When is a dog considered a senior?

A dog is considered a senior somewhere between 5 and 11 years old, and size decides where in that range. Most small dogs become seniors at around 10, medium dogs at around 8, large dogs at around 7 and giant breeds at 5 or 6.

There is no single birthday because dogs of different sizes have very different lifespans. Senior is a stage of life, not a number, and a Great Dane reaches it years before a Chihuahua.

Senior dog age chart by size

These ages come from the 45 breed profiles on this site. The first figure is the most common age for breeds of that size, and the range in brackets covers every breed in the group.

The ranges are wide because breed matters as well as weight. Some breeds reach senior age earlier than their size suggests. A Bulldog is a medium dog but is a senior at 6, and a French Bulldog reaches senior age at 8, earlier than most small breeds.

What age is a dog considered a senior? Popular breeds

The mixed-breed row assumes a medium-sized dog. For a smaller or larger mix, use the size chart above. The dog age calculator gives the senior age for each of the 45 breeds, along with your dog's age in human years.

How old is a senior dog in human years?

At the point they become seniors, most dogs are in their 40s or 50s in human terms: about 56 for a 10-year-old small dog, 51 for an 8-year-old medium dog, 49 for a 7-year-old large dog and 42 for a 5-year-old giant breed. The dog years to human years chart has every age from 1 to 20.

Senior vs geriatric

Senior means the last third or so of a dog's expected life. Most senior dogs are still active and comfortable. They are simply at the age when problems start to show up and are worth catching early.

Geriatric is the stage after that, when a dog is reaching the typical lifespan for its breed. It starts two to three years after senior age for most breeds. Care shifts toward comfort, closer monitoring and honest conversations with your vet about quality of life.

There is also a stage before senior. This site calls the three years leading up to senior age "mature adult". Nothing has to change yet, but it is a sensible time to get baseline bloodwork, so later results have something to be compared with.

The first signs of aging owners notice

The calendar is one guide. Your dog is the other. Common early signs include:

• Gray hairs on the muzzle and around the eyes
• Slowing down on walks, or stiffness after getting up from rest
• Hesitating at stairs, the car or the couch
• Sleeping more and more deeply
• A bluish haze in the eyes, or bumping into things in low light
• Not hearing you come in, or not responding to quiet commands
• Weight creeping up, or muscle thinning over the back legs and spine
• New lumps under the skin
• Bad breath and tartar

Several of these are ordinary aging. Several can also point to something treatable. Stiffness is often arthritis, which can be managed, and confusion, pacing at night or getting stuck in corners are worth checking against the dog dementia signs checklist. Mention anything new at the next vet visit.

When to call the vet sooner

Gradual change is expected. Sudden change is not. Call your vet promptly if a senior dog stops eating, drinks or urinates far more than usual, loses weight quickly, coughs or struggles to breathe, collapses, has a seizure, cannot get up, or seems to be in pain.

What should change when a dog becomes a senior

Vet checks

Checkups every six months are commonly recommended for senior dogs, in place of once a year. Six months is a long time in an older dog's life. Vets often suggest screening bloodwork and a urine test at these visits, which can pick up kidney, liver and hormone problems before there are obvious signs. Your vet will advise what is worthwhile for your dog.

Diet

Older dogs usually burn fewer calories, so the same bowl of food slowly becomes too much. Keeping a senior dog lean is one of the most useful things you can do for its joints. Some dogs do well on a food made for seniors and some are better staying on what they have. See what to look for in a senior dog food, and ask your vet before changing the diet of a dog with a health condition.

Exercise

Keep moving, but change the shape of it. Shorter, more frequent walks on soft ground are easier on old joints than one long outing or hard games of fetch. Let your dog set the pace and watch how it moves the next morning.

Home setup

• Rugs or runners on slippery floors
• A supportive bed that is easy to step onto, away from drafts
• A ramp or steps for the car and the couch
• A night light near the bed and the water bowl for dogs with fading sight

Pain relief

If your dog seems sore, talk to your vet about it. Never give human painkillers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen or aspirin unless a vet has specifically told you to. They can seriously harm or kill dogs.

Where to go next

The senior dog guide has a health checklist to take to the vet and the senior age for every breed. If you are thinking about taking on an older dog, read adopting a senior dog. And if your dog is already well into the geriatric years and you are worried about what you are seeing, signs a dog is dying of old age explains what to look for and when to call the vet.

This article is general educational information, not veterinary advice. The senior and geriatric ages given here are typical figures for a dog's size and breed, and individual dogs age differently. Decisions about your dog's checkups, diet, exercise and pain relief should be made with your veterinarian.