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Life Expectancy


Dame Aussie
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I groom at lease 6 CKCS that are in excess of 12yo and do not look like stopping soon, I wouldn't give up hope LizT :)

I met a 12 yo at the beach the other day. Her owner said she gets a bit confused sometimes but is otherwise in perfect health :thumbsup:

:laugh:

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Even a dog with a long life expectancy can die young ... or one with a short life expectancy could keep living on.

It was never a consideration when we brought our boys ... and I don't think it ever will be.

... though it would be nice if they all lived a lot longer ... but while they are here I want them happy and healthy for as long as possible. Once that changes then I am ok with letting them go when they feel it is their time. :cry:

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No, I have not let the estimated life expectancy of a breed put me off owning that breed. Rottweilers are generally expected to live 8 - 10 years. Would this put me off getting another one. No way, because this is only an estimate. Baylee's brother Orca lived until her was nearly 13 yrs old and her sister Angel is heading towards 14 yrs old. Baylee herself will be 10 years old in May.

To me it is the quality of the life lived, not the length of the life. This is the reason why our dogs live very busy lifes, with daily walks and activities, training, socialising, obedience, herding, pets as therapy etc.

I may not have them for a long time but while I do share my life with them, it will be a bloody good life filled with many fantastic memories.

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It doesn't put me off, I don't think about it. There is no guarantees no mater what the breed average is ;)

Since you mentioned Danes Dane Double Digit Club

The Double Digit Club celebrates Pedigree Great Danes from around the world who have surpassed the breed's

verage life expectancy. Any Kennel Club Registered Great Dane who has lived at least 10 years may be included.

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Considering I've only ever had 1 Dog that's actually died of "Old Age" - ie. Not PTS just gone off and died on her own she was a 16 year old Mini Dachie, We had a standard PTS from Cancer at age 13, And we have lost 2 Others to accidents... The natural Longevity of a breed really doesn't bother me that much at all as "Life" will be the determining factor of how long the dog lives for.

Id love a giant breed, and life expectancy woudlnt stop me from getting one.

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If you want a Dane then get one, Aussie. If you want a particular breed, go for it and enjoy each day you have with them. At the end of the day, any life span of a loved one is going to be too short anyway so may as well just enjoy them while we have them :thumbsup: .

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There's a Dog Longevity website maintained by Dr Kelly Cassidy that assembles data from studies and surveys. I notice that it includes the Danish Kennel Club study which looked at both purebreds and mixed breeds. In that, a bunch of pure breeds came out with the highest average. From memory, it included poodles & dachshunds.

From Dr Cassidy's overall data, it's considered a good median life is between 14 & 15 years. I notice smaller Poodles, Min Dachies, Border Terriers & Tibetan Spaniels, fit the group average for 14+ yrs.. Of course, there'd be dogs of those breeds which would live longer & others who'd live shorter lives.

All breeds data here:

http://users.pullman.com/lostriver/breeddata.htm

Overall conclusions here:

http://users.pullman.com/lostriver/conclusions.htm

We owned a little mixed breed dog that bucked that 'good' average. She lived until 22 years of age. No idea of her breeding (a rescue). Her appearance was like a poodle mixed with a tibbie! But she could have been anything, even a crossbred from a long line of crossbreds.

Edited by mita
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Yes it does effect me . We had a really beautiful deerhound who we lost to bone cancer just before his 5th birthday. It was heartbreaking and although I love giant sighthounds I don't think I could go through the bone cancer risk again.

So when we were looking for another dog I looked for a breed that was healthy and long lived.

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No way do I let life expectancy come into play when choosing my breeds. I love the breeds I do for a million reasons, I am not going to let one thing turn me off. Any dog you ever own and love, when they pass it will be too soon. No one says "Oh thank goodness, I was getting sick of that old biddy" ;) We all want them here for as long as possible. I just accept that my chosen breeds aren't going to be with me for 15 years. In actual fact it means I can share my life with more of these special individuals over time. Wouldn't ever select a breed simply because it's going to live for a long time.

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Wouldn't ever select a breed simply because it's going to live for a long time.

You can't predict for individual dogs anyway. Just because a breed is given a group average 'life' of 14 + years (or whatever), doesn't mean every dog of that breed will do so.

Edited by mita
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;) It's my own Life expectancy that will determine my next dog......which hopefully will be another Cavalier.

I know that my children all Love Cavs. and when I do "Fall off my Perch" they would take my Dogs with open arms, The Cat as well, The Parrot and the Fish... ;)

Funny you say that Kadbury.The lady that lives across the road from me has had two cats that both lived to 21...that's 2 cats in 42 years.She's in her 70's now and isn't game to get another cat in case she as you said "falls off her perch" before she gets to her 90's.Her family are not cat people.

Edited by stans mum
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I don't think that longevity isn't the issue so much as the health/quality of life issue i.e. I think what troubles me is that with the breeds that do have relatively short lives - this is frequently because they are plagued with health issues that 'healthier' breeds don't have. For instance, the Bernese Mountain dog's life span is about 7-10 years but has an incredibly high rate of cancer. Dogs have a short life span compared to humans anyway but to the extent possible, I would prefer to have a dog that has a maximum chance of healthiness while it is with me so that rules out dogs that are prone to breathing difficulties, HD, cancer etc ... Yes, there are no guarantees but it's a bit like why people advocate purebreds over crossbreds i.e. why wouldn't you maximise your chances of having a dog with a more predictable temperament - in this instance, it's why wouldn't you maximise your chance of having a dog that will be healthier while it's with you?

Edited by koalathebear
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We have an IW. It's not a huge issue for us, dogs don't live as long as humans so it's a given they will probably pass before we do, whether after 10 years or 15 years.

I think with the shorter lived breeds there is a lot to be said for going to an ethical breeder.

I also think that with breeds that have a reputation for long life, you do get some lines where dogs are turned over quickly, the breeding is slipshod and the dog could easily die young anyway.

Ultimately there are no guarantees, you can only improve the odds as best you can. One method of improving the odds is to go for a long lived breed, but that will be pointless if not accompanied by responsible breeding and responsible pet ownership.

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No, I have not let the estimated life expectancy of a breed put me off owning that breed. Rottweilers are generally expected to live 8 - 10 years. Would this put me off getting another one. No way, because this is only an estimate. Baylee's brother Orca lived until her was nearly 13 yrs old and her sister Angel is heading towards 14 yrs old. Baylee herself will be 10 years old in May.

To me it is the quality of the life lived, not the length of the life. This is the reason why our dogs live very busy lifes, with daily walks and activities, training, socialising, obedience, herding, pets as therapy etc.

I may not have them for a long time but while I do share my life with them, it will be a bloody good life filled with many fantastic memories.

+1

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No - clearly not as I have a Dane.

You could easily have a Dane who lives 8+ years just like you could get an Aussie which only makes it to 2. There is no guarantee in any breed that they will live a long life. My last Dane was 21 months when he had to be put to sleep.

Maybe because we know our time with our Danes is more limited, perhaps we are more conscious of making the most of that time with them, don't sweat the small stuff as much etc

Regardless of any of that - the relationship you get with a Dane makes it all worthwhile - however long or short it is.

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No - clearly not as I have a Dane.

You could easily have a Dane who lives 8+ years just like you could get an Aussie which only makes it to 2. There is no guarantee in any breed that they will live a long life. My last Dane was 21 months when he had to be put to sleep.

Maybe because we know our time with our Danes is more limited, perhaps we are more conscious of making the most of that time with them, don't sweat the small stuff as much etc

Regardless of any of that - the relationship you get with a Dane makes it all worthwhile - however long or short it is.

You said what I was kinda thinking :)

I have two Danes, they're about a year apart in age. If I lose them to old age, they'll go at similar times. Heartbreaking? Sure will be. :(

But whenever they go, I'll know that they packed more into life than some :party:

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