The dog world’s long livers revealed

JACK Russell terriers have the longest life expectancy of pet dogs in the UK, while French bulldogs can expect the shortest lifespans, a new study suggests.

The overall average life expectancy for pets was 11.2 years, the research found.

As in the human population, there was also a difference between the life expectancies of male and females, with male dogs living on average four months shorter (11.1 years).

According to the research, Jack Russell terriers had the greatest life expectancy at 12.7 years, followed by border collies (12.1 years) and springer spaniels (11.92 years).

In comparison, four flat-faced breeds were found to have the shortest life expectancy with French bulldogs expected to live only 4.5 years, followed by

English bulldogs at 7.4 years, pugs at 7.7 years and American bulldogs 7.8 years.

Researchers say the findings support experts’ warnings that people should stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog – those with short snouts.

The lower life expectancies of flat-faced breeds are heavily associated with the animals suffering from a number of conditions including breathing problems and spinal disease, the experts suggest.

Dr Dan O’Neill, associate professor in Companion Animal Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, and co-author of the paper, said: “Dogs have helped many humans to get through the loneliness and isolation of the Covid pandemic.

“These new VetCompass Life tables enable owners to now estimate how much longer they can benefit from these dogs.”

Dr Justine Shotton, British Veterinary Association president, said: “These life tables offer an important insight into the life expectancy of popular dog breeds in the UK and will be a useful tool for vets and pet owners in assessing dog welfare.

“While the study doesn’t prove a direct link between these breeds’ potential welfare issues and shorter length of life, the findings serve as a fresh reminder for prospective dog owners to choose a breed based on health, not looks.”

The analysis is based on a random sample of 30,563 dogs that died between January 1, 2016 and July 31, 2020, from 18 different breeds and crossbreeds.

In both male and female dogs, neutered dogs were found to have a longer life expectancy than their non-neutered counterparts.

Previously life expectancy was approximated using only the average age of death of dogs overall or for a particular breed.