Science Explains Why Dogs Live Shorter Lives

Dogs are mammals like humans, and they have a heart, lungs, and all the things you need to survive. Our pet dogs give us so much happiness, but then so much sadness when they die. So why don’t they survive as long as us?

We’re mammals. Elephants and whales are mammals. Dogs are mammals. So why don’t we all have the same lifespan?

Science breaks it all down to a few things, one of which is metabolic rate. This is simply the amount of energy used by an animal per unit of time. Smaller animals, in general, have higher metabolisms. This doesn’t hold true for all small animals; some parrots have been known to live for 80 years or more.

Dogs are one of the animals that break this rule. Larger breeds generally don’t live as long as smaller dogs. So basically, if you want a dog that’s going to live longer, get a smaller breed.

Scientists are busy with all sorts of projects on dog longevity. First, naturally, because we love dogs. And also because in helping dogs, we may learn to help ourselves.

One thing they have discovered is that the life expectancy of dogs has doubled over the past 40 years.