How old is a dog? How do you know if your dog is old?

Jul 26,2025
4Min

Dogs enter old age at six years old

Seven years after the birth of a small or medium-sized dog, or five years after the birth of a large dog, on average, a dog has entered the ranks of old dogs at the age of 6. Function begins to decline gradually, and one has slowly entered old age. At this time, parents must take more responsibility to take good care of their dogs.
The lifespan of dogs often varies depending on different dog breeds. Nowadays, due to improved nutrition and rising medical standards, the life span of dogs has also been extended. If their owners take good care of them, dogs may live into their teens!
Therefore, dogs should start paying attention to their health after they are 6 years old. Whether it is diet, exercise, daily care, medical treatment or even mental state, it is very different from when they were young. Owners need to adjust their dogs' lifestyles in time to ensure that their dogs live a healthy and happy life in their later years.

Symptoms of aging dogs 1. Changes in skin and hair

The most obvious characteristics of aging dogs are that their skin becomes dry, loose and lacks elasticity, and they are prone to skin diseases and coat changes. It is dry and thin, and often falls off. If it is a dog with a dark coat, such as black or brown, the hair will gradually turn gray, and white hair will appear around the head and mouth.

Symptoms of aging dogs: 2. Changes in teeth and nails

Because the absorption capacity of protein decreases, teeth will turn yellow and fall off. If oral care is not taken care of regularly, dental calculus will become Got serious. The nails will become brittle and fall off easily.

Symptoms of dogs getting older: 3. Reduced exercise

Like Blue Star people, dogs will become less energetic when they get older, and their amount of exercise will gradually decrease. It will take a long time to walk or run. If I don't take a breath, I can't walk for more than ten minutes now, so I have to lie down and rest.
And most old dogs cannot escape the scratching paws of "arthritis", which further affects the dog's vitality.

Symptoms of aging dogs: 4. Slow reaction

Decreased vision, hearing, and sense of smell. Sometimes there is no response when the owner calls, because the old dog may no longer be able to hear. The eyes become blurry or even develop cataracts.

Symptoms of aging dogs 5. Decreased appetite

Because the organ function declines, the digestive system bears the brunt, so the dog’s appetite and digestion ability also decreases. In addition, the sense of smell has become dulled and the aroma of food has weakened. Naturally, dogs are not as interested in food as before. Therefore, the body nutrients of older dogs will be lost faster, and the degree of aging will become increasingly serious.
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