Calculating Your Dog's Age in Human Years

I'm sure you've all heard that 1 dog year equals 7 human years. Well, this is nothing more than a popular myth that dog owners have believed for many years. And yes, I used to be one of them. It's no secret that a dog ages more quickly than humans, but the belief that a 1 year old dog is the same age as a 7 year old child is incorrect. A dog's age may average out this way as he gets older, but it all depends on the dog's size and breed. Many dog breeds age more quickly during the first year of life, and the age of those dogs are actually equal to 15 human years rather than 7. So, if you have a dog that just turned a year old, then his age may be 15 years in human years. Large dogs actually age slowly, but by the age of 5 they're considered seniors. Smaller breeds aren't considered seniors until the age of 10.