In a cross-sectional study published in GeroScience, researchers Borbála Turcsán and Enikő Kubinyi analyzed behavioral aging in over 15,000 pet dogs, uncovering how key traits such as body size, head shape, and expected lifespan affect age-related cognitive decline.
The results revealed that while most dogs begin to show measurable behavioral decline around 10.5 years of age, owners start perceiving their pets as “old” as early as 6 years. This subjective perception may reflect early behavioral shifts not easily captured in clinical diagnostics.
The study found a striking effect of body size on aging. Large dogs (over 30 kg) showed signs of cognitive and behavioral decline 2–3 years earlier than smaller breeds. However, their rate of decline was slower, suggesting different trajectories of aging across size categories. The researchers suggest this is tied to faster physical aging in large dogs, leading to earlier—but more gradual—cognitive impacts.
Interestingly, when dogs reached their oldest age brackets, it was small-sized, dolichocephalic (long-headed), and purebred dogs that showed the highest risk for canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD). In contrast, large dogs had lower CCD prevalence, even though they declined earlier overall.
These insights offer strong translational relevance for both veterinary care and human aging studies. By identifying how morphological traits affect aging, the findings support tailored health strategies that could improve quality of life and longevity in dogs—and perhaps even inform human aging models.
Source: B. Turcsán, E. Kubinyi. 2023-09-23. “Differential behavioral aging trajectories according to body size, expected lifespan, and head shape in dogs.” GeroScience, Volume 46, Pages 1731–1754.
