Why do dogs die so quickly, and other animals don't?

Question

But dogs are man's best friend, and it's sad to lose them.

Answer 1

u gotta read this to knw y.....


Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old
Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa,
and their little boy, Shane, were all very much attached to Belker and
they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was
dying of cancer.

I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to
perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we
made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good
for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though
Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family
surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last
time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few
minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept
Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about
the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane,
who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all
turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never
heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that
they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the
time and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs
already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Answer 2

I've had dogs that lived to be fifteen years old. It's not that they die faster, they're just made differently. Cats are the same. Animals develop at different rates than humans. A sea tortoise can live over a hundred years, while a fish will live for a couple of years at most. It's just a matter of the way they grow.

Answer 3

Dogs usually don't die so quickly actually. Depends on what kind of dog you have. Most live maximum 18-20 years. Small dogs have a lower life expectancy. Other animals tend to live around that age, dogs have the average animal have expectancy. Dogs live the average life... Hope I could help! :)
^_^ ~Maddie

Answer 4

Die quickly, as in they're alive one second and dead the next? (which would depend on cause of death) Or they only live so long? While many animals, such as a tortoise, live much longer than the average dog, there are also many animals who don't, such as hamsters (rodents in general). The lifespan of an animal has a lot to do with how well it's cared for!!! (Have you thanked someone at your vet's office lately?!)

Answer 5

The longevity of an animals life is directly related to the metabolic speed of his system. A turtle has a very low metabolism and lives for about 200 years a hummingbird has a very high metabolism and lives for only 3 years, dogs fall somewhere in the middle.

Answer 6

Compared to what other animals? I'm pretty sure the age for the oldest living dog on record was 27. And the current oldest living dog is 26.

My dog is almost 18, and one I recently lost was almost 16.

But I agree, sucks they don't live longer. Losing your dog really bites - worst day of my life.

Answer 7

Generally speaking ,the smaller the animal the shorter the life span;Hence insects live a few days and elephants live decades and decades.The dog falls into this equation at 8/20 years.Now ,mind you ,this does not hold true in every case but it is a rule of thumb..Hope this helps..

Answer 8

Well it depends on the other animals you refer to.

There are flies that live for only one day and parrots that live 100 years. I believe it has something to do with the amount of pumps you heart can make. A elefant has a very low heartrate (because he's so big) and a small bird has a very high heartrate (because he's so small and active). Therefore the elefant will live longer than the small bird.

Answer 9

Rodents live on average 3 years.. their lifespan is alot shorter than dogs. Dogs on average live 12 years...depending on breed. Animals do age so fast, and its really sad!!

Answer 10

I'm not sure you have your facts straight. Dogs have a life expectancy we would expect for small mammals....

Dogs - 10-25 years.
Cats - 14-20
Large herbivores - 30-50
Elephants - 50-80 years
Blue whales -40 to 80 years.

some non mammals .....
Birds - 10-30 years
turtles live to 150 years or more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy#Life_expectancy_of_animals_and_plants

The life expectancies of mammals seem to loosely correlate with their size-- the bigger they are, the longer they tend to live.