I think most people have heard the saying that a dog year is worth seven human years. Apparently, there’s new research helping us to understand that this isn’t the case.
I think dog families are aware that large dogs don’t generally tend to live as long as small dogs. And breed of the dog can also play a part in health conditions and length of life.
The research I was reading about is based on Labrador Retrievers and from California.
The focus of the research is described as:
By mapping molecular changes in the genome over time, UC San Diego researchers developed a formula to more accurately compare dog age to human age — a tool that could also help them evaluate how well anti-aging products work.
You can read the research paper here, or a summary of it here.
The research has come up with a more accurate calculation to estimate the age of your dog. You’ll need a scientific calculator, or alternatively you can probably find a link to one online.
According to the new formula for dogs aged one and above, a dog’s human age roughly equals 16 x ln(dog’s age) + 31.
To work out your dog’s ‘human’ age first enter the dog’s age then press ‘ln’ on a scientific calculator. Then multiply the figure you get by 16, and finally add 31.
Using this formula, this makes Jake 72.6 human years, and Truly 69. Which is more comforting than the ‘old’ method of 94.5 years for Jake, and 77 for Truly.
Until next time
Jen
