What Dog Breed Lives the Longest? Median Lifespan Data for 155 Breeds, With Sample Sizes

The dog breeds that live the longest in the largest published dataset are the Lancashire Heeler (median 15.4 years), the Tibetan Spaniel (15.2) and the Shiba Inu (14.6), from a 2024 Dogs Trust analysis of 584,734 UK dogs (McMillan et al., Scientific Reports). No single breed wins in every study, though: in a separate Royal Veterinary College VetCompass life table of 18 common UK breeds, the Jack Russell Terrier came first at 12.72 years (Teng et al., Scientific Reports, 2022). What stays constant is the pattern, with mostly small, long-lived breeds at the top and giant and flat-faced breeds at the bottom.

This guide shows the actual numbers, with sample sizes, so you can see how much weight each figure deserves. It also explains why "which dog breed lives the longest" has more than one honest answer, and why famous record-holding dogs say little about your own dog.

The longest-living dog breeds, ranked by median lifespan

The table below comes from the Dogs Trust study, which pooled records from 18 UK organizations (rehoming charities, breed registries, pet insurers, veterinary groups and university archives). Median survival is the age by which half of the dogs of that breed had died, estimated while allowing for dogs that are still alive. I kept breeds with at least 40 recorded deaths so that a handful of dogs cannot dominate the list. The figures are from the paper's Supplementary Table S3. To compare daily care needs alongside lifespan, see breed differences in skin-allergy risk before choosing a breed.

Breeds with the longest median survival, UK Dogs Trust dataset (584,734 dogs in total; 155 purebred breeds analyzed)
Breed Median survival (years) 95% confidence interval Dogs analyzed Recorded deaths
Lancashire Heeler 15.4 14.7 to 15.9 241 110
Tibetan Spaniel 15.2 14.8 to 15.7 351 137
Shiba Inu 14.6 14 to 15.1 423 91
Papillon 14.5 14.1 to 14.9 1,115 427
Havanese 14.5 14.1 to not estimable 381 56
Border Terrier 14.2 14.1 to 14.3 9,387 2,427
Lakeland Terrier 14.2 13.9 to 14.5 1,068 601
Coton de Tulear 14.2 13.1 to not estimable 319 44
Lhasa Apso 14.0 13.9 to 14.2 7,216 2,723
Poodle (all sizes combined) 14.0 13.8 to 14.1 6,427 2,399
Miniature Dachshund 14.0 13.7 to 14.2 7,342 1,655
Cairn Terrier 14.0 13.8 to 14.3 2,585 1,139
Welsh Springer Spaniel 14.0 13.3 to 14.3 572 162
German Spitz Mittel 14.0 13.3 to 14.6 211 96
Italian Greyhound 14.0 13.2 to 15.1 389 70
Australian Cattle Dog 14.0 13.2 to 15.1 117 50
Norwich Terrier 14.0 13.5 to 15.1 190 45

Source: McMillan et al. 2024, Sci Rep 14:531, Supplementary Table S3, with a published author correction. The authors' own text names the Lancashire Heeler, Tibetan Spaniel, Shiba Inu, Papillon, Lakeland Terrier, Schipperke, Border Terrier, Italian Greyhound and Miniature Dachshund as the breeds least at risk of early death. The Schipperke and a few others (for example the Bolognese at 14.9 years, with only 32 recorded deaths) are left out of the table above because their numbers are too small to rank with confidence.

For comparison: popular and short-lived breeds in the same dataset

Reference breeds and the shortest median survival, same dataset
Breed Median survival (years) 95% confidence interval Dogs analyzed Recorded deaths
Labrador Retriever 13.1 13 to 13.1 43,428 16,155
Golden Retriever 13.2 13.1 to 13.2 11,506 4,252
German Shepherd Dog 11.3 11.3 to 11.4 19,908 10,773
Chihuahua 11.8 11.5 to 11.9 10,788 3,848
All crossbred dogs combined 12.0 12 to 12.1 111,053 72,445
Presa Canario 7.7 7 to 9.5 144 98
Cane Corso 8.1 6.5 to 9.5 202 101
Mastiff 9.0 8.9 to 9.2 1,840 1,419
St Bernard 9.3 9 to 9.8 1,129 509
Neapolitan Mastiff 9.3 8.8 to 10.2 367 210
Bulldog 9.8 9.7 to 10 11,065 4,743
French Bulldog 9.8 9.4 to 10.1 11,821 2,495

Same source. The paper's overall figures were 12.7 years for purebreds and 12.0 for crossbreds, and 95% of dogs had died by about 18 years. The authors removed records implying an age over 24 years as improbable.

A second dataset gives a different ranking

The RVC's VetCompass programme analyzed primary-care veterinary records of 30,563 UK dogs that died between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2020 (Teng et al. 2022). Overall life expectancy at birth was 11.23 years. The study built life tables for 18 breeds plus crossbreds, shown here by life expectancy at birth.

Life expectancy at age 0 (mean, in years), RVC VetCompass, UK primary-care records 2016 to mid-2020
Breed Life expectancy at age 0 95% confidence interval Dogs in the life table Age band when remaining life expectancy falls to 1.5 years
Jack Russell Terrier 12.72 12.53–12.90 1,620 14–15
Yorkshire Terrier 12.54 12.30–12.77 1,042 14–15
Border Collie 12.10 11.85–12.33 942 13–14
Springer Spaniel 11.92 11.69–12.13 790 12–13
Crossbred 11.82 11.72–11.92 6,511 14–15
Labrador Retriever 11.77 11.67–11.89 2,500 12–13
Staffordshire Bull Terrier 11.33 11.19–11.48 2,364 13–14
Cocker Spaniel 11.31 11.13–11.53 1,073 12–13
Shih-tzu 11.05 10.73–11.40 638 13–14
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 10.45 10.26–10.62 867 11–12
German Shepherd Dog 10.16 10.00–10.37 1,110 11–12
Boxer 10.04 9.85–10.21 836 10–11
Beagle 9.85 9.17–10.24 172 12–13
Husky 9.53 8.71–9.88 154 12–13
Chihuahua 7.91 7.48–8.39 458 15–16
American Bulldog 7.79 7.16–8.33 129 10–11
Pug 7.65 6.99–8.20 197 11–12
English Bulldog 7.39 7.08–7.69 478 9–10
French Bulldog 4.53 4.14–5.01 232 10–11

Source: Teng et al. 2022, Table 3. The authors note that the Beagle, Husky, Pug, English Bulldog, French Bulldog and American Bulldog samples were relatively small. For the daily-care implications of this body shape, see flat-faced breed care and health questions.

Why the two studies disagree (and why that matters)

The Dogs Trust figure is a median from a multi-source dataset, and the VetCompass figure is a mean from primary-care clinic records. A median is the age at which half the dogs have died; a mean is the average, and early deaths pull it down much more. The sources differ too. The Dogs Trust authors point out that insured and registered dogs may be over-represented, and that owners of purebred dogs are more likely to pursue extensive veterinary treatment. The VetCompass authors list their own limits: dogs that die before registering with a clinic are missed, and euthanasia decisions shape the ages recorded.

Two breeds show the problem clearly:

  • French Bulldog: 9.8 years median in the Dogs Trust data, but only 4.53 years in VetCompass. The VetCompass authors link part of the low figure to the breed's recent surge in popularity: UK Kennel Club registrations rose from 2,771 in 2011 to 39,266 in 2020, so the dataset is full of young dogs. Both studies agree the breed is short-lived. Neither gives a number you should treat as a promise.
  • Chihuahua: 11.8 years median in the Dogs Trust data (10,788 dogs), but 7.91 years life expectancy at birth in VetCompass (458 dogs). The same VetCompass table shows Chihuahuas reaching the oldest age band (15 to 16 years) before remaining life expectancy fell to 1.5 years, the latest of all 18 breeds. The authors read this as a wide spread in Chihuahua lifespans: some die young, and those that pass the risky years can live very long.

This is why a flat "Chihuahuas live 14 to 18 years" line is misleading, and why popular lists that give a range without a named study (for example, PetsRadar's list gives "up to 20 years" for the Jack Russell Terrier with no source) cannot be checked against data.

Median, average and maximum lifespan are three different things

What each type of lifespan number tells you
Measure What it means Example from the data
Median lifespan The age by which half the dogs of a group have died Border Terrier 14.2 years (McMillan 2024)
Mean life expectancy at birth The average expected age at death, sensitive to early deaths Jack Russell Terrier 12.72 years (Teng 2022)
Upper range The age most dogs of a group do not exceed 95% of dogs dead by about 18 years; the longest breed life table (Jack Russell Terrier) ends at 19
Verified record A single exceptional dog Bluey, 29 years 5 months (see below)

How much does size matter?

Size is the strongest and most consistent pattern in the research. In the Dogs Trust dataset, median survival was 12.7 years for small purebreds, 12.5 for medium and 11.9 for large (McMillan 2024). A Japanese study of 299,555 insured dogs found life expectancy of 13.8 years under 5 kg, 14.2 years at 5 to 10 kg, 13.6 years at 10 to 20 kg, 12.5 years at 20 to 40 kg and 10.6 years at 40 kg and over (Inoue et al., Prev Vet Med, 2015). In English primary-care records, higher bodyweight was associated with shorter life (O'Neill et al., Vet J, 2013).

An analysis of 74 breeds concluded that large dogs die young mainly because they age faster, not because of a higher baseline hazard or an earlier start of ageing (Kraus, Pavard and Promislow, Am Nat, 2013). For an older dog whose nutrition plan also includes eye support, review eye supplements and what canine research supports before adding another antioxidant formula with overlapping ingredients. Compare the current Pure Majesty Pets Advanced Vision label before adding a product in this category. For a practical way to interpret age and size together, see the dog age chart by size.

Face shape, sex and mixed breeds

  • Face shape: median survival was 12.8 years for medium-muzzled purebreds, 12.1 for long-nosed and 11.2 for flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds. Among small, long-nosed females the median was 13.3 years, against 9.1 to 9.6 years for medium-sized flat-faced dogs (McMillan 2024).
  • Sex: females lived longer in both UK studies, by about 0.3 years in each (median 12.7 versus 12.4 in McMillan; 11.41 versus 11.07 years at birth in Teng).
  • Neutering: in VetCompass, neutered females (11.98 years) and males (11.49) had higher life expectancy at birth than entire females (10.50) and males (10.58). This is an association in clinic records, not proof that neutering extends life. Talk to your vet about timing for your dog's size and breed.
  • Mixed breeds: the evidence is mixed. English primary-care records found crossbreds lived 1.2 years longer than purebreds after adjusting for other factors (O'Neill 2013). The Dogs Trust data found the opposite on average (purebred median 12.7, crossbred 12.0), yet 73 of 155 purebreds had a longer median than crossbreds and only 40 a shorter one. The authors note that "crossbred" lumps together very different dogs, so the question is not settled.

Record-holding dogs: real, but not typical

Famous long-lived dogs and what can be verified
Dog Claim Status
Bluey (Australian cattle dog) 29 years 5 months; died 14 November 1939 Recorded by Guinness World Records as the oldest dog, per ABC News Australia, March 2024
Bobi (Rafeiro do Alentejo) Claimed 31 years 165 days in 2023 Guinness removed the record in February 2024 after saying it "no longer has the evidence" to support it; microchip data could not prove his age (Guinness World Records)
Spike (Chihuahua mix, Ohio) 23 years 7 days as of 7 December 2022 Named oldest living dog by Guinness at that time (Guinness World Records, January 2023)

A 30-year-old Kelpie called Maggie was also reported in Australia in 2016, but I could not open the original report or find a Guinness listing, so I have not counted her. The point stands without her: even the verified extremes sit far above the numbers in the tables. In the Dogs Trust data, 95% of dogs had died by about 18 years. A breed's record dog is not its expected lifespan, and Bluey's 29 years tell you nothing about the odds for a Border Collie bought today.

What you can and cannot conclude from this data

  • These are population averages. A breed's median says how a group fared, not what a single dog will do.
  • All the large datasets here are from the UK. The Teng authors compared UK breed figures with Japanese insurance data and found large gaps (for example, Labrador Retrievers 11.77 years at birth in the UK table against 14.1 reported in Japan), so figures may not transfer to other countries.
  • The data cover dogs that have already died. Breeds that have grown popular recently or have changed in type may live differently from the dogs measured.
  • Cause is not shown. Neither study tested why breeds differ. Genetics, body shape, care and owner decisions are mixed together, although a phylogenetic analysis found breed lifespan clusters by evolutionary relatedness (McMillan 2024).
  • No breed is guaranteed a long life. Individual health, lines, and care matter, and nothing here supports a promise.

The Dog Aging Project, a research project on canine aging (dogagingproject.org), may eventually add data from outside the UK. I found no breed-level lifespan table from it, so none is used here. For an older dog whose sleep routine has changed, the melatonin product guide is a practical label reference if your vet recommends considering melatonin. For a specific label to review against those criteria, see Pure Majesty Pets Melatonin Drops. For more detail on this part of the routine, see how to review supplements for a senior dog.

What owners can influence

Body weight has the best evidence. A review of records for 50,787 neutered dogs of 12 breeds in North America found that dogs in overweight condition at 6.5 to 8.5 years had a shorter median life span in every breed, from 12.1 versus 12.5 years in German Shepherd Dogs to 13.7 versus 16.2 years in Yorkshire Terriers (Salt et al., J Vet Intern Med, 2019). It was a retrospective case-control study, so it shows association, and three of its five authors were affiliated with the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition. A lifelong feeding experiment in 48 Labrador Retrievers found that dogs fed 25% less than their pair-mates had a longer median life span and later onset of chronic disease signs (Kealy et al., JAVMA, 2002). It was a single colony of one breed, and the first author's affiliation was Nestle Purina's pet nutrition research department. Do not change your dog's food amount on the strength of these studies; ask your vet to score body condition and set a target. When a probiotic is part of the feeding plan, the dog probiotic comparison helps you choose by named strain, formulation and current directions rather than CFU count alone. If you are shopping in this category, include the Pure Majesty Pets Liquid Probiotic label in that comparison. For how the feeding question changes with sustained work, see working-dog nutrition and energy needs.

No supplement, food or treat has been shown in the studies cited here to extend a dog's life. Choosing a breed for its median lifespan is also only one factor, and individual health screening and breeder practices matter more than a number from a table. If the fluffy “teddy bear” look is part of your breed choice, what “teddy bear dog” actually describes explains the names and care questions behind that label. For a different digestive-product category, see digestive enzymes versus other gut products. For the home-prepared-food decision, see planning a complete homemade dog-food recipe.

Checklist: using lifespan data when choosing a dog

  1. Find your breed in the tables above and look at the number of dogs and deaths, not just the median.
  2. Check the confidence interval. Narrow intervals (Border Terrier, 14.1 to 14.3) are more reliable than wide ones (Australian Cattle Dog, 13.2 to 15.1).
  3. Read two sources. If they disagree widely, as for the French Bulldog, treat both as rough.
  4. Consider size and face shape together; a small, long-nosed dog sits in the longest-lived group in the Dogs Trust data.
  5. Ask breeders for health test results and the ages at death of recent relatives.
  6. If you already have a dog, use the breed number as context only, and plan senior care with your vet.

Frequently asked questions

What dog breed lives the longest?

In the largest UK dataset (584,734 dogs), the Lancashire Heeler has the longest median survival at 15.4 years, followed by the Tibetan Spaniel at 15.2 and the Shiba Inu at 14.6. Rankings differ between studies, and small sample sizes make the very top of any list uncertain.

Do small dogs live longer than big dogs?

On average, yes. Dogs Trust data show a median of 12.7 years for small purebreds against 11.9 for large ones, and Japanese insurance data show 10.6 years for dogs of 40 kg and over versus about 14 years for dogs under 10 kg. For a specific example of planning eye-care costs, see what cataract surgery can cost.

Do mixed-breed dogs live longer?

The evidence is mixed. One English study found crossbreds lived 1.2 years longer than purebreds, while the larger Dogs Trust study found a lower median for crossbreds (12.0 versus 12.7 years) but wide variation between breeds. When comparing breeds for a future companion, review breed purchase prices and lifetime costs alongside lifespan. For the care plan behind those population figures, use a daily-to-yearly wellness checklist.

How old was the oldest dog ever?

Guinness World Records lists Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, at 29 years 5 months. Bobi's claimed 31 years was withdrawn in February 2024 because his age could not be proven.

Do Chihuahuas live a long time?

Some do, but the data are mixed. The Dogs Trust median is 11.8 years, the VetCompass life expectancy at birth is 7.91 years, and Chihuahuas also reached the oldest age band of any breed in that study.

Which dog breeds have the shortest lives?

In the Dogs Trust data, the Caucasian Shepherd Dog (5.4 years, small sample), Presa Canario (7.7), Cane Corso (8.1) and Mastiff (9.0) had the shortest medians, with the Bulldog and French Bulldog at 9.8. For an owner also dealing with skin irritation in this breed, see French Bulldog skin-allergy care.

Bottom line: what dog breed lives the longest?

The honest answer is a group, not a single winner: small, long-nosed and terrier-type breeds such as the Lancashire Heeler, Tibetan Spaniel, Shiba Inu, Papillon and Border Terrier lead the best available UK data, at medians of roughly 14 to 15 years. Record-holding dogs are outliers, individual dogs vary widely, and no breed is guaranteed a long life.

This article is general information about published research and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your veterinarian about your own dog's health, weight and care.

Sources