Unlike humans, dogs don’t have the ability to live as long as you’d like. In fact one of the saddest parts about being a dog owner is having to bid farewell to your beloved buddy.
A dog lover can own as many as 5 dogs over the course of his/her life and will still have to watch their pet die before they do.
On a general scale, dogs can live between the ages of 6 to 13. However, there are some dog breeds that have the ability to live longer than that.
The nature of these long living breeds (genetics) play a major role in how long they live. There are other major factors that can influence the longevity of your dog’s life. These include a healthy diet, regular exercise, and the much needed tender love and care.
All these factors combined with genetics will play a massive role to both the quality of your dog’s life, and how long they live.
If you’re not one that wishes to say goodbye to your pet earlier than you’d like, then you can get one of the breeds that have a longer life span.
One of such breeds is the very popular Chihuahua. They have an average lifespan of 15 years, while some are tough enough to live as long as 20 years.
This is not to say they don’t need your help; they do. You still need to feed them properly and have them do regular exercises to maximize their life span.
You may be shocked that such a small dog can live that long. Well it’s all in their genes. Ironically, most of the longest living dog breeds are small in size. So if you’re looking for a large breed that can live beyond 15 years, then you will have a hard time finding one.
There are medium sized options though. The Shiba Inu breed is one of such breeds. It is larger than the Chihuahua, so you can get one if size matters to you.
This breed can live up to 16 years old. They are very strong-willed and are among the most loyal dog breeds you can find. They are also clean and quiet, so they’re quite easy to maintain.
Below we will be listing out most of the longest living dog breeds you can find.