Jack Russell Terriers live the longest of all pet dogs in the UK, research suggests

Researchers say the life expectancy for bulldog breeds backs up experts’ warnings that people should stop and think before buying a dog with a short snout.

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Jack Russell terriers live longer than any other pet dogs in the UK, while French bulldogs face the shortest life expectancy, a new study has found.

The overall average life expectancy for pet dogs was 11. 2 years, according to the research by the Royal Veterinary College.

Although dogs are similar to humans in terms of their life expectancy, male canines lived on average for four months longer than females.

Jack Russell terriers had the greatest life expectancy at 12. 7 years, followed by border collies on 12. 1 years, according to the study.

The analysis is based on a random sample of 30,563 dogs that died between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2020, from 18 different breeds and crossbreeds.

In comparison, four flat-faced breeds were found to have the shortest life expectancy with French bulldogs expected to live only 4. 5 years, followed by English bulldogs at 7. 4 years and American bulldogs 7. 8 years.

Researchers claim that the results support expert’s call for people to think twice before purchasing a small-sized dog.

The lower life expectancies of flat-faced breeds is related to the increased risk of breathing problems and spinal disease they face, the experts suggest.

Dr Dan O’Neil is an associate professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology, Royal Veterinary College. He was coauthor of this paper.

These new VetCompass Life tables enable owners to now estimate how much longer they can benefit from these dogs.

Previously, the life expectancy of a dog was calculated using either its average age or that of a specific breed.

However, the researchers claim that life tables are tools which list life expectancy and death probability across various age groups within a population. This allows pet owners to accurately estimate how long their dog will live.

Dr Justine shotton, president of the British Veterinary Association, said that flat-faced breeds have a lower life expectancy, which may lead people to put “health before looks” in their minds.

In both male and female dogs, neutered dogs were found to have a longer life expectancy than their non-neutered counterparts.

Here is a full list of the dog breeds included in the study, and their estimated life expectancy:

Jack Russell terrier – 12. 72 years
Yorkshire terrier – 12. 54 years
Border collie – 12. 10 years
Springer spaniel – 11. 92 years
Crossbred – 11. 82 years
Labrador retriever – 11. 77 years
Staffordshire bull terrier – 11. 33 years
Cocker spaniel – 11. 31 years
Shih-tzu – 11. 05 years
Cavalier King Charles spaniel – 10. 45 years
German shepherd dog – 10. 16 years
Boxer – 10. 04 years
Beagle – 9. 85 years
Husky – 9. 53 years
Chihuahua – 7. 91 years
American bulldog – 7. 79 years
Pug – 7. 65 years
English bulldog – 7. 39 years
French bulldog – 4. 53 years