Flat-faced dogs have shorter lifespans – study

Jack Russell terriers live longer than any other type of pet dog in the UK.

The breed has a life expectancy of 12.7 years, according to research conducted by the Royal Veterinary College. They were followed by Border collies, who live for an average of 12.1 years.

Flat-faced breeds were found to have the shortest life expectancy, with French bulldogs only living for an average of 4.5 years and English bulldogs at 7.4 years.

The experts suggest that the lower life expectancies of flat- faced breeds are related to a greater risk of breathing problems and spinal disease.

The findings are based on a random sample of 30,563 dogs that passed away between January 2016 and July 2020 from 18 different breeds and cross-breeds.

As in humans, there was a difference between the life expectancies of male and female pooches, with male dogs living, on average, for four months less.

Dr Dan O’Neil, associate professor in companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College and co-author of the study, said: “Dogs have helped so many humans get through 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.”