We’re officially a nations of dog owners, with the UK’s most popular pet living in around one-in-three households (and rising).
That means that there are around three million pooches living here, with more people choosing to join the army of dog lovers every week.
Of course, if you are looking to welcome a dog into your family, there are 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, alongside numerous crossbreeds, so there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest addition.
There’s even academic guidance to seek out, with Psychologist Stanley Coren’s book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs’ ranking breeds by instincts, obedience, and the ability to adapt.
Choosing the right breed is absolutely essential – for example opting for a small dog if you don’t have much room at home, or a hypoallergenic dog if you suffer from allergies.
And one thing you might like to consider is that different breeds have significantly different average lifespans.
Research published in the journal Scientific Reports has used the Royal Veterinary College’s Veterinary Companion Animal Surveillance System (VetCompass), a database holding information on over two million animals, to work out the average life expectance of some of the UK’s most popular breeds of dog.
Researchers took a random sample of 30,563 dogs that died over a five year period to come to their findings.
Here’s what they found about the average lifespan of 18 of the most common dog breeds.
1. Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell Terrier was the longest living breed that the study looked at - with an average age of 12.72 years. The cheery wee dogs were originally bred for fox hunting in North Devon. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Yorkshire Terrier
Another terrier takes second spot. Small dogs tend to live longer than large dogs, so it's no surprise to see the tiny Yorkshire Terrier coming high up in this list with an average lifespan of 12.54 years. It orginated in the nineteenth century in - unsurprisingly - the English county of Yorkshire. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Border Collie
The world's most intelligent dog breed, the Border Collie is also one of the most long lived - with an expected life of 12.10 years. Bred first on the border between England and Scotland, it's often very successfully used to herd sheep. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Springer Spaniel
The wonderfully bouncy Springer Spaniel is expected to live around 11.92 years. Before becoming loved family pets, they were used to flush out (or 'spring' - hence the name) and retrieve game by hunters. | Canva/Getty Images