A new study has revealed the average life expectancy of some of the most popular dog breeds in the UK.
The results will delight Jack Russell terrier owners - this breed came out on top, with an average life expectancy of 12.7 years, according to research by Royal Veterinary College.
Yorkshire Terriers were the runners-up at 12.5 years, while border collies came in third at 12.1 years.
Springer spaniels, crossbreeds, Labrador retrievers, cocker spaniels and shih tzus all fared well too, with an average life expectancy of 11 years or more. Across the board, the average for a UK companion dog was 11.2 years.
But sadly, not every breed is expected to enjoy such a long lifespan according to the study. French bulldogs came bottom of the list, with an average life expectancy of just 4.5 years.
Other flat faced breeds were similarly placed, with the English bulldog having the second-shortest life expectancy of 7.4 years, followed by pugs at 7.7 years and American bulldogs with 7.8 years.
Such breeds are often known to suffer from a range of health issues including breathing difficulties, eye problems and skin conditions.
Dr Justine Shotton, president of the British Veterinary Association, said of the results: “A concerning finding is the lower life expectancy for flat faced breeds.
“While the study doesn’t prove a direct link between these breeds’ potential welfare issues and shorter length of life, the findings serve as a fresh reminder for prospective dog owners to choose a breed based on health, not looks.”
Take a look at the full list below to see how your pooch fares.
Average life expectancy by breed
Here's the average number of years dog breeds will live, according to the Royal Veterinary College study.
Jack Russell Terrier - 12.72 years
Yorkshire Terrier - 12.54 years
Border Collie - 12.10 years
Springer Spaniel - 11.92 years
Crossbred - 11.82 years
Labrador Retriever - 11.77 years
Staffordshire bull Terrier - 11.33 years
Cocker Spaniel - 11.31 years
Shih Tzu - 11.05 years
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - 10.45 years
German Shepherd - 10.16 years
Boxer - 10.04 years
Beagle - 9.85 years
Husky - 9.53 years
Chihuahua - 7.91 years
American Bulldog - 7.79 years
Pug - 7.65 years
English Bulldog - 7.39 years
French Bulldog - 4.53 years
The study will no doubt bolster calls to put an end to what the Blue Cross has called a “vicious cycle of over-breeding” when it comes to flat faced dogs.
The animal welfare charity said that they are “considering all options” to see that flat faced dogs are no longer bred poorly.
The RVC study, based on a random sample of more than 30,000 dogs across 18 different breeds, showed that Terriers had the longest life expectancy of any breed group, with Utility breeds having the shortest on average.
It also found that at 11.1 years, male dogs had an average life expectancy four months shorter than female dogs.
Neutered dogs were also found to have a longer life expectancy than their non-neutered counterparts - 11.98 vs 10.5 in females and 11.49 vs. 10.58 in males.
Dr Dan O’Neill, the paper’s co-author and associate professor at the RVC, said: “Dogs have helped many humans to get through the loneliness and isolation of the Covid pandemic. These new VetCompass Life tables enable owners to now estimate how long more that they can benefit from these dogs.
“The short life expectancies for flat-faced breeds such as French Bulldogs shown by the VetCompass Life tables supports the UK Brachycephalic Working Group’s call for all owners to ‘Stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog’.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
