How Do I Find My Dog's Actual Age?

Many of us have the fortune of knowing the exact birth date of our dogs. You can pinpoint the day, and say, "My dog is 10-years-old." Yes, 10 in human years, but in dog years, 10 years is actually somewhere between 56 and 66. This makes your dog a senior.

Finding your dog's age is a bit tricky and never 100% accurate, but you can get quite close. 

There are a number of factors that determine your dog's age. For one, the breed is a key component, and also the size. Smaller dogs tend to age slower than the big guys. The medium sized dogs, as you'd suspect, fall somewhere in the middle. 

The first year of your dog's life has the biggest jump in age. By the end of year one, your dog is already a teenager - roughly 15-years-old. 

There's a chart on Pets.WebMD that shows the approximate age of your dogs. 

If you don't know when your dog was born, your vet may be able to come close with physical exams or by tests that look at bones, joints, muscles, and internal organs.

You can also tell by your dog's teeth. Pet.WebMD has some bullet points:

• By 8 weeks: All baby teeth are in.
• By 7 months: All permanent teeth are in and are white and clean.
• By 1-2 years: Teeth are duller and the back teeth may have some yellowing.
• By 3-5 years: All teeth may have tartar buildup and some tooth wear.
• By 5-10 years: Teeth show more wear and signs of disease.
• By 10-15 years: Teeth are worn, and heavy tartar buildup is likely. Some teeth may be missing.

Lastly, head on over to this PET AGE CALCULATOR. It factors your dog's breed in finding the correct age. 

Thanks for reading! What else would you like to see covered by the American Butcher Brand blog? 

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