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The old rule of thumb that dogs age seven times as fast as humans comes from dividing the average human life span by the average canine life span. But it's not very accurate. As Snopes points out, most dogs reach adulthood in roughly 18 months, which would be the equivalent of a 10-year-old child. Also, while a 15-year-old dog would be considered the equivalent of a 105-year-old person, many more dogs live to be 15 than humans live to be 105. The handy Online Conversion site suggests that a more accurate formula would be: 10 and 1/2 dog years for the first two years, then four dog years per year. Maxie
Beagle offers a scaled chart that distinguishes between small and large dogs (smaller breeds tend to live longer). DogAge measures your dog's biological age in human years according to factors such as breed, weight, lifestyle, and behavior. You'll find another handy lifespan chart at (where else?) DogYears.com.
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