Have you adopted an adult dog or taken a puppy from the street? To understand how to properly care for and feed a new household, you must first of all find out his age.
Instructions
Step 1
Before you begin to determine the age of a dog, you need to know that these animals develop most intensively up to two years. Further, each year is equated to five years of human life in small dogs, to six in medium breeds, and in large ones - to seven years.
Step 2
The most basic tool for determining age in dogs is teeth. In puppies, the incisors and canines of the upper jaw begin to erupt at 20-25 days. By the month, every healthy puppy should have a full set of milk teeth.
Step 3
By 4-5 months, the milk incisors fall out, and at 5-6 canines begin to erupt. By 12 months, a young dog should have a full set of molars.
Step 4
Further, the age of the dog can be determined by the erasure of the dentition. By the age of one and a half, the hooks of the lower jaw begin to wear off, by 2, 5, the middle incisors of the lower jaw have abrasions. At this age, the dog's teeth begin to fade. By the age of three, abrasion begins at the toes on the upper jaw. At four years old, the middle holds of the upper row join them. Fangs begin to wear off by age five. Closer to six, the teeth turn yellow, and such an unpleasant disease as tartar can occur on them.
Step 5
Keep in mind that the condition of the teeth depends not only on age, but also on lifestyle and nutrition - all by analogy with people.
Step 6
Pay attention to the wool too. The older the dog, the rougher it is. By the age of seven, many dogs have gray hair on their faces.
Step 7
When determining age, keep in mind that the lifespan of a dog depends on the breed. The larger the dog, the shorter its eyelids - so the average duration of the giants of the canine world is 10-12 years, medium and miniature breeds are more resistant to old age - their average life age ranges from 15 to 18 years.
Step 8
If you are in doubt about the correctness of your age calculations, then contact your veterinarian who will help you more accurately determine the age of your pet.
