No one wants to consider their dog’s mortality, but it’s important to know your dog’s life expectancy for a number of reasons. You need an understanding of how long your dog will live, as well as a sense of what time of life they are in to keep them healthy.

If you’re considering fostering or adopting a dog

You need to know a dog’s life expectancy if you’re adopting. Choosing a Chihuahua over a French Mastiff could mean the pup is in your life for twice as long. If you’re fostering a dog, this list could also give you a sense of where the doggo is in their journey and if you might, sadly, be their final carer.

Average dog lifespan

A dog’s general expected life expectancy is 10-13 years, averaged across all breeds.

Do smaller or larger dogs live longer?

Scientists scratch their heads at the fact that smaller dogs do generally live longer than larger ones. This contradicts a general rule of thumb in the animal kingdom that larger animals tend to live the longest. Examples of this include whales, elephants, giant tortoises, and crocodiles.

Dog life expectancy by breed

Affenpinscher
12-14 Years
Afghan Hound
12-14 Years
African Boerboels
9-11 Years
Airedale Terrier
10-13 Years
Akbash
10-11 Years
Akita
10-13 Years
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs
13 Years
Alaskan Klee Kai
14 Years
Alaskan Malamute
10-13 Years
American Bulldog
12-14 Years
American Eskimo Dog
12-14 Years
American Foxhound
10-13 Years
American Staffordshire Terrier
12-14 Years
American Water Spaniel
10-12 Years
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
10-13 Years
Australian Cattle Dog
10-13 Years
Australian Kelpie
12 Years
Australian Shepherd
12-18 Years
Australian Silky Terrier
11-14 Years
Australian Terrier
12-14 Years
Basenji
12-14 Years
Basset Hound
11-14 Years
Beagle
12-15 Years
Bearded Collie
12-14 Years
Beauceron
10-12 Years
Bedlington Terrier
12-14 Years
Belgian Malinois
10-12 Years
Belgian Shepherd Dog
10-12 Years
Belgian Tervuren
10-12 Years
Bernese Mountain Dog
6-9 Years
Bichon Frise
12-15 Years
Black and Tan Coonhound
10-12 Years
Black Russian Terrier
10-11 Years
Bloodhound
10-12 Years
Border Collie
10-14 Years
Border Terrier
12-15 Years
Borzoi
10-12 Years
Boston Terrier
14 Years
Bouvier des Flandres
10-12 Years
Boxer
9-10 Years
Briard
10-12 Years
Brittany
12-13 Years
Brussels Griffon
12-15 Years
Bull Terrier
11-14 Years
Bullmastiff
8-10 Years
Cairn Terrier
12-14 Years
Canaan Dog
12-13 Years
Cane Corso
11 Years
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
12-14 Years
Carolina Dog
13 Years
Catahoula Leopard Dogs
12 Years
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
9-14 Years
Central Asian Ovtcharkas
12 Years
Cesky Terrier
14 Years
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
10-13 Years
Chihuahua
14-19 Years
Chinese Crested
13-15 Years
Chinese Foo
11 Years
Chinese Shar-Pei
8-10 Years
Chipoo
14 Years
Chow Chow
8-12 Years
Clumber Spaniel
10-12 Years
Cockapoo
14-18 Years
Cocker Spaniel
12-15 Years
Collie
8-12 Years
Coton De Tulears
15 Years
Curly-Coated Retriever
8-12 Years
Dachshund
13-15 Years
Dalmatian
12-14 Years
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
11-13 Years
Doberman Pinscher
10-13 Years
Dogue de Bordeaux
5-7 Years
English Bulldogs
8-12 Years
English Cocker Spaniels
12-14 Years
English Foxhound
10-13 Years
English Setter
10-12 Years
English Shepherd
15 Years
English Springer Spaniel
10-14 Years
English Toy Spaniel
10-12 Years
Estrela Mountain Dogs
11 Years
Field Spaniel
12-14 Years
Fila Brasileiros
10 Years
Finnish Spitz
12-14 Years
Flat-Coated Retriever
10-13 Years
Fox Terrier (Smooth)
10-13 Years
Fox Terrier (Wire)
10-13 Years
French Bulldog
9-11 Years
French Mastiff
5-8 Years
German Pinscher
12-15 Years
German Shepherd
10-12 Years
German Shorthaired Pointer
12-14 Years
German Wirehaired Pointer
12-14 Years
Giant Schnauzer
10-12 Years
Glen of Imaal Terrier
10-14 Years
Golden Retriever
10-13 Years
Goldendoodle
14 Years
Gordon Setter
10-12 Years
Great Dane
7-9 Years
Great Pyrenees
10-12 Years
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
10-12 Years
Greyhound
10-13 Years
Harrier
12-14 Years
Havanese
12-14 Years
Hungarian Vizsla
10-14 Years
Ibizan Hound
12-14 Years
Irish Setter
12-14 Years
Irish Terrier
12-15 Years
Irish Water Spaniel
10-13 Years
Irish Wolfhound
5-9 Years
Italian Greyhound
12-15 Years
Jack Russell Terrier
13-15 Years
Japanese Chin
12-14 Years
Keeshond
12-14 Years
Kerry Blue Terrier
12-15 Years
Komondor
10-12 Years
Kooikerhondje
13 Years
Kuvasz
9-12 Years
Labradoodle
13 Years
Labrador Retriever
10-12 Years
Laekenois
12 Years
Lakeland Terrier
12-16 Years
Lancashire Heeler
14 Years
Leonberger
8-9 Years
Lhasa Apso
12-14 Years
Löwchen
13-15 Years
Maltese
12-14 Years
Maltipoo
13 Years
Manchester Terrier
15-16 Years
Maremma Sheepdog
12 Years
Mastiff
9-11 Years
Miniature Bull Terrier
11-14 Years
Miniature Pinscher
12-14 Years
Miniature Poodle
12-14  Years
Miniature Schnauzer
12-14 Years
Neapolitan Mastiff
8-10 Years
New Guinea Singing Dog
18 Years
Newfoundland
8-10 Years
Norfolk Terrier
13-15 Years
Norwegian Buhunds
11-13 Years
Norwegian Elkhound
10-12 Years
Norwich Terrier
13-15 Years
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
11-13 Years
Old English Sheepdog
10-12 Years
Otterhound
10-13  Years
Papillon
12-15 Years
Parson Russell Terrier
13-15 Years
Peekapoo
13 Years
Pekingese
12-15 Years
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
11-14 Years
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
11-14 Years
Pharaoh Hound
11-14 Years
Pit Bull
12-14  Years
Plott
11-13 Years
Pointer
11-15 Years
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
10-14 Years
Pomapoo
13 Years
Pomeranian
12-16 Years
Poodle (Standard)
12-15 Years
Portuguese Water Dog
10-14 Years
Pug
12-15 Years
Puli
10-15 Years
Rat Terrier
16 Years
Redbone Coonhound
11 Years
Rhodesian Ridgeback
10-12  Years
Rottweiler
8-11 Years
Saint Bernard
8-10 Years
Saint Bernard
8-10 Years
Saluki
12-14 Years
Samoyed
10-12 Years
Schipperke
13-15  Years
Schnoodle
13 Years
Scottish Deerhound
7-9 Years
Scottish Terrier
11-13 Years
Sealyham Terrier
11-13 Years
Shetland Sheepdog
12-14 Years
Shiba Inu
12-15 Years
Shih Tzu
11-14 Years
Siberian Husky
11-14 Years
Silky Terrier
11-14 Years
Skye Terrier
12-14 Years
Snorkie
12 Years
Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier
12-14 Years
Spinone Italiano
12-14 Years
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
12-14 Years
Standard Schnauzer
12-14 Years
Sussex Spaniel
11-13 Years
Swedish Vallhund
13 Years
Thai Ridgeback
12  Years
Tibetan Mastiff
11-14 Years
Tibetan Spaniel
14 Years
Tibetan Terrier
12-15 Years
Toy Fox Terrier
13-14 Years
Toy Manchester Terrier
14-16 Years
Toy Poodle
12-14 Years
Treeing Walker Coonhound
12-13 Years
Vizsla
10-14 Years
Weimaraner
10-13 Years
Welsh Springer Spaniel
12-15 Years
Welsh Terrier
12-14 Years
West Highland White Terrier
12-14 Years
Whippet
12-15 Years
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
12-14 Years
Xoloitzcuintle
13 Years
Yorkie-Poo
14 Years
Yorkshire Terrier
14-16 Years

Not the most fun read, but it’s important to know how long your dog will live based on their breed. This is a broad view of pet health, and dogs do have varying lifespans based on lifestyle, diet, home life, constitution, and all sorts of other factors—including luck.