Dog Lifespans 2026: Here's how long the 10 most popular breeds of adorable dog live for on average - including the loving Labrador 🐶

If you’ve been thinking about getting a new dog then you’re not alone – Royal Kennel Club (that’s the new name for the UK Kennel Club) figures show that the number of people looking for puppies has surged to record levels over recent years.

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes - the UK Kennel Club recognises 221 different pedigree dogs, from Affenpinscher to Yorkshire Terrier (there are sadly no dog breeds starting with the letter ‘z’!).

Then there are all manner of crossbreeds, from so-called ‘designer dogs’ to lovable mongrels.

So there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest four-legged addition – whether you want a large dog, family-friendly dog, or an easy to train dog.

Read more:

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There is even scientific research to guide you, in particular psychologist Stanley Coren’s groundbreaking book The Intelligence of Dogs.

Meanwhile, how long a dog lives is partly dependent on its breed - with some far more likely to reach a grand old age than others.

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 different 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 to be the average lifespan of the 10 most popular breeds of dog.

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