Dog breeds with a long lifespan
This is one of the few breed questions with a proper measurement behind it. The Royal Veterinary College's VetCompass study built life tables from 30,563 dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK that died between January 2016 and July 2020, and reported life expectancy at birth of 11.23 years for dogs overall. The longest-lived breed measured was the Jack Russell Terrier at 12.72 years; the shortest was the French Bulldog at 4.53 years.
Updated on 2026-10-07.
Life-table figures describe populations and say nothing about an individual animal. For questions about your dog's health, weight or care, consult a veterinarian.
Life expectancy at birth is a population measure, not a promise about any individual dog.
The facts in one table
| Breed | Life expectancy | Size | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Russell Terrier | 12.72 years | small | 25–30 cm | — |
| Yorkshire Terrier | 12.54 years | toy | — | ≤ 3.2 kg |
| Border Collie | 12.1 years | medium | ≤ 53 cm | — |
| Labrador Retriever | 11.77 years | large | 55–57 cm | — |
| Cocker Spaniel | 11.31 years | medium | 38–41 cm | 13–14.5 kg |
| Shih Tzu | 11.05 years | small | ≤ 27 cm | — |
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | 10.45 years | small | — | 5.4–8.2 kg |
| German Shepherd Dog | 10.16 years | large | 58–63 cm | — |
| Boxer | 10.04 years | large | 53–63 cm | 30–32 kg |
| Beagle | 9.85 years | medium | 33–40 cm | — |
| Siberian Husky | 9.53 years | large | 51–60 cm | 20–27 kg |
| Chihuahua | 7.91 years | toy | — | 1.8–2.7 kg |
| Pug | 7.65 years | small | — | 6.3–8.1 kg |
| French Bulldog | 4.53 years | small | — | 11–12.5 kg |
Life expectancy at birth, in years, from the VetCompass UK life tables (30,563 dogs that died between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2020). Overall figure for all dogs: 11.23 years.
Sources: Royal Veterinary College — VetCompass · Royal Kennel Club
What "life expectancy at birth" means here
The figure is not the age of the oldest dog of the breed, and it is not an average of ages at death among old dogs. It is a life-table calculation: given the pattern of deaths observed at every age in this population, how long would a newborn of that breed be expected to live. That means early deaths pull the number down hard, which is the honest way to describe a breed where a substantial share of animals do not reach middle age.
It also means the number belongs to a population, not to your dog. These are UK dogs under primary veterinary care in a specific four-and-a-half-year window. A different country, a different era of breeding or a different standard of care would produce different numbers — but the ranking between breeds is informative, and it is measured rather than asserted.
The pattern: small helps, flat faces hurt
Reading down the table, the two terriers at the top — Jack Russell 12.72 and Yorkshire Terrier 12.54 — fit the general expectation that smaller dogs live longer. But the bottom of the table breaks it: the French Bulldog at 4.53, the English Bulldog at 7.39 and the Pug at 7.65 are all small or medium breeds, and all are brachycephalic, that is, selected for a flattened face. The Chihuahua at 7.91 is small, unflattened and still well below average.
So body size is one factor and conformation is another, and in this dataset conformation is the stronger one at the bottom end. Among the large breeds, the Labrador Retriever reaches 11.77 years, above the all-dog average, while the German Shepherd comes in at 10.16 and the Boxer at 10.04.
What is in your hands rather than the breed's
Breed is set when you choose the dog; almost everything after that is not. Body condition, dental care, vaccination, parasite control and getting problems looked at early are the parts of the picture an owner controls, and they are the reason two dogs of the same breed can have very different outcomes. None of that belongs on a page like this as advice, because it depends on the animal — it belongs in a conversation with a veterinarian who sees it.
Life-table figures describe populations and say nothing about an individual animal. For questions about your dog's health, weight or care, consult a veterinarian.
What most people get wrong
- "Small breeds live longest." Often, but not reliably: the Chihuahua (7.91), Pug (7.65) and French Bulldog (4.53) are all small and all far below the 11.23-year average.
- "Life expectancy means the usual age at death for old dogs." It is a life-table figure from birth, so early deaths lower it substantially.
- "Crossbreeds always live longer." In this study crossbred dogs came in at 11.82 years — above average, but below the Jack Russell Terrier and the Yorkshire Terrier.
Frequently asked questions
- Which dog breed lives longest?
- Of the breeds measured in the VetCompass UK life tables, the Jack Russell Terrier, with a life expectancy at birth of 12.72 years.
- What is the average life expectancy of a dog?
- 11.23 years at birth across all dogs in the VetCompass UK study, with females at 11.41 years and males at 11.07 years.
- Why is the French Bulldog figure so low?
- The study reports 4.53 years for the breed. It is a life-table figure from birth, so the deaths of young dogs weigh heavily on it.
How to read the numbers
The numbers on “Dog breeds with a long lifespan” come from the facts table at the top, with the official source alongside.
Where the data comes from
Each section of “Dog breeds with a long lifespan” names its source (agency, university or breed club) with a verification date.
What this page doesn’t replace
Educational information, not a substitute for a vet, agronomist or specialist assessing your specific case.
Go deeper at the official source
To go deeper than “Dog breeds with a long lifespan”, the source named below publishes the original document.
Words on this page
Hypoallergenic
A term used for breeds that shed less allergen into the environment, usually because they shed less fur. No dog or cat breed is fully allergen-free: a cat’s main allergen comes from saliva and skin, not only fur, and a very sensitive person can react to any breed.
Standard definition by American Kennel Club · Hypoallergenic
Life cycle
The sequence of stages an organism passes through from birth to death — for an animal, young, adult and senior; for a plant, germination, growth, flowering and, in annuals, death after setting seed.
Toxicity
A plant’s or substance’s capacity to harm an organism, which varies with the species exposed, the amount ingested and the animal’s size. A plant "toxic to dogs" is not necessarily toxic to humans at the same dose, and the reverse holds too.
Standard definition by ASPCA — Animal Poison Control Center · Toxicity
Hemisphere
Half of the globe split by the equator. The seasons flip between the two: when it is winter in the northern hemisphere, it is summer in the southern one, which shifts the pruning, bloom and harvest calendar described on this page.
Hardiness zone
A numbered band that ranks a region by the average coldest winter temperature it reaches, used to tell whether a plant survives there outdoors. The reference system is the US one (USDA), from zone 1, coldest, to 13, warmest.
Standard definition by USDA — Agricultural Research Service, Plant Hardiness Zone Map · Hardiness zone
Dormancy
The period when a plant slows its metabolism and stops visible growth, usually in autumn and winter, to survive cold or drought. Pruning, transplanting or fertilising during dormancy is usually less stressful for the plant than doing it in full growth.
Sources
- Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom (Scientific Reports, 2022) — Royal Veterinary College — VetCompass. Checked on 2026-10-07. 30.563 cães que morreram entre 1/1/2016 e 31/7/2020, sob atendimento veterinário primário no Reino Unido.
- Breed standards — Royal Kennel Club. Checked on 2026-10-07. As medidas de altura e peso citadas vêm do padrão oficial de cada raça; o texto do padrão não é reproduzido aqui.