Small dogs live longer: scientists made a surprising discovery

Small dogs live longer - and this is no longer a hypothesis, but a proven fact. At least, that's what scientists from the University of Adelaide believe. They claimed to have found the real reason for the shorter life expectancy of large breeds.

It's all about one of the most severe diseases, to which large dogs are more susceptible. The Daily Mail reported more details.

Researchers at the University of Adelaide analyzed the most common causes of death in 164 breeds of dogs of different sizes. The results were disappointing: larger animals have a higher propensity for cancer.

"Natural protection against cancer has not kept pace with the breeding of massive dogs. When we analyzed these datasets, we found that larger dogs are more likely to die of cancer at a young age," said study author Dr. Jack da Silva.

It's all explained by an unfortunate trend: the larger a dog's average body weight, the more likely the animal is to get cancer.

"There is a theory that the link between a dog's size and its longevity may be due to an evolutionary lag in the body's defenses. The body simply cannot keep up with the peculiarities of breeding large dogs," Silva emphasized.

A bit of statistics: a Yorkshire Terrier with an average weight of 3 kg can live up to 16 years. An English mastiff weighs 113 kg and usually lives 6-10 years.

The study was published in The American Naturalist. The shorter life expectancy of larger dogs is also due to their higher metabolic rate and propensity for serious illness. The larger the dog, the more likely it is to have cancer at a young age.

Artificial selection and the active breeding of new breeds has resulted in animals evolving to larger sizes faster than the natural process of evolution would allow. That is, according to scientists, when a huge amount of resources and energy goes into maintaining the growth spurt, the body is simply not able to provide the proper level of cellular repair.

Previously OBOZREVATEL told about the rarest breeds of dogs that may soon disappear forever.

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