Small breed dogs live longer than large sized dogs

Swati Tandon, Pet Expert

Some prefer the fierce German Shepards while some melt at the sight of a cuddly Cocker Spaniel. For some its the Great Dane and some carry the little Chihuahuas. The qualities that attract you to a certain breed can be subjective to your personal preferences. There are a number of factors involved in choosing the right breed for oneself. For example aversion of long fur can be one for the reasons a lot of people prefer dog breeds like Labradors or Beagles.Like wise many prefer the punched faced Boxers and Pugs to a Golden Retriever.

One such important factor is the size of the dog. Some prefer large size dogs because of their intimidating looks while others prefer tiny toys dogs. The size of your house is also an important factor in choosing the size of your dog. It is not wise to keep a large sized dog in a small apartment where there wont be enough space for him to play and exercise.

One such factor is the age. Little do people know that smaller breeds tend to live longer than large breed dogs. A Great Dane (One of the largest dog breeds) have a life span of 8-10 years and a Chihuahua (Smallest dog breed) can live upto 18 years.

A recent research conducted by Dr. Cornelia Kraus studied 56,000 dogs from 74 different breeds. The research suggested that for every increase of 4.4 pounds of body weight, a dog’s lifespan decreased by 1 month. This is because larger dogs age more quickly. They age more quickly because they grow faster. This results in large dogs getting age related diseases sooner than smaller dogs. Large sized dogs grow very fast. For example a Great Dane grows 10 folds in the first year itself. This is a major reason why cells in their body start deteriorating at an accelerated pace.

Life span of a dog is most importantly affected by the way they are cared for.While our large companions might have shorter lifespans the way we care for them can make their years with us healthy and happy.