How can I tell how old my dog is?

Look at the teeth, eyes, coat and muscle. Clean white teeth suggest a young adult, tartar and wear suggest middle age or older, a bluish haze in the eyes usually appears from about six to eight years, and grey on the muzzle and thinning muscle over the hips point to an older dog. A veterinarian can narrow the range at an exam.

Can a vet tell a dog's exact age?

Not for an adult dog. Vets can age puppies closely from their teeth, but after the adult teeth are in, age can only be estimated as a range from dental wear, eye changes and body condition.

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How old is my dog?

No papers, no birthday? Vets estimate age from the same things you can see at home. Answer five questions for a rough range.

Teeth

Lift the lip and look at the back teeth as well as the front.

Eyes

Look at the pupil in good light.

Muzzle and face

Body and movement

Energy

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Choose one answer in each group. The result appears here.

This tool organizes what you have noticed. It can't examine your pet, and its result is not a diagnosis or veterinary advice. Take what it shows to your vet; if your pet is in distress, go to an emergency clinic now. Full disclaimer

How the estimate works

A puppy can be aged to the month from its teeth. An adult cannot. After about a year, a vet estimates age from how much tartar and wear the teeth carry, whether the lens of the eye has started to haze, how much grey is in the face, and how much muscle is left over the back and hips.

Each of those can mislead on its own. A dog who chews bones has worn teeth young; a dog with good dental care looks younger than it is; some dogs go grey at three. Putting five signs together evens that out, but the answer is still a range of years, not a birthday.

Size matters most. A giant-breed dog can show every sign of old age at seven, while a small terrier with the same signs may be fourteen. If you know roughly what size or breed your dog is, the age calculator will tell you what the estimate means in human years and life stage.

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