When compared to humans, dogs do not nearly get as much time in this world as we do, and a full life doesn’t necessarily have to be a long one — something dog lovers understand. But there are some breeds that tend to live longer than others.

In the end, losing our best friend hurts no matter how much time was shared together. While a good diet and regular exercise can lengthen and certainly improve the life of any dog, it is important to realize that not all dogs are born with the same genetics.

To determine the dog breeds that have the longest and shortest life expectancy, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the average age of death for 148 dog breeds from research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

All of the 40 dog breeds with the shortest life expectancies live on average just under 10-years — more than two years less than the average lifespan for all dogs. On the other hand, the average life expectancy of the breeds on the longest living dogs list is 14.3 years — two years longer than the average lifespan.

Researchers have consistently found that the larger the dog, the shorter the life. The reasons behind this pattern remain unknown, and the finding is at odds with research into the longevity of other creatures. Generally, large animals such as elephants, whales, and primates live longer than smaller animals like mice, rabbits, certain types of fish, and small birds.

Click here to see the shortest living dogs.
Click to here to see the longest living dogs.

In addition to weight and height information, we reviewed various character traits of the breeds, including trainability.

To identify the 40 dog breeds with the longest (and shortest) life expectancy, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from Paul Jones et al’s 2008 study “Single-Nucleotide-Polymorphism-Based Association Mapping of Dog Stereotypes.” This research analyzed the DNA of 148 domestic dog breeds and included various attributes like size, temperament, trainability, and average age at death. The longevity data primarily represents owner surveys. Supplemental data was retrieved from the American Kennel Club (AKC). Only dog breeds that are recognized by the AKC were considered.