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Over the past two years, many of us have welcomed a new four-legged friend into our homes as the Kennel Club has seen a nearly eight percent increase in dog ownership during the global pandemic.
But with 221 different pedigree dog breeds to choose from, there’s a lot to think about before choosing your perfect pup – whether you want a large dog, a family-friendly dog, or a crossbreed.
One of the terrifying truths of dog ownership is that we’ll probably outlive our beloved pet, with the average dog living just over 11 years – but there’s a pretty big gap between the breeds that live the longest and the shortest lives.
New research published in the journal Scientific Reports has used the Royal Veterinary College’s Veterinary Companion Animal Surveillance System (VetCompass), a database of information on over 2 million animals, to calculate the average life expectancy of some of Britain’s most popular dog breeds.
The researchers randomly sampled 30,563 dogs that died between January 1, 2016 and July 31, 2020 to arrive at their results.
Here’s what they found.
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The Jack Russell Terrier was the longest-lived breed studied in the study – with a median age of 12.72 years.
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Small dogs tend to live longer than large dogs, so it’s no surprise that the small Yorkshire terrier ranks second on this list, with an average lifespan of 12.54 years.
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The Border Collie is the smartest dog breed in the world, and also one of the longest lived – with an expected lifespan of 12.10 years.
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You can expect a lively Springer Spaniel to live to around 11.92 years.
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