One dog year is not seven human years. Enter your pet's age, and for dogs their size, to see their age in human years, their life stage and what that stage needs from you.
Reviewed by Dr. Deborah Udaw, DVM, VCN reg. no. 12252
General guidance, not a diagnosis. If you're worried about your pet, talk to a vet.
The old rule of seven human years for every dog year is wrong at both ends. Dogs and cats grow up fast in their first two years, then age more slowly, and big dogs age faster than small ones. These are estimates; breed and health matter too.
| Pet's age | Cat | Small dog | Medium dog | Large dog | Giant dog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| 2 years | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 |
| 3 years | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 31 |
| 5 years | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 45 |
| 7 years | 44 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 56 |
| 10 years | 56 | 56 | 60 | 66 | 79 |
| 12 years | 64 | 64 | 69 | 77 | 93 |
| 15 years | 76 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 114 |
No. A dog's first year is roughly 15 human years and the second adds about 9 more. After that, each year adds about 4 to 7 human years depending on size: big dogs age faster than small ones.