For decades, it has been commonly believed that one human year equates to seven years for dogs. However, a new study shows that may not be accurate.
According to the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, humans, and dogs do not develop at the same rate, therefore, the aging can’t be compared.
Lead author and Professor of Medicine, Dr.Trey Ideker Ph.D., says "This makes sense when you think about it — after all, a nine-month-old dog can have puppies, so we already knew that the 1:7 ratio wasn't an accurate measure of age. "
This conclusion is based on a tracking formula, created by university researchers, to compare the variables of human and canine growth.
Based on their findings, a one-year-old dog is comparable to a 30-year-old human. After a dog turns seven, the rate which it ages decreases. A graph from the study explains exactly human and dogs contrast each other as they get older.
Credit: The University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
In making this announcement in a press release from the University, Dr. Ideker said, "I tend to think of it very much like when you look at someone's face and guess their age based on their wrinkles, gray hair, and other features. These are just similar kinds of features on the molecular level."
He adds, “I like to take my dogs on runs, and so I'm a little bit more sympathetic to the 6-year-old now