Longest Living Dog Breeds

Overview

There are many factors that impact long living dog breeds and, one of the best factors of a long, happy canine life is the quality of care provided to the dog, but there are other factors that come into play, particularly the dog’s breed. A dogs longevity primarily is determined by genetics, but also impacted by lifestyle choices that influence how a dog is would live.

Wellness care is often extremely important for a quality, longer life, and this is impacted by receiving an appropriate high-quality diet, getting proper and regular physical activity and mental stimulation, and with you adhering to the veterinary recommendations for annual or semi-annual wellness exams, your dog will be more primed to live a longer and healthier life.

Small dogs generally live longer than large breeds, reaching up to 16 years or more. This is because larger dogs age more quickly as they grow up faster. This can lead to an earlier occurrence of abnormal tissue developments like cancer and tumor and aging-associated disease such as arthritis. So, if you want many years with a canine, don’t opt for a giant breed.

Tips To Help Your Dog Live Longer

General tips for pet owners to help your dog live longer include:

• Encouraging a healthy diet

• Ensuring your pup gets lots of exercise

• Keeping their mind active with stimulating games

• Brushing their teeth regularly

• Visiting the vet for expert advice

• Sticking to a healthy grooming routine

• Making sure your dog doesn’t come into contact with any harmful household objects and substances

Top 10 of The Longest Living Dog Breeds

If you wish to enjoy a long company with your dog, here are some dog breeds that you can consider to keep;

Chihuahua

Chihuahuas are known for being one of the longest living dog breeds and one of the smallest. You associate Chihuahuas with being carried around in the handbags of famous movie stars. But these are cute, sassy and sweet dogs can be a little territorial within the house which could make these a little tricky for households with children in them.

These dogs don’t require much exercise and because of their size. They can become overweight easily if they are fed too much food or given too many treats and also could be prone to a few health problems. With proper care, these dogs can live for between 14 and 20 years.

Dachshund

Dachshunds are spunky, playful dogs that have three possible coats: smooth, wirehaired, and longhaired. Despite what its small stature may make you believe, these dogs were bred to hunt badgers when developed in Germany 600 years ago,

Besides being low-shedding, dachshunds are also one of the longest living dog breeds out there. Their short legs remain on the move for 12 to 16 years, giving your family plenty of time to enjoy their company.

Toy Poodle

All poodles and poodle mixes have a fairly long expected lifespan, but as the littlest of the group, toy poodles have the longest. They don’t shed much (so they’re a great choice for people with allergies), but they do require regular grooming, even if you don’t want to keep them looking like show dogs.

Toy poodles are sassy, intelligent and can make a great family pet. But don’t underestimate their energy or the amount of mental stimulation they need for their busy minds. It’s not uncommon for toy poodles to reach 18 years old. But the breed is prone to orthopedic problems as well as eye disorders.

Lhasa Apso

These slightly goofy looking, longhaired, bold dogs are sometimes stubborn but overall an easy dog to train. In ancient times it is believed these dogs helped keep watch over Buddhist temples. They’re great for alerting you when intruders are present as they’re very loyal and loving to their owners and companions.

Lhasa Apsos are known to sometimes suffer from skin problems. A great quality diet should reduce the risk of this and help them achieve their 14 – 20-year-old age range.

Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)

Standing nose-to-nose on the teensy chart with the Chihuahua is that spunky wisp, the Yorkshire terrier. The Yorkie is a popular choice among people who like smart and trainable pint-sized pooches with huge personalities. These tiny cuties average 11–15 years of sassy playfulness and oodles of affection.

Maltese

This elegant breed, which has an average life span of 12 to 15 years, has been around for 28 centuries. Ancient Egyptians may have worshipped the dogs, and Greek and Roman philosophers wrote about them. With their long, silky white hair and gentle manner, it’s hard to believe the Maltese, too, once hunted rats.

Australian cattle dog

Australian cattle dog is a rare large dog breed that lives a long life. The expected lifespan for this breed is roughly 12 to 15 years. The current longest-living dog in Guinness record is hold by an Australian cattle dog who lived for 29 years.

As a typical working breed, Australian cattle dogs are energetic, intelligent and respond well to training. Also, they form a strong attachment with their owners. Keeping them could be a challenging task as they sometimes are stubborn.

Shih Tzu

Another ancient dog breed Shih Tzu, which its name can literally translated as ‘lion’ in Chinese, were kept as pet by Chinese royalty for centuries. They are adorable, sweet and friendly toward everyone (they are certainly not a good candidate for watchdog) .

They usually don’t have many health problems. Just make sure to keep them well groomed all the time. With a lifespan up to 10 to 18 years on average, they make a good company that can keep you entertaining all day long for years.

Pomeranian

These popular small dogs are playful, full of life and super alert. They live approximately 12 to 16 years, although some have been recorded to have lived up to the two-decade mark — that’s 140 in dog years!

Thanks to all that glorious pomeranian hair, this breed will require a lot of grooming , and so it’s just something to keep in mind as you’ll likely be brushing that fur for many, many years to come.

Beagle

One of the older dog breeds around their name is believed to come from the French word ‘Bee gueule’ which translated means loudmouth. These dogs are known for howling but also having a docile nature and an active lifestyle.

With beautiful floppy ears, these dogs are ideal family dogs due to their size, temperament and sturdiness. They can be a little hard to train but they’re very friendly and love to sniff about on a walk. The longest living beagle actually lived to a whopping 27 years old. Typically, beagles live between 12 and 17 years.