>From the time we bring them home as wriggling bundles of joy, we all want our puppies to live forever. As they bond with us and grow into full fledged family members, we tend not to think about the end of their life or how many precious years we have with our canine friends.

However, when picking out our new puppy it is rare that we give adequate consideration to the average lifespan of the dog. There are distinct factors that play into whether our puppy will be with us until our children graduate from high school or if they give us a few good years.

Most experts agree that small breeds tend to outlive large breeds. The general rule of thumb is the larger the dog the shorter the life span. Large medium to large breed dog tend to live about ten years, although there are exceptions to every rule. We have a feisty-willed large breed mutt who is determined to see his fifteenth birthday.

Smaller breeds tend to live longer, anywhere from twelve to fifteen years. Occasionally you will run into the nearly twenty year old Scottie, but most don’t make it past their sixteenth year.

Again, every rule has its exceptions. The Irish Wolfhound isn’t expected to make it more than six or seven good years although there really isn’t a conclusive reason as to why this is so. Of course these figures are taking into consideration overall good health and quality care. Genetics play a vital role in longetivity, but those we can’t control. There are a few factors in our favorite little guy’s life we can do to help him get to his ripe old age. Some of them can even combat predisposition to genetic diseases.

One of the fastest ways to shorten a dog’s life is to keep him outside all the time. Dogs that live outside tend to be missing a few key ingredients in their overall care that impact their life span.

Even with a shelter available, dogs do wear down and age quickly when they are dealing with constant element exposure. While some can adjust, most dog bodies find the extremes the environment can dish out at them to be exhausting and threatening.

Dogs who permanently reside outside tend to receive less over all care. Since people spend the majority of their time at home inside, often small health problems go unnoticed until it becomes an overwhelming problem. Even the responsible pet owner can forget to feed or water the dog who is permanently engaged in outdoor activities when the lifestyle inside the home becomes stressed or busy.

Outdoor dogs also lack the essential strong emotional connection with their owners that indoor dogs benefit from. Having their human friends to please and play with goes a long way in their overall happiness and health. Often a sick dog who has no emotional connection will stop eating and caring for themselves long before those who have families who love and care for them. If you want your little guy to live a longer, fuller life, bring him inside and let him be part of the family lifestyle.

Whether you are bringing home a purebred puppy or a distinguished gentleman of questionable descent, their life span can be about the same. Barring any health problems, each should live as long as the other and it really just comes down to personal preference.