How to Determine a Dog's Age: Key Indicators
Determining a dog's age can be achieved by observing several key indicators, with dental health being a primary focus. Typically, a dog's permanent teeth will fully erupt by the age of one year. By two years old, a small amount of plaque may start to appear. Between three and four years old, plaque accumulation will likely become more severe, and tartar will start to form. After the age of five, teeth will show noticeable wear and may even become loose. A common method for calculating a dog's age in human years is to use a 1:7 ratio – one dog year equals seven human years. However, this ratio typically applies to adult dogs. In their puppyhood, a dog's development is much faster. A six-month-old puppy is roughly equivalent to a human teenager, while an eight-month-old puppy is similar to a human of 17 or 18 years of age. By the time a dog is one year old, it is considered an adult. After this, each additional dog year is considered roughly equivalent to seven human year...