# Are you concerned about longevity?



## rkj__ (Dec 24, 2017)

My expectation for a dog's lifespan is 10+ years. Stats say most Standard Poodles will meet or exceed that marker.


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## Jems (Jul 30, 2018)

I guess that's why I've been dragging my feet looking for a dog. I want a dog with certain attributes and also the longest possible lifespan.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

My girl Iris lived to 14 and that is not uncommon is standards....some live longer, 16, 17+. A friend here always has larger standards and all six of them have lived to 14, 15, 16 years.

Many large breed dogs like labs and goldens have shorter life spans.

Having lost a dog years ago at age 10 it made me realize that I could not possibly live with a breed which has a very short life span. My beagles lived to 14 and 16.

Besides, there is the hair/fur shedding thing. I just now came from a pet store where the shop dog just barely brushed against me. My black leggings are COVERED in light fur. Can not go back to that again either.

So many things about a poodle to appreciate.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

Have to recommend you read "Pukka's Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs" by Ted Kerasote. It is about selecting a puppy and all aspects of raising it to give a longer life. Covers genetics, food, vet care, vaccinations, spay/neuter, toxins, life style, etc. etc. etc. Really interesting and a good read. Pukka is a lab, but applies to all dogs.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Yes, longevity was a factor in my breed choice. I hope my spoos live a very long time. Some people we met at a dog show had bred Irish Wolfhounds for many years but were getting out of the breed because they could not take losing them after 5-6 years.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

If you want longevity, my tpoo was 20 when I had to put her to sleep. She was well and active until age 19 when her arthritis set in and crippled her.


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

It took me a long time to get another dog after my heart dog Ginger died.
I couldn’t imagine choosing to go through that again.
Now I’m 67 years old. I finally made the leap and got my minipoo puppy, Mimi. One factor choosing a minipoo was their longevity, which I understood to be at the long end of the range. In fact I think it’s very possible she will outlive me. I made sure there are other younger folks in her life that love her as much as I do.
Anyway, I support your concern to get a breed that has longevity. Very wise!
But why do you think poodles don’t? I thought they did, but maybe I’m mistaken?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

There are lists of longest living dogs via Google. The toy poodle is in the top 10. 

Many dogs never make it to old age regardless of their breed, and these below have nothing to do with genetic conditions or contagious diseases:

1. Poisoning, often from food that we can eat but they can't; rat poisoning, antifreeze, long list here
2. Drowning;swimming pools and lakes
3. Weather; lightening, extremes of hot and cold, incl hot cars, extreme weather like flooding, fires and tornadoes
4. Struck by Car
5. Electrocution; those wires and cords!
6. Obstruction from swallowing things
7. Wild Animals; snakes, coyotes, hawks, etc.
8. Jumping from Heights, like a deck or mountain side while chasing ball, squirrel, the mailman, jumping from window of car when moving, etc.
9. Suffocation; head gets stuck in a plastic bag, etc
10. Complications from Anesthesia 

I'll add to these:

1) Getting lost (or stolen) and you never see your dog again, which leaves you eternally wondering if he/she came to a bad end,
2) Complications from having puppies,
3) Attacked and killed by local dog when on a walk,
4) Kidnapped from your yard and killed for sport by the neighborhood idiot.
5) A family member or unstable friend loses their temper, hits the dog as a punishment that's hard enough to kill it.
6) You fall on it, or roll on and crush it while sleeping. 
7) Dog ingests alcohol, prescription meds (yours), marijuana, weed edibles, or other drugs.
8) A lifetime of being fed substandard dog food won't kill it, but it's not healthy.
9) On my suspect list: Chronic overexposure to weed killer for lawn treatments since they're pretty low to the ground. 
10) Over-vaccination or too many too closely given can cause a variety of problems in some dogs. 

Pretty much all of these are things that could happen to you, me, and anyone. You do your best to baby-proof and puppy-proof your home and lifestyle. Try to select a dog where parent's are clear in the the DNA health tests. Even then, there are no tests for some medical problems that crop up in any breed. I've read about health tested dogs here and elsewhere, but they developed significant problems in things that can't be DNA tested. 

Life is full of beginnings and endings, and you take your chances at love anytime to dare to love. Here's link you might like too. Good luck.

20 Longest Living Dog Breeds


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Back in the day when I had a lot of free time, I used to take Kit to the weekend farmers market where you see a bunch of exotic dog breeds. I run into a lot of people who owned or owns Bernese Mountain dogs. This rare breed is extremely popular where I live. Every Berner owner all loves the breed so much but lose them too soon. Their average lifespan is 6-8 years because of the high cancer rate. They wanted a giant breed that lives longer and was interested in the Maremma Sheepdog because I told them they typically live to 12. My last one lived until 16 but they rarely live that long. 

I remember running into a woman who started crying because she just lost her Berner a few days before. She said Kit reminded her of her old dog. She said she had to change dog breeds because her kids were devastated. 
If you want an animal that lives forever, large parrots have very long lifespans. I anticipate my African Grey Congo to outlive me. Although I believe the quality of time spent is more important than quantity.


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## Charleeann67:) (Nov 6, 2017)

doditwo, I totally agree! I have a five month old minipoo but my mini before him lived to be 17. She was healthy and sweet her whole life.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I forgot to answer the question. Yes I did consider the longevity. All sizes of poodles seem to rank pretty high up in longevity for their size. 

I adore wolf hounds, knew someone in university who had one. When I found out what a short life they lived, it made me sad and want to avoid dogs with short life spans.


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## Marchie's Mom (Nov 18, 2016)

It's my observation, that the Standard Poodle has a significantly longer lifespan than most larger dogs. My last Spoo lived to 14.5 years, even with epilepsy. As my hubby and I are now in our mid-sixties, our current 2 year old will likely be our last dog, as I expect him to be around until we're around 80. 2 dogs in a 30 year span is a great prospect IMO.


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## ParrotMomWantsPoodle (Apr 17, 2018)

doditwo said:


> It took me a long time to get another dog after my heart dog Ginger died.
> I couldn’t imagine choosing to go through that again.
> Now I’m 67 years old. I finally made the leap and got my minipoo puppy, Mimi. One factor choosing a minipoo was their longevity, which I understood to be at the long end of the range. In fact I think it’s very possible she will outlive me. I made sure there are other younger folks in her life that love her as much as I do.
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I did the very same thing for the same reason! With the same heartbreak over previous loss, and not-so-young years.


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## catholiver (Aug 1, 2018)

I had to chuckle regarding the SHEDDING issue! We first had Labs who shed like crazy. Didn't realize HOW much until we replaced our carpeting with tile. Then we had a Puli (non-shedding) and an Airedale Terrier (also non-shedding). What a lovely difference. It was a definite criterion in going for a Poodle.


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## catholiver (Aug 1, 2018)

We had friends who lost Berners at around 5 to cancer. Anything CAN happen but I just couldn't choose a breed with that kind of history.


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## furball (Apr 5, 2018)

We have had a Labrador and a German Shepherd before, from what we have heard, most larger breeds (not giant) would only live to around 10-12 years. If you really want a dog that could stick around longer than that, you would need to look at smaller breeds. Like a mini or toy.

Obviously there are many things you can do such as careful breeder selection and keeping your dogs in top health condition to maximise your chance, but unfortunately there is no guarantee that illness or cancer won't take them earlier than expected.

Our family doctor didn't drink or smoke much, always exercised and had a healthy lifestyle, yet he had cancer and passed away before turning 60. My dad has been smoking for 50+ years, never really watched his diet, and he's still very much alive and kicking.


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