When people ask, “ What are dog years?”, most people respond with, “Just multiply a dog’s age by seven.” However, that answer isn’t correct because the math isn’t that simple. The reason for the answer to that question is dogs mature faster than humans. For example a dog that is two years old can really be twenty one in dog years.

If we’ve been wrong about the math on dog years, how do we get it correct? Simple: subtract two from the dog’s age, multiply the subtracted age by four, and then add 21 to the multiplied age. But a dog’s aging can slow down.

For example, if a dog is two in human years and twenty one in dog years, by the time the dog is six in human years it could be only twenty three in dog years. Dogs who are under thirty pounds will be the ones to live the longest. They can live into their teen years.

If you don’t know the age to your dog there are simple solutions: 1) Ask a vet. 2) If all baby teeth are in, they are probably 8 weeks old. But if the teeth are white, clean, and no longer baby teeth, the dog may be around 7 months. By the time the dog is 3-5 human years, the teeth will be duller and the back ones could be turning yellow. If the dog’s teeth are wearing, then the dog is 5-10 in human years. If the teeth are really worn and the have some tartar build-up or if some teeth are missing, then the dog is probably 10-15 human years.

Works Cited

“Dog Years.” Cesar's Way, 19 Apr. 2017, www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/lifecycle/dog-years.

“How to Figure Out Your Dog's Age.” WebMD, WebMD, pets.webmd.com/dogs/how-to-calculate-your-dogs-age.