Your dog’s age in human years, let’s discuss — have you ever wondered how old your dog is in human years? Of course you have! We all have, so much so that the 1:7 year rule is ingrained in all of our minds.
But … how old is your dog in homo sapiens years really and why does it matter?
FIRST THINGS FIRST — THAT 1:7 RULE
Brace yourself, it’s a myth and your 4 year old dog is not really 28! In fact, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine created a formula that more accurately compares the ages of humans and dogs to more accurately calculate your dog’s age in human years.
It’s based on the changing patterns of methyl groups in dog and human genomes, I know right, that’s exactly what you thought. Well done! So this new methylation-based formula, published in Cell Systems, may provide a useful tool for veterinarians, and for evaluating anti-aging interventions.
WHY YOUR DOG’S AGE IN HUMAN MATTERS
In a nutshell, having an idea what your dog’s human age is helps make you a better pet-parent.
It is a numerical value that you can relate to, and thus address their needs accordingly and even understand why they do what they do.
THE AGES AND THE STAGES
NEW PUPPY
Your puppy matures rapidly at a rate significantly faster than a human baby during the first year. With all that growth and development making the rounds, you NEED a food specially formulated for it.
Great choices include:
➜ Hill’s Puppy
➜ Acana Puppy
➜ Eukanuba Puppy
For your SUPER small newborn pup, feel free to take Royal Canin Milk and Milko Pup Milk for a spin.
Products to add to your cart whilst your pup masters toilet training:
➜ Training Pads
➜ Washable Training Pads
➜ Simple Solution Stain And Odour Remover
And last, but not least, investing in age-appropriate Puppy Toys is also never a bad idea. If you’re losing the war on itchy gums, then the Cool Puppy Teething Ring and the Chillax Cool Bone may just be the sidekicks you need.
TEENAGERS
Just like humans, you simply cannot place all doggy teenagers in the same box. Some may go off the rails and some may become a little more anxious. Luckily, both are temporary.
To keep your boisterous teenager entertained, these products ought to do the trick:
➜ Puzzles
➜ Interactive Toys
➜ Tough Chew Toys
Your teenager is likely to pack a full set of adult teeth by now, but discomfort as they settle into their jaws can still come into play, causing them to chew harder during this time.
To help soothe wrecked doggy nerves have a look at the items below:
➜ CalmEze Liquid
➜ Sentry Calming Collar
➜ Adaptil Travel Spray
Some pet-parents have also reported all their hard training has gone out the window. If you’ve noticed your teenager is failing to respond to training that has previously been taught, then re-training them with this Clicker is just about the best idea since sliced bread.
ADULT
We have all found ourselves thinking, adulting is hard, especially since we actually need to pay for our own vacations now, yikes! But in order to make informative decisions and to live one’s best life, NUTRITION is key. Be sure to feed your adult dogs a premium, complete and balanced doggy meal.
These Freeze-Dried Chicken Fillets dog treats are also all the rage. They’re high in protein, low in fat and lightly smoked for extra, lip-smackingly good flavour too. They’re also loved by dog-parents, just saying.
If you’re the pet-parent to a small breed dog, then it’s important to know small breeds easily fall victim to dental issues, so be 100% sure your dental game and dog’s Oral Care is on fleek. The PetDent DentaBio dental supplement wins hearts every time!
Need we even mention, exercise is a must for some of us, and so your dog deserves regular walkies too. To achieve outdoor greatness, you’ll need a killer Dog Lead.
SENIOR
Depending on your dog’s breed, seniorhood can begin as soon as they hit their 7th birthday; and as with all seniors, human or canine, lending a helping hand on the daily is a thing.
Super awesome items to invest in for your golden oldie include:
➜ Dogopedic Steps
➜ Orthopedic Beds
➜ Hip And Joint Care
➜ Age-Appropriate Food
Kidney issues are common in senior dogs and water fountains provide crisp, clean and fresh water 24/7. Its soothing stream entices dogs to drink and can actually help ensure proper kidney function and reduce the risk of UTIs. Personally, I’m such a fan of the Zeus Drinking Fountain as it has an elevated design to provide a better drinking posture and position.
YOUR DOG’S AGE IN HUMAN YEARS : CONCLUSION
Instead of yelling at your dog for shredding your R50 plakkies and branding them as the naughtiest dog to have ever roamed the earth, try to understand why they did it, according to the life stage they are dealing with.
Knowing their human age makes their situation / life stage more relatable and thus helps increase the bond and the love you share. After all, you would never approve of your dog yelling at you for not being able to run like the wind like YOU used to. Bruno gets it.