Dog breeds with the shortest lifespan

Dog breeds with a long lifespan are, for example, the Irish Softcoated Wheaten Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer and Border Terrier, while the Pomeranian often lives the shortest time. This lists show the most common cause of death as well as the median age of life per dog breed. The information comes from Agria Breed Profiles and is a compilation of Swedish life insured dogs between the years 2016-2021.

If you want to spend a long time with your four-legged friend, you need to think about your choice of dog breed and the environment it will live in. These play a big role in how long you can spend together.

Dog breeds with a high risk of dying before the age of 7

Breed of dog	Most common cause of death	Median age at death
Pomeranian	Damage - hit by a car, train or other vehicle	4.4 years
Irish Wolfhound	Tumour	5.2 years
Great Dane	Stomach and intestines	5.3 years
Bernese Mountain Dog	Tumour	5.5 years
Drever	Damage - hit by a car, train or other vehicle	5.6 years
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	The locomotor apparatus	5.5 years
Cane Corso	The locomotor apparatus	5.7 years
Border Collie	Tumour	5.9 years
French Bulldog	The locomotor apparatus	6.0 years
Pug	Neurological disease	6.1 years
Danish Swedish farm dog	Damage - hit by a car, train or other vehicle	6.2 years
Labrador retriever	The locomotor apparatus	6.3 years
Mixed breed	Tumour	6.9 years

Dog breeds with a low risk of dying before the age of 7

Breed of dog	Most common cause of death	Median age at death
Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier	Tumour	10.0 years
Miniature Schnauzer	Tumour	9.4 years
Border Terrier	Tumour	9.0 years
Chinese Crested Dog	Tumour	8.8 years
Jack Russell Terrier	Tumour	8.8 years
Shih Tzu	Tumour	8.7 years
Whippet	The locomotor apparatus	8.8 years
Bichon Havanese	Stomach/intestine	8.2 years
Chihuahua, short haired	Heart	8.0 years
Chihuahua, long haired	Heart	7.7 years
Flat Coated Retriever	Tumour	7.6 years

These tables illustrate the most common cause of death as well as the median age of life expectancy per dog breed. The median lifespan among all dog breeds is 6.9 years. Above, the dog breeds are divided into high or low risk of dying before or after 7 years of age, the calculation is based on the fact that death occurred for 50% of the dogs before this age and for 50% after. The material shows deaths for dogs that have died and where compensation has been paid out from life insurance. Dog life insurance expires at 8,10 or 12 years depending on the breed.

The most common cause of death – problems with the musculoskeletal system

Pain in backs, hips, elbows and knees makes life difficult for many dogs. It is mainly large heavy dogs that generally get more problems with elbows and hip joints. Many dogs don't even have time to experience their seventh birthday before the problems become so great that they lose their quality of life. In some cases, treatments, operations and rehabilitation exercises can relieve the pain, and in the best case, preventive exercises can counteract future problems.

First of all, it is important your dog doesn't become overweight! A heavy body puts unnecessary strain on the joints. It is also crucial to contact the vet quickly if your dog appears to be in pain and stiff, does not want to move, or appears subdued and sad. With the help of medication and rehabilitation, pain can sometimes be alleviated and a higher quality of life extended.

Hit by a car or train

Dogs being hit by cars or trains is a common cause of death. Hunting dog breeds or dog breeds that often run loose at home in the yard are more often than other dogs affected by traffic fatalities. However, the most vulnerable is the small Pomeranian, which is neither a hunting dog nor a farm dog, but often lives in urban environments with a lot of traffic. They have the shortest lifespan of just 4.4 years. In order to save dogs from being injured or killed in traffic, it is important to keep your dog on a lead, not to let them out near busy roads or in urban environments, and to regularly practice recall.

Dogs affected by cancer

Cancer is a common cause of death in dogs and can appear in various forms, such as mammary tumours, skin tumours, testicular cancer, blood cancer and bone cancer. The prognosis varies greatly depending on the type of cancer involved. dog can often be treated with the help of surgery, medicine or radiation, but just like for humans, the chance of recovery increases the earlier the disease is detected.

About Agria Breed Profiles

The Agria Breed Profiles are now updated for the fifth time and include injury statistics for roughly 670,000 dogs during the period 2016-2021. The material is mainly used by breed clubs within the Swedish Kennel Club to identify diseases and injuries within the breed in order to contribute to healthier dogs through breeding work.