Dog Years to Human Years

Enter your dog's age and get its age in human years by the general rule and by the 2020 DNA-methylation formula.

Random & GamesWorldwideSource: Wang et al. 2020 (Cell Systems); general 15/9/5 ruleFree, no sign-up

Dog's age: years

and months

The result updates as you type.

A dog of 5 years

About 39 human years

57 human years by the 2020 DNA-methylation formula

General rule (15 / 9 / 5)	39 years
DNA-methylation formula, 16 ln(age) + 31	56.8 years

Dog age	General rule	Methylation formula
1 yr	15	31
2 yr	24	42
3 yr	29	49
4 yr	34	53
5 yr	39	57
6 yr	44	60
8 yr	54	64
10 yr	64	68
12 yr	74	71
14 yr	84	73
16 yr	94	75

What this page cannot tell you

Neither method accounts for breed or size, and large breeds tend to age faster and live shorter lives than small ones. The methylation formula was fitted in Labrador retrievers. A dog's health and life stage are for a veterinarian to judge.

How to convert dog years to human years

Enter the dog's age. Years and months.
Read both results. The general rule and the DNA-methylation formula.
Check the chart. Both methods for ages 1 to 16.

10 reasons people convert a dog's age

Curious owners

An owner wonders how old their 5-year-old dog is in human terms.

Puppy milestones

Someone compares a 6-month-old puppy to a child.

Senior dogs

An owner notes their dog is entering old age.

Adoption

A shelter visitor compares dogs' ages.

Kids' questions

A parent explains a dog's age to children.

Birthday parties

Someone writes a dog's human-age birthday card.

School projects

A student compares the two methods.

Debunking the 7-year rule

Someone shows why ×7 is not used.

Pet insurance forms

An owner thinks about age bands (the insurer uses real age).

Social media posts

An owner shares their dog's human age.

Where the two methods come from

The general rule counts the first year as 15 human years, the second as 9 and each year after as about 5, as summarised in the Wikipedia article on aging in dogs. The American Veterinary Medical Association notes that dogs do not age at 7 human years per dog year.

The second method is the formula from Wang et al. (2020), Cell Systems 11(2):176–185, based on DNA methylation in Labrador retrievers: human age = 16 × ln(dog age) + 31. It ages young dogs very quickly and slows later. It is not shown under 3 months, where it was not fitted.

Limits: neither method allows for breed or size; large breeds tend to age faster. The results are for curiosity, not health decisions, which are for a veterinarian.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How old is my dog in human years?

Enter the age; the page gives both methods.

Is one dog year seven human years?

No. The AVMA notes dogs do not age at that rate.

How old is a 2-year-old dog in human years?

24 by the general rule, about 42 by the DNA-methylation formula.

Which method is more accurate?

Researchers do not agree on one formula; the page shows both.

Do big dogs age faster?

Large breeds tend to have shorter lifespans; neither formula here adjusts for size.

Why is the formula blank for young puppies?

It was not fitted for dogs under about 3 months and gives meaningless results there.