The last few years have seen many of us welcome a new four-legged friend into our homes, as the Kennel Club has dog ownership rise to record levels.
With 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your perfect pup – whether you want a large dog, family-friendly dog, or crossbreed.
One of the terrible truths of dog ownership is that we are likely to outlive our adored pet, with the average dog living just over 11 years. But there's a fairly substantial gap between the breeds that live the longest and shortest lives.
New research published in the journal Scientific Reports has used the Royal Veterinary College’s Veterinary Companion Animal Surveillance System (VetCompass), a database holding information on over two million animals, to work out the average life expectance of some of the UK’s most popular breeds of dog.
Researchers took a random sample of 30,563 dogs that died between January 1, 2016, and July 31, 2020, to come to their findings.
Here’s what they found.
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1. Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell Terrier was the longest living breed that the study looked at - with an average age of 12.72 years. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
2. Yorkshire Terrier
Small dogs tend to live longer than large dogs, so it's no surprise to see the tiny Yorkshire Terrier coming second in this list with an average lifespan of 12.54 years. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
3. Springer Spaniel
You can expect a lively Springer Spaniel to live around 11.92 years. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
4. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
A breed that has become increasingly popular in recent years, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has an average lifesspan of 11.33 years. Photo: Canva/Getty Images