how long do most dogs live?

Some dogs get gray earlier than others…(I had a German Shepherd who started getting gray at 5 years old)…You can generally plan that a Giant dog (St. Bernard, Great Danes, etc) will only live 8 to 10 years…Large dogs (Bouvier, German Shepherd, Rottie, etc) 11 to 13 years…Medium sized dogs (the larger spaniels, retrievers, etc) 14 to 16 years…and the small dogs (Chi’s, Terriers, etc) even longer. My sister has a Toy Poodle who’s 18 and still very active, tho his hearing and sight aren’t what they used to be.

The milkiness you see is cataracts…ALL dogs get them as they age…but they can see for a very VERY long time after they start getting them. Dogs usually lose their hearing long before they lose their sight. Besides, dogs use their noses way more than they use their eyes…so being blind isn’t all that big of a handicap for them.

If you take good care of your dog in his “golden years”…get him to the vet once a year for a check up etc…he could easily be around for another 8 years…

phrannie