dogyears - dot - com
dog dot yrs - at - gmail dot com
We're for dogs!
Some people are for the whales. Some are for the trees. We're for dogs. Boy dogs and girl dogs. The big ones and the little ones. The guardians and the comedians. The pure breeds and the mutts.
We're for walks, runs and romps. Digging, sniffing and fetching. Belly-scratch
leg kicks. A big smile. Hard play with the squeeky ball. A tail-thumpin' licking.
A cold dog nose where no cold dog nose has gone before. We're for dog parks,
dog doors and the dog days of summer. Shake paws? Go for a ride? Cookie? Pssssst!
Get that kitty!
If there were an international holiday for dogs, on which all dogs were universally
recognized for their contribution to the improvement of our quality of life
on earth, we'd be for that too. Dogs make us happy. Dogs rule! Lifespan The old rule-of-thumb that one dog
year equals seven years of a human life is not accurate. The ratio is higher
with youth and decreases a bit as the dog ages. Depending on breed, a dog experiences
the raging hormones of adolescence anywhere from eight months to two years or
more. Generally, a dog of six has aged about as much as a 45-year-old human.
At 10, she's like a human of 65; at 12, a human of 75; and at 15, a human of
90.
A dog's lifespan is only a fraction of the average human's lifespan, which means that a dog ages more quickly in the same amount of time. This chart shows how a dog's age might be adjusted to compare to a human's age. Canine Age Human Age 2 Months 14 Months 6 Months 5 Years 8 Months 9 Years 1 Year 15 Years 2 Years 24 Years 3 Years 28 Years 4 Years 32 Years 5 Years 37 Years 6 Years 42 Years 7 Years 47 Years 8 Years 52 Years 9 Years 57 Years 10 Years 62 Years 11 Years 67 Years 12 Years 72 Years 13 Years 77 Years 14 Years 82 Years Costs vary depending on charges by individual veterinarians.
Costs do not include any initial adoption fee or purchase cost for the animal. Assuming the average lifespan of a dog is ten years, the estimated cost of owning a dog for its lifetime is over $8300.
Dog Years
Approximate Annual Dog Care Costs
Year 1
Ea Succeeding Year
Food
$400
$400
Distemper/Parvo
$60
$15
Rabies Shots
$20
$5
Worming
$25
$10
Spay / Neuter
$55
Heartworm
$50
$50
License
$10
$10
Accessories
$100
$75
Emergency Vet
$250
$250
Total
$970
$818