classified into 4 major types of the breed that are, small-sized breed dogs, medium-sized breed dogs, large-sized breed dogs, and giant-sized breed dogs. Moreover, it is known that small-sized dogs have a longer length of lifespan as compared to large-sized dogs.
Giant-sized breed dogs are the ones that weigh over 100 pounds. The first year of giant-sized breed dogs is equal to 12 human years.
Large-sized breed dogs are the ones that weigh between a range of 50 pounds to 100 pounds. The first year of these dogs is about 15 human years long.
Dogs of medium-sized breed are the ones which weigh between a weight range of 21 pounds to 50 pounds when they reach the level of maturity. The first year of these dogs is about 15 human years long.
Lastly, small-sized breed dogs or also known as toy breed dogs are the ones that weigh less than 20 pounds when they reach the age of maturity. The first year of dogs belonging to this breed is about 15 human years long.
Here is a quick summary of how long is one dog year when comparing it to human years depending upon the breed of dogs:
| Breed Of Dogs | Dog Year Length |
| Giant-sized breed dogs | 12 human years |
| Large-sized breed dogs | 15 human years |
| Medium-sized breed dogs | 15 human years |
| Small-sized breed dogs | 15 human years |
Why Is A Dog Year That Long?
Size and breed play a role in determining the period of how long a dog is. It is found and also known according to results that smaller-sized dogs tend to live longer than larger-sized ones. That means the smaller-sized breed dogs mature more quickly in the first few years of life as compared to dogs belonging to larger-sized breeds.
A dog’s first year includes many phases observing to which one can observe how close or how far your dog is to complete his or her first year. By the first 8 weeks of a dog’s birth, all of his or her baby teeth are in. By the period of 7 months, baby teeth are shredded off and all permanent teeth are in. Next, by the period of 1 to 2 human years, the teeth become duller and you may observe the back teeth to have some yellowing as well.
After a span of 3 to 5 human years, you might see all the teeth of your dog have tartar buildup and some tooth wear. Following this, after a period of 5 to 10 years, the teeth of your dog start to show more wear and may show signs of disease as well. Lastly, after a period of 10 to 15 years, the dog’s teeth are worn, and heavy tartar buildup is quite visible. You might also observe some teeth missing. Once you see these signs, you can be sure that your dog’s first-year completion is near.
Conclusion
The period of the first dog year is completely unequal to the second dog year and so on.
Considering that the second year of dogs belonging to giant-sized breeds is about 22 human years long. Whereas, on the other hand, the second dog year of large-sized breed dogs, medium-sized breed dogs, and small-sized breed dogs ranges around 24 human years.