A study evaluating over 580,000 pet dogs in the UK discovers little long-nosed types live longest, while medium flat-faced types have the quickest life expectancies. Pure breeds outlive crossbreeds, with females usually living longer than males.UK research on over 580,000 pet dogs reveals little long-nosed types have the highest, and medium flat-faced breeds the least expensive, life expectancies.Small long-nosed (or dolichocephalic) pet dog types such as Whippets have the greatest life span in the UK, whilst male pet dogs from medium-sized flat-faced (or brachycephalic) types such as English Bulldogs have the lowest.The results, published today (February 1) in Scientific Reports, have been determined from information on over 580,000 individual canines from over 150 different breeds, and could help to identify those canines most at danger of an early death.Comprehensive Canine DatabaseKirsten McMillan and associates put together a database of 584,734 private canines using information from 18 various UK sources, consisting of type computer system registries, veterinarians, animal insurance provider, animal welfare charities, and academic institutions.Dogs were from one of 155 pure breeds or classified as a crossbreed, and 284,734 of the canines had passed away before being added to the database. Type, sex, date of birth, and date of death (if applicable) were included for all canines. Purebred pets were assigned to size (little, medium, or large) and head shape (brachycephalic or short-nosed, mesocephalic or medium-nosed, and dolichocephalic or long-nosed) categories based on kennel club literature.The median life span was then computed for all types individually and for the crossbreed group, and then finally for each combination of head, sex, and size shape.Findings on Breed Lifespan DifferencesSmall dolichocephalic breeds of both sexes (such as Miniature Dachshunds and Shetland Sheepdogs) had the greatest typical life expectancies of 13.3 years. Meanwhile, medium brachycephalic breeds had the most affordable mean life span, of 9.1 years for males and 9.6 years for females.Amongst the 12 most popular breeds, which represented more than 50% of all recorded pure types in the database, Labradors had an average life expectancy of 13.1 years, Jack Russell Terriers had a mean life span of 13.3 years, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels had a median life expectancy of 11.8 years. Pure breeds had a greater median life expectancy than crossbreeds (12.7 years compared to 12.0 years), whilst female canines had a somewhat higher typical life span than males (12.7 years compared to 12.4 years). Considerations for Future ResearchThe authors keep in mind that their results are representative for UK dogs only, and that crossbreeds were strictly defined as any pet that was not a kennel club purebred breed. They recommend that future research needs to examine designer breeds such as Labradoodles and Cockapoos independently to represent varying levels of hereditary variety between these dogs and mongrels.Reference: “Longevity of buddy dog types: those at risk from sudden death” 1 February 2024, Scientific Reports.DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-023-50458-w.