Is one dog year equal to seven human years?

 
The age-old adage that one dog year equals seven human years derives from the simple mathematical division of the average human lifespan by the average canine lifespan.

It’s true that dogs do age much faster than humans because of their higher metabolic rate; generally speaking, the larger the mammal, the slower the metabolism and the
longer the life.

However, it’s now generally accepted that the seven-to-one rule of thumb for a dog’s “realistic” age is inaccurate; for instance, it’s not uncommon for dogs to live to the age of fifteen, but very few humans live to 105.

It’s believed that the seven-year rule should not be applied proportionally, and that, while it might be appropriate for the middle section of a dog’s life, the beginning or final developmental phases cannot be correlated to those of a human.

A dog tends to be fully sized and sexually mature at the age of one, but the same cannot be said of a human of seven. A more accurate method of calculating a dog’s “realistic” age is to allocate twenty-one years for the first year (i .e ., when dog and human both reach adulthood) and then four years for every additional year.

The size and breed of a dog are also factors that impact on how fast it ages. Larger dogs age the fastest, so even the above rule cannot be applied to all breeds of dogs. In fact, the older the dog, the more accurate the seven-to-one ratio becomes. Roughly, a large ten-year-old dog is considered to be seventy-eight, whereas a small ten-year-old dog would be fifty-six.

Fun Facts about Dogs from trueanimals.com

1. Dogs belong to the family of canines which includes foxes, coyotes and wolves.
2. An average life span of a dog ranges from 7 to 18 years.
3. Smaller dogs have a longer lifespan with larger dogs have shorter lives.
4. At birth dogs are deaf, toothless and blind.
5. One of the oldest dog breeds recorder in history is the greyhound dating back from Egypt around 3000 – 3500 b.c
6. Chihuahuas have the longest life span ranging from 12 to 20 years.
7. Chihuahuas are the smallest breed of dogs.
8. Irish Wolfhounds are the largest breed of dogs.
9. When dogs are born they are deaf, toothless, and blind
10. A dogs nose print is like a human’s finger print each one is different.
11. Theobromie found in chocolate is poisons to dogs.
12. The number one health problem among dogs is obesity.
13. St. Bernards’ are the heaviest dog breed.
14. The first domestic dog appeared about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago
15. Dogs have over 200 million scent receptors in their noses, while people have only five million.
16. Dogs have much less taste buds than people. For every one taste bud a human has six
17. People cannot catch most viruses or bacterial infections from dogs.
18. The average adult dog sleeps about sixteen hours a day.
19. Some dogs sleep with their eyes open, like boxers.
20. Dogs do not express their sad emotions by crying, but by body language.
21. One in three American families own a dog
22. The United States has the highest population of dogs
23. Dogs are mentioned fourteen times in the bible
24. An average city dog lives three years longer than a country dog
25. Three dogs survived the Titanic
26. Dogs only have sweat glands between their paws.
27. Dogs have tree eyelids.
28. Max and Jake are the most popular male dog name.
29. Maggie and Molly are the most popular female dog name.
30. The shape of a dogs face will determine how long a dog will live.
31. Bingo is the name of the dog on the Cracker Jacks box.
32. Gidget is the rescued Taco Bell Chihuahua.
33. At birth Dalmatians are completely white.
34. The country with the highest population of dogs is the U.S
35. France has the second highest population of dogs.
36. Dogs have lived with humans for over 14,000 years.
37. Nineteen mph is the average speed a dog can run.
38. Dogs were one of the first animals domesticated by humans.
39. In Britain of 1859 was when the first dog show was held.
40. There are six types of Dachshunds.
41. Chow-Chows have a tongue that is blue-black.
42. An adult dog has forty two teeth.
43. The sound of rain is amplified and hurts a dog’s ears, that’s why dogs don’t like rain.
44. The fastest dog in the world is a greyhound which can run forty five miles an hour.
45. Chihuahua’s have a soft spot in their skull, just like human babies.
46. The number one health problem among dogs is obesity.
47. The Saint Bernard is the heaviest type of dog breed.
48. Theobromine found in chocolate is deadly to dogs.
49. A dog’s vision is not fully developed until after their fist month.
50. Twenty-one percent of dogs snore.