As much as we love our furry friends, unfortunately, our dogs cannot stay with us forever. While the average dog lives between 10 and 13 years, some breeds sadly fall well short of that range. To provide some comfort, pet experts suggest that the first year of a dog's life is equal to 15 years of a human's, the second year to nine human years, and every year after that to five human years.

However, whether it be the size of the pooch, its genetics, or predisposition to deadly diseases, a range of factors can cause a dog's life to be cut short. A 2024 study published in Nature analysed nearly 585,000 dogs across 155 breeds in the UK. Based on that data, the American Kennel Club identified the 35 most popular breeds with the shortest lifespans, and we have listed them all below.

Shortest living breeds - full list

35. Greyhound - Median lifespan: 11.5 years

34. Akita - Median lifespan: 11.4 years

33. German Shepherd - Median lifespan: 11.3 years (tie) 

33. Boxer - Median lifespan: 11.3 years (tie) 

33. Bouvier des Flandres - Median lifespan: 11.3 years (tie)

33. American Eskimo dog - Median lifespan: 11.3 years (tie)

33. Alaskan malamute - Median lifespan: 11.3 years (tie)

28. Doberman pinscher - Median lifespan: 11.2 years

27. Dogue de Bordeaux - Median lifespan: 11.1 years (tie)

27. Brittany - Median lifespan: 11.1 years (tie) 

27. Afghan hound - Median lifespan: 11.1 years (tie)

24. Newfoundland - Median lifespan: 11 years

23. Great Pyrenees - Median lifespan: 10.9 years (tie)

23. Black Russian terrier - Median lifespan: 10.9 years (tie)

21. Irish water spaniel - Median lifespan: 10.8 years

20. Rottweiler - Median lifespan: 10.6 years (tie)

20. Great Dane - Median lifespan: 10.6 years (tie)

20. Chinese shar-pei - Median lifespan: 10.6 years (tie)

17. Scottish deerhound - Median lifespan: 10.5 years

16. Bullmastiff - Median lifespan: 10.2 years

15. Bernese mountain dog - Median lifespan: 10.1 years (tie)

15. Anatolian shepherd - Median lifespan: 10.1 years (tie)

13. Pharaoh hound - Median lifespan: 10 years (tie)

13. Leonberger - Median lifespan: 10 years (tie)

11. Irish wolfhound - Median lifespan: 9.9 years 

10. French bulldog - Median lifespan: 9.8 years (tie)

10. Bulldog - Median lifespan: 9.8 years (tie)

8. Saint Bernard - Median lifespan: 9.3 years (tie)

8. Neapolitan mastiff - Median lifespan: 9.3 years (tie)

8. Bloodhound - Median lifespan: 9.3 years (tie)

8. Affenpinscher - Median lifespan: 9.3 years (tie)

4. Mastiff - Median lifespan: 9 years

3. Cane corso - Median lifespan: 8.1 years

2. Presa Canario - Median lifespan: 7.7 years

1. Caucasian shepherd dog - Median lifespan: 5.4 years