Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Male | neutered | 6 years and 9 months old | 16 lbs
Why do small dogs live longer than big dogs?
1 Answer
Published on April 1st, 2019
Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a good question, and we do not definitively have the answer. The reason why is still unknown, though some suggest that there are several possibilities, including that larger dogs may succumb to age-related illnesses sooner. Also, larger breeds grow from puppies to adults at an accelerated rate, and this may lead to a higher likelihood of abnormal cell growth and death from cancer. I hope this is helpful!
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