Small dogs with long snouts often live years longer than large dogs with flat faces, according to new findings. Lancashire Heelers have the highest average life expectancy at 15.4 years.
This is followed by Tibetan spaniels (15.2 years) and miniature dachshunds (14 years), according to a British study published Thursday in the journal ‘Scientific Reports’.
Female dogs (12.7 years) tend to live slightly longer than males (12.4 years), and purebred dogs, contrary to previous studies, live slightly longer than mixed breeds. The research is based on data from more than 500,000 dogs in the UK.
A “medium-sized male with a flat face, such as an English bulldog, has almost three times the risk of a shorter life than a small female with a long face, such as a miniature dachshund,” says Kirsten McMillan. author of the study and data manager at a dog charity, news agency AFP.
According to McMillan, it is the first study to examine the relationship between dog life expectancy and factors such as breed, size and facial shape.
With more than 150 breeds and crossbreeds, the average life expectancy is 12.5 years. For example, for French bulldogs this is only 9.8 years.
(sda/afp)
Source: Watson
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