How to determine the age of a small mongrel. Is the ability to determine a dog's age a superpower or knowledge of nuances? Additional methods for determining a dog's age

Instructions

The easiest way to determine age is to examine your teeth. If you get it, then you should know that the incisors and canines on the upper jaw begin to erupt on the 20-25th day of life. By one month, the baby should have a full set of baby teeth. Then the primary incisors begin to change at the age of 4-5 months, the canines erupt at 5-6 months. By the year the entire dairy row should be replaced. By the age of one and a half years, the hooks of the lower jaw begin to gradually wear out. By the age of 2.5 years, the middle incisors of the lower jaw are worn out. Teeth begin to lose their shine and whiteness. At three years old, the hooks of the upper jaw begin to wear off. At four years of age, the middle incisors of the upper jaw are worn away. At the age of five, the fangs are also subject to wear. On examination they appear dull. From the age of six, a dog’s teeth begin to turn yellow and tartar appears. At older ages, tooth loss may occur. It should be borne in mind that the condition of a dog’s oral cavity largely depends on its living conditions. Therefore, if you doubt the accuracy of your calculations, seek advice from a veterinarian.

The age of the dog will also help determine the condition of the coat. With age, dogs' fur becomes coarser and loses its shine. At six or seven years old, gray hair appears in the area of the lips and chin. Gradually it spreads to the entire muzzle and forehead of the dog.

After 7 years, the dog's eyes seem more deeply set. Pupil dilation and clouding of the eye may occur (due to age-related eye diseases).

You should know that the breeds. Thus, large dogs live on average 10-12 years, medium and small ones 15-18. Some individuals can live up to 20 years.

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Sources:

at what age does a puppy change teeth
How to check if a dog is healthy

Have you adopted an adult dog or adopted a puppy from the street? To understand how to properly care for and feed a new member of the household, you must first of all find out his age.

Instructions

Before you begin to determine the age of the dog, you need to know that these develop most intensively before two years of age. Further, each year is equated to five years of human life for small dogs, six for medium-sized dogs, and seven years for large dogs.

By 4-5 months, the baby incisors fall out, and at 5-6 months the fangs begin to emerge. By 12 months, a young dog should have a full set of molars.

It is better to feed a dwarf dachshund with a special balanced food for small dogs. It contains a sufficient amount of vitamins, calcium, iron and other useful elements necessary for the proper growth and development of the puppy. Additionally, you can give your puppy cottage cheese, carrots, apples, especially during the period when he is teething.

From the first days of arrival in your home, it is necessary to accustom your dachshund puppy to order and commands. First of all, he must understand what the word “impossible” means. Say it every time, in a firm commanding tone, when the dog does something that you don’t like - chews your things or furniture, defecates in the wrong place, sleeps in the wrong place. If the dog correctly understood your order, be sure to praise it, pet it or give it a treat.

Another very important command that needs to be taught to a dwarf dachshund puppy is the “place” command. Crouching in front of the animal, loudly, clearly and briefly tell him: “Place!” After this, take the puppy to his bedding, pet him and repeat: “Place.” So gradually he will understand that his place is here, and this is where this team is sending him.

By the way, a dwarf dachshund, like other small breed dogs, can be trained to relieve itself on a special absorbent diaper. Fence off a small area for the dog and completely cover the floor with diapers. Praise your dog every time he comes out of the diaper. After a few days, remove half of the diapers. Scold the dog if it relieves itself in the wrong place and praise it if it does everything right. Reduce the number of diapers to one, reinforcing the result with praise and treats.

The dachshund is a representative of a group of hunting dogs called burrowing dogs. There are smooth-haired, long-haired and wire-haired dachshunds. The most common (basic, standard) type is the smooth-haired dachshund; it cannot be confused with any other breed of dog, because it has a number of striking characteristic features unique to it.

When a pet comes into the home as an adult or as a grown-up puppy, many dog owners want to know how old their four-legged friend is. This need does not arise out of idle interest.

The diet of dogs largely depends on their age category. And if treatment is necessary, age is also important. How to determine the age of a puppy by teeth and other signs?

Experts highlight a number of reasons why dog owners should know how old their pet is:

Timely vaccination.
It's no secret that there is a certain schedule according to which the dog must receive one or another vaccination. The vast majority of vaccines are administered according to age. Young animals are vaccinated once a year. But upon reaching adulthood, vaccination is carried out much less frequently. This is due to the fact that immunity at this age begins to weaken and viral infections introduced with vaccination can cause considerable harm to the health of a four-legged friend.
Knowing how to determine the age of a puppy, you can understand whether the pet is ready for mating or not.
This is especially important for owners of bitches in order to calculate the onset of heat.
Knowing the age of your four-legged pet will help determine the time for castration or sterilization.
Not all pet owners want to deal with offspring, so they prefer to solve the problem in such a radical, but at the same time effective way. Having information about the age category of the animal, you can avoid problems with its health. The fact is that too early, as well as too late sterilization (castration), is dangerous for the dog. Most veterinarians advise carrying out such surgery at the age of 6-7 years, without taking into account whether the dog has given birth or not. Some dog owners undergo this procedure in order to prolong the life cycle or eliminate all sorts of health problems - oncology, prostatitis, uterine prolapse, sexually transmitted infections, etc.

In addition, the ability to determine the age category of dogs is also necessary for those who are engaged in volunteer activities and adopt stray dogs, work in animal shelters or in veterinary hospitals. After all, when giving a dog to new owners, you need to provide all the information available about him.

Determining the age of a dog is possible using several methods.

The main method for determining the age of a dog

It’s worth starting with the fact that experts divide dogs into more than three age categories:

puppies – dogs from birth to 2 months;
young individuals - from 2 to 18 months;
adult dogs - over one and a half years old.

Experts often resort to a method of assessing the condition of a pet’s teeth. This principle is based on the pattern of the appearance of teeth, their abrasion, the period of change and abrasion of the permanent dentition.

Like humans, dogs' teeth change once, and if he lived in suitable conditions, had good nutrition and a correct bite, then his age can be determined from his teeth with maximum accuracy.

Correspondence of the condition of the teeth to the age of the puppy.

Regardless of the breed of dog (you are determining the age of a toy terrier or a mongrel in front of you), experts highlight the following features:

if there are no teeth in the oral cavity, we can say that this is a newborn baby, no more than two weeks old;
at three weeks the baby’s fangs begin to erupt;
at the age of one month, the puppy's front incisors appear;
35 days after birth, the dog’s molars begin to erupt;
Puppy age from one to two months can be determined by the presence of the entire dentition (subject to the full development of the pet).

If a puppy at the age of two months does not have a full set of teeth, this means that he has health problems. In this case, you should consult a veterinarian.

Other signs of age in dogs are changes in dentition:

At the age of two to six months, the puppy's front incisors change, including the hooks. Such a large difference in the age category is explained by the specifics of a particular breed. For example, in a toy terrier, the front incisors begin to change at six months.
From three to seven months, a change in the lateral and middle teeth is observed.
By six months, puppies lose their baby fangs, and new ones begin to grow in their place.
A complete change of dentition is completed by eight months, in some dogs this happens a little earlier.

In the future, it is by these tubercles, which have an unusual trident shape, that one can determine how old the dog is. Based on the level of abrasion, specialists (dog handlers or veterinarians) can calculate the age category of the animal.

Their condition is divided into several stages:

Two years.
During this period, the dog’s lumpy part of the lower toes wears off. No further changes are observed.
Four years.
At this age, the dog experiences abrasion of the toes on the upper jaw. In addition, a four-year-old dog’s teeth lose their original shine and become dull.
At the age of five, with good nutrition and a normal lifestyle, the pet's tubercles wear out on all its incisors.
Often at this age you can notice blunting of the fangs. As for the enamel, it becomes more yellow.
After six years, significant changes occur in the dog’s oral cavity.
The incisors begin to change their shape (become more concave). Therefore, at this age it becomes very difficult for experts to determine the correctness of the bite. In addition, the enamel becomes more yellow.
From 8 to 10 years, pronounced tooth wear is observed.
The fangs begin to wear down and, in addition to yellowness, a coating appears on them. At the same age, dogs can develop tartar (due to lack of proper care for the pet’s teeth).
After 10 years, a four-legged pet’s teeth become loose and some of them fall out.
Caries may also occur. It is by this sign that experts can determine that the animal in front of them is of advanced age.

Additional ways to determine a dog's age

There is a correspondence between a dog’s age and a human’s, but it is much more complicated than the formula “1 year = 7 years.”

In the absence of the possibility of determining age by dentition, other indirect methods can be used, which are based on the external characteristics of the animal and its behavioral characteristics:

Young individuals are distinguished by well-developed muscles, which can be felt when stroking the pet. In addition, the young move more than sleep.
The dog that has a flabby muscle corset is considered old. In addition, dogs are often diagnosed with obesity in old age. The physical activity of old animals is extremely low - they sleep a lot and get tired quickly during a walk. Calluses are observed in the area of the elbows and joints.

You can also determine how old a dog is by the condition of its coat. Dull, matte, worn out in places, graying hair indicates that this is an old dog. However, you should not rely entirely on this technique, because the coat is affected not only by age, but also by many other factors. And besides, some dogs have no hair at all.

Whereas, in combination with other qualities, silkiness of the coat can be a sign of a young animal.

Some experts determine the age category of pets by their eyes. Young individuals have clear, often cheerful, mischievous eyes with a certain sparkle. The old dog looks at you with dull eyes. His look is characterized by indifference and lack of playfulness. Many older four-legged dogs have deep-set eyes and often experience vision problems. However, often cloudiness of the eyeballs may indicate the presence of a disease of the visual organs.

Every self-respecting dog has a veterinary passport, which contains information about vaccinations, treatments and time of birth. Particularly respected individuals take pride in detailed pedigrees. A conscientious owner always knows the exact birthday of his pet and often celebrates them vigorously. But a fateful meeting can happen any way. A lonely squeaking lump will rush at your feet or you will be faced with a look full of hopeless melancholy. The heart will tremble, and so a new family member will appear in the house. In order not to guess from the tea leaves, our article will tell you in detail, in all possible ways.

They don’t ask about age, but look at the dog’s teeth

The most accurate idea of the age of a four-legged homeless person will be given by a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the teeth, eyes and general condition. It’s easy to understand offhand who is in front of you: a very young puppy, an angular teenager or an adult animal. Then the difficulties begin. The first thing an experienced dog owner will do is look carefully into the toothy mouth. But to do this, you need to know exactly where to look and what to evaluate.

Show your teeth: anatomy

Canids are classified as heterodont animals. Their teeth differ in structure and perform different functions. Adult quadrupeds have 42 permanent teeth (20 at the top and 22 at the bottom), and puppies sport 28 baby teeth (14 on each jaw). Knowing the atomic structure of a dog's jaw will greatly help during examination.

What types of teeth do dogs have?

Incisors

When viewed from the center of the jaw, the incisors are six teeth, growing three to the right and left (the upper ones are much larger than the lower ones, a total of 12 on each jaw). They help the animal bite off food. The central pair of incisors are called “hooks”, followed by the middle incisors and edges. The crown of all incisors is wedge-shaped, and the cutting surface seems to be divided into three lobes (trefoil)

Fangs

It is difficult to confuse them: 4 sharp fangs are an attacker’s worst nightmare. The crown has a conical, forward-curved shape, specially adapted for tearing prey. We must not forget that even the cutest baby is a ferocious predator at heart.

Chewing teeth (molars and premolars)

The teeth located from the canine to the beginning of the jaw belong to the chewing group. 4 premolars (false roots), 3 molars (molars) on each side on the lower jaw, and 4 premolars, 2 molars on the upper jaw. For ease of clamping and grinding food, their surface is equipped with tubercles.

The method of estimating the age of an animal by teeth is based on general patterns in the schedule of their eruption, replacement and wear.

What do puppy teeth say?

Having determined which teeth the puppy has are still baby teeth and which have been replaced by permanent ones, you will answer the question: “ How to find out how old a dog is? accurate to the nearest month. Children's teeth are thinner, unusually white and needle-sharp.

Teething schedule

How baby teeth change

if the foundling still has all its primary teeth intact, rest assured that it is about 2 months old.
3-4 months: milk hooks leave the mouth
3-5 months: middle incisors change
4-6 months: permanent edges appear
6 months: the six-month age equator is marked by the change of canines
7-8 months: replacement of molars and false molars occurs
12 months (year): the milk teeth have completely given up their fast to the permanent teeth, and they have grown and become stronger.

For example, a puppy’s toe has just begun to grow, which means he is 3 months old. If the hooks have changed, and the middle incisor has just appeared - 4 months, has grown completely - 5 and so on. Using this principle, you will never make a mistake!

Dog's teeth instead of a passport

Adult dog

The one-year-old dog shines with a snow-white smile without plaque or tartar, the crowns retain their original shape, and the cusps and areas of the chewing surface are well defined. The older the pet, the more noticeable the process of tooth wear is. In this case, dog handlers make an age diagnosis in increments of one year for adult dogs and two for older dogs.

2 years: noticeable erasing of the trefoil of the middle incisors occurs, the corollas become less prominent or become even smaller. Teeth lose their original shine and become dull.
3 years: the blades of the middle incisors completely disappear, abrasion of the toes begins. The first gum diseases are also characteristic of this age: yellow plaque and tartar appear.
4 years: the chewing surface of the toes and middle incisors is completely smooth, without trefoils, the turn of the edges has arrived.
5 years: with the complete absence of trefoil on all incisors, the apex of the canine is slightly smoothed.
6-7 years: the older the pet gets, the more noticeable the wear of the teeth is. How to find out how old a dog is, if her fangs are blunt, yellow in color? This means that in front of you is an adult animal about 6 years old. If the hooks on the lower jaw have acquired an oval shape (the shape of a chicken egg), then we can safely add another year of life.

Canine maturity

The ovoid shape of the incisors is typical for dogs aged 7 years and older. So, by the age of 8-9 years it is acquired by the middle incisors, and by the age of 10 - by the upper toes. It is worth paying attention to the smoothness of the masticatory cusps of the molars and premolars, and how worn the fangs are. From the age of 11-12 years, a dog can begin to lose teeth almost in the same order in which they grew. If there are not only no hooks in the mouth, and their absence is not associated with injuries, then we are talking about an old man who has become wise in life.

How to find out how old a dog is: appearance tells about age

Despite the specificity of the dental method, if you rely only on it, errors are possible. The fact is that the appearance of an adult’s teeth, in addition to age, is influenced by living conditions. Poor nutrition, malocclusion, and other reasons why a dog is forced to survive rather than live – wear out teeth much faster. Therefore, it would be correct to assess the condition of the tailed pet using several other indicators.

Wool, or what type of coat the dog has

Young animals have softer coats and are less susceptible to dirt. With age, the fur coat becomes dull and becomes oily. The first gray hair appears by the age of 6-7 years, starting on the chin, around the lips. Gradually it descends to the chest, touching the front paws. The older the dog, the more uneven the coat grows. If old people are poorly cared for, the likelihood of “shreds in different directions” is quite high.

Eyes to eyes

Does the miracle have devils dancing in its eyes and showing their tongues, an interested and clear look? This means we are talking about a puppy or a young dog. The cornea of a healthy animal is bright, without any discharge. Whereas with each passing year, the gaze becomes cloudy, becomes dull, and tears appear.

Muscle condition

In older dogs, muscle tone is lower, mild atrophy is possible, and bones protrude more. This is due to a decrease in overall activity. Young pets are always ready for hide and seek, catch up and any other games. But an adult dog will never miss an opportunity to rest once again.

Looking for information about how to find out how old a dog is, you need to take into account the fact that representatives of large breeds age faster. While the little ones retain their youth a little longer.

Why do you need to know the dog's age?

Celebrating the tailed monster's birthday is definitely great. But information about age is also necessary for a number of more important reasons.

Compliance with the vaccination regimen

Dogs, like people, are susceptible to viral diseases. Timely vaccinations (annually for young animals and puppies, once every two years for adult dogs) create a strong barrier to a number of deadly infections. For older pets, the vaccine is administered even less frequently, so as not to burden the body, relying on accumulated immunity.

Treatment and surgery

Age is important for calculating the correct dosage of medications and surgical operations. For example, veterinarians advise spaying all female dogs over 7 years of age to reduce the risk of developing cancers of the reproductive system.

If the pet came into the family as an adult or as a grown-up puppy, then most owners are interested in the question of how to determine the dog’s age, and this is absolutely correct. After all, dogs of different ages have their own needs for nutrition, walking and care.

There are a number of reasons why owners should know how old their pet is:

Firstly, this is necessary in order to vaccinate your four-legged friend on time. Most vaccines are administered based on age. A young animal is vaccinated once every 12 months. But when it reaches maturity, it is carried out much less frequently, since the immune system at this age begins to weaken and the viruses introduced with the vaccine can harm the dog’s body.
Secondly, to determine . This is especially important for owners of bitches to calculate.
Thirdly, to calculate a convenient time for or. Not all people want to deal with offspring, so they resort to the services of veterinarians. But the fact is that surgery too early, as well as in old age, can harm the dog. Most veterinarians recommend performing this procedure at the age of 6-7 years, without looking at whether the dog has given birth or not. Many owners castrate or neuter their pet in order to prolong its life cycle and help avoid health problems - cancer, prostatitis, uterine prolapse, sexually transmitted infections, etc.

In addition, being able to determine the age of dogs is necessary for those who volunteer, adopt stray animals, and work in shelters and veterinary hospitals. After all, when giving your four-legged friend to a new family, you must provide all available information about him.

There are several options for calculating the age category of dogs.

Basic methods of determining age

We should start with the fact that experts divide dogs into several age groups:

puppies – dogs from birth to two months;
young individuals - up to one and a half years;
adult dogs – over 18 months.

The method most often used by specialists is to evaluate a dog's teeth. This principle is based on the pattern of the appearance of teeth, their abrasion, and then the period of their replacement and abrasion of the permanent dentition. Just like in people, in dogs they change once, and if she lived in suitable conditions, had good nutrition and a correct bite, then her teeth can be used to determine her age as accurately as possible.

How to determine a dog's age by its teeth? The following features are observed:

if there are no teeth in the oral cavity at all, then we are talking about a newborn baby, who is a maximum of two weeks old;
at three weeks the puppy begins the process of teething;
the front incisors appear at one month of age;
on the 35th day, the puppy’s molars erupt, while milk teeth;
A 1-2 month old baby with normal development has the entire dentition present.

If a puppy has not erupted all its teeth by two months, it means that it has significant health problems and it would be a good idea to take it to the veterinarian.

The next age-related sign in dogs is the change of teeth:

In the period from 2 to 4 months, puppies change their front incisors, including their hooks. This difference in age is determined by the fact that the change of teeth begins differently in different breeds.
In the period from 3 to 5 months, the lateral and middle teeth are replaced.
By six months, puppies lose their milk teeth, and new ones begin to grow.
Complete replacement of teeth occurs by six, maximum eight months.

The final stage of calculating the age of puppies occurs at 12 months. The dog is already formed, has a muscular corset, and often has a full coat (but not in all breeds). The teeth of one-year-old dogs are snow-white, with tubercles (the dog usually bites them off) and resemble a jagged knife blade.

In the future, it is the tubercles, which have an unusual trident shape, that are the determining link for determining the age of the pet. It is the level of their abrasion that professional veterinarians and dog handlers look at if they need to say how old the dog is. Their condition is divided into several stages:

Two years. At this time, the dog experiences abrasion of the tubercles on the lower toes. After this, no significant changes occur.
Four years. By this period, the tubercles of the hooks on the upper jaw are erased, the enamel coating of the teeth loses its shine and becomes dull.
Five years. The cusps on all incisors are completely erased, the fangs are often blunted, and the enamel acquires a noticeable yellow tint.
Six years. At this time, significant changes occur - the incisors change shape (they become concave), and determining the correct bite becomes very difficult. The enamel turns yellow even more.
Eight to ten years. The abrasion of the teeth is pronounced, the fangs become dull, and the teeth, in addition to obvious yellowness, may become covered with plaque. The formation of tartar is often observed.
Over ten years old. At this age, dogs' teeth begin to loosen, fall out, and caries often occurs. This is the most obvious sign of a pet's advanced age.

Other age determination methods

If it is not possible to determine age by teeth, then you can try to do this by appearance and behavioral characteristics:

A young pet has well-developed muscles, which can be felt when stroking. In addition, a young animal spends little time sleeping, spending more time on the move.
An old dog has flabby muscles and is often diagnosed as obese. The dog gets tired quickly on walks and sleeps more. Noticeable calluses appear on the elbows and joints.

Such signs are very similar to human ones, because an old person is much less active than a young person.

Determining age by the condition of the coat may not give reliable results, since the coat is influenced not only by age, but also by a lot of factors. In addition, some breeds do not have it at all.

But if there is a comprehensive assessment of the dog’s qualities, then silky coat with shine is a sign of a young animal. And if it is dull, patchy, with graying (especially in the muzzle area), then this may indicate that the animal is elderly. But you should also know that gray hair due to pigmentation disorders can also occur in young individuals.

You can try to determine the age of your pet by its eyes. A young dog has clear eyes, most often with a cheerful, mischievous sparkle. The old dog has a certain cloudiness in the eyes, especially the pupils, there is no transparency, there is no enthusiasm and playfulness, no cheerful sparkles in the look. Often the eyes become more deeply set; the animal may have decreased vision and various symptoms. But cloudiness of the eyeball can also signal the presence of disease.

Many owners are interested in information about how to determine the age of a dog by human standards.

Modern experts have found that the old calculation system, where one year of a person is equal to seven years of a dog, is absolutely incorrect. After all, dogs develop differently in different life periods. For example, in just the first year of life, an animal undergoes a lot of changes - from a young puppy to a mature dog, that is, if compared with a person - from a newborn baby to a 16-year-old teenager. It turns out that the seven-year calculation is not at all suitable for these calculations.

At two years, a dog corresponds to 25 human years, that is, it is already a fully developed, adult animal. That is, in a year the pet overcomes the ten-year human period, it becomes more serious and obedient, its behavior is significantly different from that of a puppy.

After two years, the development of your beloved pet slows down significantly. And it is from this time that the classic calculation can be made - 1 year is equal to 7. But even in this case, taking into account the individuality of the dog and its belonging to a particular breed, the result will be averaged.

Everyone knows that small breed dogs do not age as quickly as large breeds, and their life cycle is much longer. Their age is calculated based on the fact that one year corresponds to five human years. Medium-sized dogs live six human years a year, and representatives of large breeds live seven.

Attentive, kind and caring attitude towards your beloved dog will help maintain its health and prolong its youth.