Sorry to break it to you, but a new study concluded that your dog is much older than what you think.
You might need to add more candle on your dog's next bday cake. Here's what the Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have concluded:
- Your dog ages much faster than 7years for 1 up to age 7.
- After 7, the aging rate decreases.
With this new formula:
A 1-year-old dog is the equivalent of a 30-years-old human. Which gives a ratio of 30:1... Scary right?
For a 4-years-old Labrador Retriever, we're talking a 52-years-old human.
Okay.. truth is, when I read this, I was angry!
Who are you to come and tell me my dog who just turned 4 yesterday can apply to get her Senior's Card?!
Not just thin air
To arrive to these numbers, researchers have tracked the molecular changes in the DNA of Labrador Retrievers.
So these numbers are reliable, and much more than the ratio 7:1 that we all heard about. Next time you have an awkward silence, just fill it with what you just learned. Here's the graph showing precisely the aging comparability between us and our furry bestfriends:
Just a number
In the end, age is just a number. The level of activity of your dog will dictate much more your dog's physical condition than its age. So come on, what are you waiting for? Get out there!