A common rule of thumb for calculating a dog’s age has been one year in human years is equal to seven in dog years, but recent research indicates that may not be the case.
CNN reported that, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Cell Press, that popular belief isn't correct because humans don't age at the same rate as dogs.
A new formula developed by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine takes that into account. By studying 104 Labradors ranging in age from newborn puppies to 16 years old, researchers tracked changes in the dog's DNA.
The study found that dogs age rapidly when they are young compared to humans, but aging slows significantly in adulthood.
"A one-year-old dog is similar to a 30-year-old human. A four-year-old dog is similar to a 52-year-old human," a July 2 news release from UC San Diego Health said. "Then by seven years old, dog aging slows."
“This makes sense when you think about it — after all, a nine-month-old dog can have puppies, so we already knew that the 1:7 ratio wasn’t an accurate measure of age,” said senior author Trey Ideker, PhD, professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center.
Because the study only looked at one breed of dog, more research is needed. It is commonly known that different breeds of dogs age differently due to size and other genetic factors.
Researchers will test other dog breeds and determine if the results of the study on Labs remain applicable.
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