Pets Information |
How Old is Your Pet- Really?
Just how old is your dog really? More than likely you know the dogs age in years, or at least have an approximation of its age, but do you really have any idea how old it may be- chronologically speaking? I'm sure you've heard of the old "seven year theory". You know, the system where each year of a dog or cats life is the equivalent of 7 of ours. An example of this thinking would be that a 1 year old dog would be the age and developmental equal of a 7 year old person. Now just how many 7 year old kids do you know that are sexually mature -and able to reproduce? A cat or dog is much more likely to have a litter when it is one year or younger, or at the other extreme,ten years or older, than is a human who is under the age of seven or over the age of seventy!This system was simple- but too simple. Many people today may still use these calculations when coming to some idea of their pets chronological age. Still, due to examples like the one above you can see why this most simple of systems is not accepted today. In the early 1950's a French veterinarian, Monsieur LeBeau, formulated another system to address this problem. In LeBeau's system, a dog/cat of 1 year in age became the equivalent of a 15 year old person- due to the onset of puberty in each species. The second year of a dog/cats life became the equivalent of a 24 year old person- someone/ something that has reached full maturity. After two, each year of an animals life would equal 4 years of human life. Pop quiz time! Just how old would a 6 year old cat "really" be using this newer system? According to the LeBeau theory, the dog/cat would be the equivalent of a 40 year old person. Remember, 24+ (4*4)= 40. How about a 10 year old dog? If you came up with 56 then you were correct!It is interesting to note that dogs and cats move up this newer age scale at the same rate until they reach the age of 14. At that time the rates begin to differ between dogs and cats compared in human age terminology. This chart would work quite well for a dog or cat having an average life expectancy(ALE) of 14 years. As we all know, oftentimes animals,as do people, may exceed the ALE which would call for further refinement of this age formula. For this we need to be aware of something called the maximum life span(MLS). Basically, the average life expectancy is the amount of years a person, animal, etc. may reasonably expect to live. The MLS on the other hand, is the genetically based maximum age beyond which no member of that species may live. Now, with that in mind, consider this addendum to the first age chart. A human maximum life span is close to 110 years. A cats maximum life span is around the mid-30's, while a dogs maximum life span is around 29.So, just how do you calculate a cat or dogs age who lives past the 14 year mark? In this event, each year of life past 14 for a dog would equal 2 1/2 human years, and only 2 for a cat.Due to recent research it has been found that many times an animal may live past his ALE when given improved care, activity, social and psychological stimulation. If we examine the oldest living dogs on record, we can begin to see that most had a regular moderate exercise program that included differing levels of psychological and social stimulation. Currently, the oldest living dog on record worked as a herding dog in Australia(29 years old). The runner-up, a mere 27 years of age, was a Lab who lived in the home of a game keeper in England. Other famous notables include Higgins, the terrier on Petticoat Junction and the Beverly Hillbillies(20); Pal, the collie who started the role of Lassie(18);and,last but certainly not least, Rin Tin Tin, movie star and German Shepherd who lived to be at least 16 years of age. The following charts will show you just how LeBeaux theories work when determining the age of your pet. We hope this material is of help to you in the future. AGE Cat/Dog Human 1---------------------------15 2---------------------------24 3---------------------------28 4---------------------------32 5---------------------------36 6---------------------------40 7---------------------------44 8---------------------------48 9---------------------------52 10-------------------------56 11-------------------------60 12-------------------------64 13-------------------------68 14-------------------------72 AGE Cats/Humans Dogs/Humans 15------------74--------------------74.5 16------------76--------------------77 17------------78--------------------79.5 18------------80--------------------82 19------------82--------------------84.5 20------------84--------------------87 21------------86--------------------89.5 22------------88--------------------92 23------------90--------------------94.5 24------------92--------------------97 25------------94--------------------99.5 26------------96--------------------102 27------------98--------------------104.5 28-----------100-------------------107 29-----------102-------------------109.5 30-----------104 31-----------106 32-----------108 33-----------110 34-----------112 Article written and reprinted with permission of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com/Purebred Dogs, Puppies and Dog Breeders - "Your New Best Friend" Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. Debbie Ray, owner of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com is a lifetime dog lover and owner and breeder of german shepherd dogs for over 15 years.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Is Your House Killing Your Dog? You love your dog. You would do anything for your dog. Pet Identification Tags And The Internet The greatest fear of most pet owners is that there is a chance the family pet will get lost, and not be returned. But many of these same pet owners fail to take the necessary precautions needed to safeguard their pets. Your First Cichlid Aquarium So you're thinking about trying cichlids. A good choice. How To Get Your Horse To Obey You and Look To You For Instruction In the animal kingdom there is a pecking order. Richard Shrake points out that it's a lot like the military. Clicker Training For Dogs: Positive Reinforcement Training There is nothing more adorable than a new puppy. Large adoring eyes, and unconditional love pave the way for a new attachment. Rabbits As Pets Rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart from dogs and cats. They look attractive, lovely, gentle, friendly and cute. Canine Communication and Body Language A couple of years ago a Japanese electronics company came up with a Gizmo which they claimed could convert dogs barks, yips and whines into human language, thereby allowing us to understand "Doggie" speak for the first time. I was on a radio program recently, discussing the merits and usefulness of a new dog collar that was also a mobile phone. Flea Control Last summer, we added a new pet to our family - our cat, Ally. She was a sweet, shorthaired, stray kitten that we picked up from a neighbor's house. The Demand for Luxury Dog Beds A pet can be as important a member of the family as a child to some owners, and making sure they sleep well is a way to express that affection. In the past several years, manufacturers have started to fill a growing demand for luxury dog beds for pet owners who wanted to lavish something special on their pets. Analysis of Cat Behavior The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior of your cat is that your pet is not a human. Cats are not rational beings and their actions are not based on emotion. How To Raise A Goldfish Did you know that your goldfish can live for over 10 years? Under the right conditions he can live even longer but most never make it past the first year! If you want your goldfish to live long and healthy lives, you've got to provide the proper environment.It's a common misconception that a goldfish can live in a tiny bowl. Small Dogs - Different Breeds, Different Personalities Small dog breeds are great pets, but since their personalities are all different, it's a good idea to look at their individual characteristics to see if they fit with your lifestyle.Pomeranians:Pomeranians developed from a much larger dog breed and seem to have retained the mellow character. Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know, Part 3... Continued from part two.Epilepsy/seizure disorderWhen your Boxer is between 2 to 5 years old, he may develop seizure disorder. Guinea Pig History Their scientific name is Cavia Tschuldi and their nickname in South America where they were first discovered, is"Cavy.As you might have guessed Guinea Pigs are rodents. How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people who have not studied it. Even more mysterious is a behavioral problem a horse has that causes his owner stress and frustration. Dog Hygiene Basics Giving your dog a bath is important, but not as critical as most people seem to believe. If your dog is healthy, he really doesn't need to be bathed more that once every few months, but most of us put them in the tub or under the hose more often to get rid of that doggie smell and look shinier. How to Deal With a Noisy Dog - Curing Uwanted and Excessive Barking Contributed with the help of Karen L Overall of the Centre for Neurobiology and Behaviour, Psychiatry Department, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.There are many causes for this behaviour. Your Dog and the Dentist: Learn the Drill While "late is better than never," sooner is better than later, at least when it comes to your dog's dental health. Dental disease gets worse over time, and the longer you wait, the more damage that will have to be taken care of and the more expensive your vet bill will be. Decorating for The Cat Owner - How to Protect Your Possessions The first thing a cat owner should know about home décor is to keep it simple. Cats are completely convinced that they are in charge, that the house and its possessions belong to them, and that they have every right to break rip or shred anything they like. Westie Rescue Centres The aim of a Westie rescue centre such as the one at:http://www.westierescuescheme. |
home | site map | contact us |