What dogage.co is, and what it isn't.
dogage.co exists because the "seven-year rule" is wrong, and the existing dog-age calculators on the internet either repeat it uncritically or skip past breed-specific nuance that actually matters. Our answer to "how old is my dog?" is grounded in the UCSD 2019 epigenetic clock (Wang et al.) and adjusted by size-category and breed-median lifespan data from peer-reviewed veterinary epidemiology.
We are a reference, not a replacement.
Every page on this site is written for dog owners. The aim is to give you accurate, specific, source-backed information that helps you have a more productive conversation with your veterinarian — not to replace that conversation. For any decision that affects your dog's health, the veterinarian is the authority. We are the map, not the medicine.
We don't diagnose, prescribe, or recommend dosages.
On senior-care, health, and life-stage pages, you'll see observational language (what owners typically notice), veterinary-consultation guidance (when to book an exam), and the research behind the thresholds we cite. You won't see medication names, specific dosages, or treatment protocols. Those decisions belong with your veterinarian, per dog.
Primary sources only.
We cite peer-reviewed research, veterinary-organization guidelines (AAHA, AVMA, WSAVA), research consortiums (Dog Aging Project, Morris Animal Foundation), and breed-standard authorities (AKC). We do not cite consumer-pet content aggregators, branded marketing content, or social-media claims as primary sources — we cite the research those secondary sources cite.
Authority lives in the sources we cite, not in bylines.
dogage.co does not publish author or reviewer bios on its articles. Every claim traces to a named, published, peer-reviewed source — linked inline and in the Sources index. That citation chain is what gives the site its authority, and it's what you can verify independently. A byline on a consumer pet-care site does not replicate that.
How the numbers on this site are computed
- 1
UCSD 2019 epigenetic clock
Age translation: 16 × ln(dog_age) + 31. Wang et al. (2020) derived this from DNA-methylation patterns in roughly 300 Labrador Retrievers. It is currently the closest published approximation of biological-age mapping from dogs to humans.
- 2
Fortney 2012 size-indexed life stages
Senior and geriatric thresholds shift by size category — toy 9/13, small 8/12, medium 7/11, large 6/10, giant 5/8. Fortney's table is the canonical reference behind the AAHA 2019 canine life-stage framework. Every breed page, year page, and calculator on this site uses this table as the single source of truth.
- 3
RVC VetCompass breed lifespan medians
Breed-specific median lifespan figures come from the Royal Veterinary College VetCompass programme, specifically McMillan et al. (2024), which analysed primary-care veterinary records for roughly 585,000 UK dogs. Breeds outside the VetCompass cohort fall back to AKC breed-standard ranges.
- 4
AKC breed standards for physical profile
Weight, height, coat, and group classification come from the American Kennel Club breed-standard database. These are the reference values trainers and breeders use, and they anchor the breed-specific weight calculator outputs.
Editorial standards we apply
Primary-source citation
Every non-obvious claim links inline to a peer-reviewed paper, veterinary-organization guideline, or authoritative reference. The Sources page consolidates every citation used across the site.
Observational framing on YMYL
Senior-care and health pages use observational language (what owners typically notice) paired with veterinary-consultation guidance. No diagnoses, no medication names, no dosages.
No commercial pet-content citations
We cite the research that consumer pet-content sites cite, not those sites themselves. A claim sourced to a pet-care aggregator without a peer-reviewed anchor does not ship on this site.
Clear conflict disclosures
Affiliate disclosures appear above every affiliate block and in the footer. We do not accept paid placements, sponsored posts, or content written by third-party brand partners.