| Lifespan of Dogs: How Long Will Your Dog Live? Typical lifespan for Maltese and other small toy dogs Smaller dogs generally live longer than larger dogs, mostly because they don't suffer as many serious skeletal and cardiovascular diseases as larger dogs. Their bones and joints don't need to support as much weight, so they don't break down as quickly. Their heart doesn't need to pump blood through a huge body, so it doesn't wear out as quickly. They have proportionately fewer growth hormones surging through their metabolic system. Studies suggest that growth hormones may shorten life. Small dogs often live to 12 or 15 years of age. Examples of long-lived breeds include Beagles, Bichons Frise, Corgis, Dachshunds, Lhasa Apsos, Miniature Poodles, Miniature and Standard Schnauzers, Schipperkes, Shelties, many terriers, and many toy breeds such as Chihuahuas, Maltese, MinPins, Papillons, Pomeranians, Toy Poodles, Yorkies, etc. However... These breeds are NOT necessarily HEALTHY throughout their longer life. On the contrary, many small dogs are very prone to health problems. It's just that their particular health problems tend to affect their QUALITY of life, rather than its length. |