Small, Long-Nosed Dogs Live Longer — These Breeds Top the List

According to researchers from the charity Dog Trust, small dog breeds with long noses tend to live longer than others. Female dogs of small, purebred breeds have the longest life expectancy, averaging 13.3 years. In contrast, dogs with flat faces (brachycephalic breeds), which have surged in popularity recently, face a higher risk of premature death, living only about 11.2 years on average.

This is the first large study to link nose length, head shape, body size, and breed to dog lifespan. What else did the researchers find? In a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, Dr. Kirsten MacMillan’s team said they analyzed data from 584,734 dogs, including both purebreds and mixed breeds. Of those animals, 284,734 had died. The researchers calculated that the average lifespan across all dogs in the dataset (including mixed breeds) is approximately 12.5 years. Females tend to live slightly longer than males, The Guardian reported.

Diving deeper, the team examined 155 purebred breeds and found that larger dogs generally have shorter lifespans than smaller dogs. The length of a breed’s nose also plays a significant role in lifespan. The longest-lived breeds turned out to be Lancashire Heelers, which average 15.4 years, followed by Tibetan Spaniels at about 15.2 years. Miniature Dachshunds average around 14 years. French Bulldogs, however, have a shorter average life expectancy of just 9.8 years. Experts have long warned that brachycephalic breeds are prone to health problems such as respiratory and skin conditions. The shortest-lived breed in the study was the large, heavily coated Caucasian Shepherd, which averages only 5.4 years.

Researchers also found that purebred dogs tend to live slightly longer than mixed-breed dogs, with average lifespans of 12.7 and 12.0 years, respectively. That finding contradicts the common idea that mixed breeds are healthier because of greater genetic diversity. The researchers say the results should prompt efforts to improve dogs’ lives so they can stay with their families longer.