👃 How long will your dog live? Measure its nose...

A dog’s nose length can determine its lifespan

Is your dog a small male with a long nose? Or a medium-size female with a face of average canine proportions? If so, your furry companion is more likely to be at your side for a long time, according to new research. But if yours is a pooch with a squished muzzle, the picture might be a bit less rosy.

A large study published last Thursday looked at data from more than 584,000 dogs across the United Kingdom and found that snout length, along with body size and sex, can influence how long a dog is likely to live.

A nose? Really?

“A medium-sized, flat-faced male like a bulldog is three times more likely to live a shorter life than a small-sized, long-faced female, like a miniature dachshund or an Italian greyhound,” said Kirsten McMillan, a data scientist at Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog charity, and lead author of the paper in the journal Scientific Reports.

How in-depth did the study go?

The study authors examined data on 155 breeds plus mixes. While a typical Labrador retriever or border collie had a median life expectancy of just over 13 years, the researchers found that almost across the board, flat-faced, or brachycephalic, dogs fared worse by that measure. That shorter-nosed bunch included large mastiffs (9 years), beefy English bulldogs (9.3 years) and French bulldogs (9.8 years).

“This paper is showing people that at a population level, these dogs are not doing well,” McMillan said.

One smush-faced survivor stood out in the findings: Lhasa Apsos clocked in with one of the highest median life expectancies at 14 years. That’s up there with Shiba Inus (14.6), papillons (14.5), miniature dachshunds and Italian greyhounds (14).

Most of the results fell within expected patterns. Females lived longer than males, small dogs longer than large ones. Small and medium dogs with pronounced schnozes lived over 12 years on average, while flat-faced dogs of all sizes fell short of that mark.

There has to be some not-so-good news, too…right?

The grim outlook may or may not come as a shock to owners of Frenchies, America’s most popular dog breed. (Last year, it unseated the Lab, which had held the title for three decades.) It’s well known that the bat-eared darlings are predisposed to a number of health issues, often owing to their flattened face shape — breathing problems, skin infections and eye trouble to name a few. Pugs and English bulldogs face these challenges, too.

The Brachycephalic Working Group, a consortium of veterinary organizations, breeding associations and nonprofits in the UK, has declared “a health and welfare crisis” for flat-faced breeds.

“This new research underlines these major health issues by revealing that flat-faced dogs live 1.5 years shorter lives than typical dogs,” said Dan O’Neill, an associate professor at the Royal Veterinary College in London and the working group’s chair, in a statement. “We urge anyone considering getting a flat-faced breed to ‘stop and think’ and to ensure that they acquire a dog with the best chances of a long and happy life.”

Though limited to the UK, the results would probably be similar in the United States, especially with respect to pure breeds, since they are fairly standard around the globe, said veterinarian Dr. Silvan Urfer, an expert in dog life span at the University of Washington, who was not involved in the research. However, he posited that there might be more differences between mixes there and in the US.

Is there a purebred v. mixed breed correlation?

One of the study’s more surprising takeaways was that purebred dogs were found to outlive mixes by about eight months. This finding doesn’t align with the commonly held notion that mixes are generally heartier and healthier than their inbred kennel club counterparts. But the current study can’t tell the whole picture, McMillan said.

The data — collected from vets, breed registries, rescue organizations and pet insurance companies — divided dogs into two categories: purebred and crossbred. Within the crossbred category, the data did not distinguish between genetically diverse mutts and intentional crosses, or “designer breeds,” such as the cockapoo, labradoodle and cavachon.

These are not random mixes or the products of natural selection. “We’re talking about strategically bred dogs and that has changed the game,” McMillan said. Dogs Trust is already working on a new study to determine whether these popular crosses have longer or shorter life expectancies than the breeds they’re derived from.

“Designer dogs is a relatively new phenomenon, so you have a population that skews young,” Urfer said. Studying the population as it grows and ages should give better insight into the health and longevity of these burgeoning breeds.

There has to be other environmental factors involved…?

The study includes millions of data points, but it doesn’t necessarily represent the full spectrum of companion dog life, McMillan said. For instance, not everyone has pet insurance or makes regular vet visits.

The real Ace Ventura: Europe’s pet detective

Meet the pet detective who has helped track down and reunite 330 lost dogs with their owners… for free—using a thermal imaging drone.

She doesn’t accept a penny for her work, saying that the joy when an owner is reunited with their animal is all the reward she needs.

Erica Hart got her first drone as a present from her father in April 2018.

After practicing with it, Her dad told Erica a dog was missing in their local area and suggested she use her drone to help find it.

Erica called the owner of the missing dog—a schnauzer that went missing on a walk—and went out to help him find it, which she did.

Word spread and Erica said it “snowballed” from there. She has since been on 330 dog rescue missions with her drone. She’s even kept a few of the pooches she’s found. From Scotland to Somerset in the UK, Erica is the first one called in the nation for such missions.

“I don’t just help find dogs though, I have found, cats, emus, cows and helped mountain rescue locate missing people,” said Erica. “It is in my nature to help out.”

“I do everything for the love of dogs. Imagine not seeing your mum for 10 years and then seeing her all of a sudden—it is that feeling.”

She estimated she’s been through 30 drones since she started out, and reiterated that the human element of the work is the most important for her.

“I have seen large, 6-foot men burst into tears; it is priceless to see their faces,” she remembers. “Some people can’t have kids so they will get a dog, they are comfort for some people.”

Erica is on call seven days a week and has been out looking on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The longest rescue Erica has been part of lasted 12 days but she said the length of the rescue depends on whether the animal missing goes into fight or flight mode.

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

•  🏈 Brock Purdy is leading the 49ers in the Super Bowl, but Bark Purdy is trying to bring home the crown at the Puppy Bowl. It must be the name, right?

• 👜 Don’t worry ladies. The handbag dog is in again thanks to Demi Moore.

• 🐕 Hundreds of golden retrievers descended upon Golden, CO for their annual, breed festivities. Golden Retriever Day is a serious ordeal…

• 🐶 …and our friends Ellie and Emma brought the golden holiday to the forefront in People Magazine.

• 👃 You can smell what’s wrong with your dog. Seriously… humans are taking back the olfactory superpower!

• 🧬 Vets have released a study claiming that certain breeds are more prone to cancer than others.

• 👮 Biza to the rescue! A police dog used scent to track down a lost child in the freezing cold.

Today’s Last Laugh:

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