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Dog age in human years

Enter your dog’s age. You’ll see how old they are in human years and which life stage they’re in.

years
months

In human years, your dog is about

39 human years

Life stage: adult

For a medium-sized dog (AVMA rule). Large breeds count as seniors at 5–6, small dogs from about 7.

The short answer

A dog’s first year equals about 15 human years, the second about 9 more, and each year after that roughly 5 (AVMA rule for medium-sized dogs). So a 5-year-old dog is about 39 and a 10-year-old about 64. The “times 7” rule is wrong.

How we calculate: formulas and sources

Dog age in human years

AgeHuman yearsLife stage
1 year15young dog
2 years24young dog
3 years29adult
4 years34adult
5 years39adult
6 years44adult
7 years49senior
8 years54senior
9 years59senior
10 years64senior
11 years69senior
12 years74senior
13 years79senior
14 years84senior
15 years89senior
16 years94senior

Medium-sized dog, AVMA rule (first year 15, second year 9, then about 5 per year), rounded.

Questions

Is one dog year really seven human years?

No. Dogs grow up much faster than people in their first year and age more slowly after that. Following the AVMA rule, a one-year-old dog is about 15 and a two-year-old about 24 in human years.

Do large dogs age faster?

Yes. According to the AVMA, large breeds are considered seniors at 5 to 6 years, small dogs from about 7. The calculator’s number is for a medium-sized dog.

What about the new formula from research?

In 2020, researchers at UC San Diego derived a formula from chemical marks on DNA (DNA methylation): 16 × ln(dog’s age) + 31. It was measured only in Labradors. By that formula, a one-year-old dog would be about 31 and a seven-year-old about 62.

Does an older dog need less food?

Often yes, because they move less. There’s no fixed senior amount. Weigh your dog every two weeks and adjust; the food calculator gives you the starting amount.

Sources (1)