Small Dog Life Expectancy by Breed and What the Extra Years Cost

How long do small dogs live? Most small breeds beat the 11.23-year average for all dogs, but not every one. A 2022 UK study puts the Yorkshire Terrier at 12.54 years and the Pug at just 7.65.

Small dog life expectancy by breed

Small dog life expectancy ranges from 7.65 to 12.72 years across the small breeds in the best recent data. The table comes from the 2022 paper "Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom," published in Scientific Reports. It covers 30,563 dogs that died between 2016 and 2020 at UK primary-care vets.

Breed	Life expectancy at birth	95% interval	Year when remaining life drops below 1.5 years
Jack Russell Terrier	12.72 years	12.53-12.90	14-15
Yorkshire Terrier	12.54 years	12.30-12.77	14-15
Shih Tzu	11.05 years	10.73-11.40	13-14
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	10.45 years	10.26-10.62	11-12
Chihuahua	7.91 years	7.48-8.39	15-16
Pug	7.65 years	6.99-8.20	11-12

For comparison, the Labrador Retriever averaged 11.77 years and the German Shepherd Dog 10.16. A small body does not guarantee a long life.

Photo: Svenska Mässan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Do small dogs live longer than large dogs?

Small dogs live longer on average, and the study's authors say so directly. They write that breeds of toy or small size have a longer life expectancy than larger-sized dogs. A 2013 UK study summarized by Faunalytics also linked higher bodyweight to shorter life.

The 2022 paper's Kennel Club groups show the same pattern, with caveats. Terriers lived longest at 12.03 years. The Toy group averaged 10.67 years and the Utility group 10.06. Working dogs were lowest at 9.14.

Group labels are not weight classes, though. Look at the breed and not the size label.

The small breeds that break the rule

Two kinds of small dog live short lives: flat-faced breeds and a few toy breeds with early deaths. The Pug, at 7.65 years, and the French Bulldog, at 4.53, sit well below the Labrador Retriever's 11.77. The authors link the shortest-lived breeds to early disorders such as airway obstruction and spinal disease.

Our shortest-lifespan dog guide ranks those breeds and shows what a short life does to the budget. For the cost side of one flat-faced favorite, read the Pug price guide.

Why the Chihuahua's number looks wrong

The Chihuahua averages 7.91 years at birth but has the longest tail of any breed in the study. Its remaining life expectancy stays above 1.5 years until age 15-16, later than the Jack Russell Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier or crossbreds at 14-15. The life table runs to age 16.

Both facts hold because life expectancy at birth counts early deaths. A Chihuahua puppy faces risks that a Chihuahua adult has outgrown. If your dog is past its first years, the birth figure understates what to expect.

PetBudget's breed data gives the Chihuahua 14-17 years and uses 15 in its lifetime estimate. That is a quoted range for a healthy adult and not a population average.

Where the dog lives changes the number

Life expectancy depends on the country and the data source, so no table is a verdict. The 2022 paper compares the UK with two Japanese life tables, built from pet insurance and pet cemetery data, that both gave 13.7 years at birth. The UK figure was 11.23.

Breed	UK life expectancy	Japan life expectancy
Shih Tzu	11.05 years	15.0 years
Beagle	9.85 years	14.8 years
Labrador Retriever	11.77 years	14.1 years
Pug	7.65 years	12.8 years
French Bulldog	4.53 years	10.2 years

The authors give reasons. Insured dogs may live longer because owners face fewer cost barriers, and flat-faced breeds may be under-represented in insurance data. Japan also has more toy and small dogs. No equivalent U.S. life table exists in the sources we reviewed.

What the extra years cost

A longer life adds cost at the yearly rate, so the longest-lived small breeds are not the cheapest. The table uses PetBudget's model lifespans and lifetime totals for popular small breeds.

Breed	Model lifespan	Year one	Lifetime total	Cost per year of life
Miniature Poodle	14 years	$4,475	$35,675	$2,548
Bichon Frise	14 years	$4,436	$35,129	$2,509
Shih Tzu	13 years	$4,580	$34,640	$2,665
Pomeranian	14 years	$4,348	$30,894	$2,207
Yorkshire Terrier	13 years	$4,191	$26,811	$2,062
Chihuahua	15 years	$3,905	$26,291	$1,753
Miniature Pinscher	14 years	$3,850	$23,922	$1,709

The spread is $11,753 between the Miniature Poodle and the Miniature Pinscher. Coat care is one driver, since the model prices a groomed coat higher than a short one. Read the Yorkshire Terrier price guide and the Chihuahua price guide for the two ends of that range.

The model's lifespans come from breed data and are higher than the VetCompass averages for the Chihuahua and Pug. Use the model for budgeting a healthy dog and the study for the risk of an early loss.

Small dogs and the senior-years bill

A long-lived small dog needs a reserve for its senior years, and dental work is a line to price early. Our teeth cleaning cost guide lists prices, and the dental coverage guide explains what insurers pay.

Insurance is also easier to buy young. In NAPHIA's 2026 State of the Industry highlights, the average U.S. dog accident and illness plan costs $836 a year. A premium paid for 14 years at that rate totals $11,704, so compare it with your reserve.

How to give a small dog the best odds

You cannot set a lifespan, but you can improve the odds. Use this list.

1. Check the breed's data. Look for a life table and not a single quoted range.
2. Favor a longer muzzle. The two shortest-lived small breeds in the study are flat-faced.
3. Pick health-tested parents. Early-life disorders drive early deaths.
4. Keep the dog lean. Weight is a cost you control daily.
5. Plan for the senior years. A dog that lives to 15 needs a reserve at 12.

Enter a small breed in the PetBudget calculator to see its lifetime total, or compare two breeds on the compare page. For breed-by-breed ranges, read the dog lifespan by breed guide.