New Study Reveals Dog Life Expectancy By Breed

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – If you ever wondered how long your dog might live, there’s a new study from Britain’s Royal Veterinary College which looks at their life expectancy.

Vets found the average life expectancy in general is 11.2 years, but it varies dramatically between breeds.

The study found Jack Russell Terriers live the longest, with an average life expectancy of 12.7 years.

Border Collies were next on the list with 12.1 years followed by Springer Spaniels with 11.9 years.

French Bulldog puppies/ (Photo credit EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)

French bulldogs were at the bottom of the list.  On average, they live just four and a half years.

Three other flat-faced breeds were also found to have short life expectancies.

English Bulldogs came in at 7.4 years, Pugs at 7.7 years and American Bulldogs at 7.8 years.

These types of dogs often encounter breathing and spinal issues and difficulty in giving birth.

Dog life expectancy at birth

1. Jack Russell Terrier 12.72 years
2. Yorkshire Terrier 12.54 years
3. Border Collie 12.10 years
4. Springer Spaniel 11.92 years
5. Crossbred 11.82 years
6. Labrador Retriever 11.77 years
7. Staffordshire Bull Terrier 11.33 years
8. Cocker Spaniel 11.31 years
9. Shih-tzu 11.05 years
10. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 10.45 years
11. German Shepherd Dog 10.16 years
12. Boxer 10.04 years
13. Beagle 9.85 years
14. Husky 9.53 years
15. Chihuahua 7.91 years
16. American Bulldog 7.79 years
17. Pug 7.65 years
18. English Bulldog 7.39 years
19. French Bulldog 4.53 years

You might be able to predict life expectancy based on breed, but another study from the University of Massachusetts shows a dog’s breed does not dictate its behavior.

The study found that breed was responsible for only 9% of why a dog behaved a certain way.