Dog Age Chart: Dog Years to Human Years

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How Old is Your Dog?

November 26, 2021

Dog Years to Human Years Converter

Dog's Age Human Years
years years

Enter your dog's age (from 1 to 16) to get the human years equivalent. The calculation is made for a "medium" dog (21 to 50 pounds) using the AKC recommendation.

How old is your dog in human years? We used to simply multiply a dog’s age by seven. However, this calculation isn’t so cut-and-dried. See our dog age calculator and chart to discover your dog’s age.

The Easy Calculation of Dog’s Age

The easy way to calculate a dog’s age is to take 1 dog year and multiple it by 7 years. This is based on an assumption that dogs live to about 10 and humans live to about 70, on average.

For example, a dog which is 5 years old is 35 “human years.” This isn’t a bad way to go from a health perspective because it helps us humans realize that our dogs aren’t the same as children.

As pets get older, they need extra care and attention. Small dogs are generally considered “senior” at seven years of age. Larger breeds are often senior when they are 5 to 6 years of age. 

Be aware of arthritis and related discomfort or irritability, weight control, sight and hearing issues, and any changes in behavior or activity which could indicate more serious issues.

Visit your vet for exams regularly; adjustments can be made to give your pets a more comfortable, longer, healthier life.

The More Accurate Calculation of Dog Years

Statistics from pet-insurance companies, breed-club surveys, and veterinary hospitals have helped us learn more about how dogs age.

Contrary to common belief, dogs do not age at a rate of 7 human years for each year in dog years. 

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association:

  • The first year of a medium-sized dog’s life is equal to approximately 15 years of a human’s life.
  • The second year of a dog’s life equals about nine years for a human.
  • And after that, every human year equals approximately four or five years for a dog.

In other words, the number of human years piles onto a dog’s life more quickly during the dog’s rapid growth to maturity. 

Dog Age Calculator: Dog Years to Human Years

If we think like a dog, here’s how a dog’s age compares to a human’s age! Note that this calculator is for a medium size breed of dog. Consult the chart below to see the differences between different size dogs (small, medium, large, giant). It should give you a good sense of where your dog is in the development/aging process.

Dog Years to Human Years Chart

Age of Dog

(dog’s age according to the calendar)

Dog’s Age in Human Years

(dog’s age in equivalent human years, based on stage of breed size)
Small Medium Large Giant
1 year 15 15 15 12
2 years 24 24 24 22
3 28 28 28 31
4 32 32 32 38
5 36 36 36 45
6 40 42 45 49
7 44 47 50 56
8 48 51 55 64
9 52 56 61 71
10 56 60 66 79
11 60 65 72 86
12 64 69 77 93
13 68 74 82 100
14 72 78 88 107
15 76 83 93 114
16 80 87 99 121

Source: AKC, “How to Calculate Dog Years to Human Years”

Related Articles

Have a cat? See our Cat Age Chart!

Is your dog starting to enter its elderly years? Get some tips for caring for an old pup.

Also, check our home remedies for your pet’s arthritis.

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Comments

Dennis (not verified)

5 days 4 hours ago

My dog had to be put down as it was suffering old age and illness , how long does it take to get over this , as I can’t ?

Mine too ! She was 15 human years old & cancer on her stomach , the pain of being without her is dreadful

Bailie taylor (not verified)

3 weeks 3 days ago

So my dog is 3 how old would he be in human yrs like he just turned three 3 tonight on the 11-9-2021 so how old would he be in human yrs???? plz answer I need a commet plz

Tanner (not verified)

1 day 1 hour ago

28

The Editors

3 weeks 1 day ago

Bailie, There is a calculator on this page to answer your question. Just input “3” in the calculator for your answer.