How can I tell my dog's age?

Question

I found my dog about a year ago. After putting flyers up and not getting any responses for about 6 months, we decided to keep him. We think he may have ran away from a nearby kennel. This kennel does not treat their animals very well by the way.
Well the vet I have been taking him thought he was 2 years old. So this whole time I've been thinking he was 2. He acts like a young dog, very energetic. But then I took him to a new vet today and he thinks that my dog is at least nine years old!!! He said that he can tell from his teeth and his little gray patch near his mouth. Which do I believe? How can I tell?

Answer 1

Here is what the vets go by in determining age by teeth> http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Zoo/1224/canineteeth.html
Here is a chart to help you identify the teeth by name> http://www.darkstarfamily.com/dental-health.htm

Answer 2

You can generally get a good idea of a dogs age by looking at the fur around the muzzle. Many breeds of dog start to go grey around the muzzle at around four years old, the more grey around the muzzle and face the older the dog is likely to be. The teeth are another clue to the age. Your vet will be able to see by the amount of wear to the teeth (particularly the cheek teeth) how old your dog is likely to be. Young dogs have very little if any wear to the cheek teeth, but an older dog will have more tooth wear because the teeth have been in use a lot longer. My dog is eight years old, but you wouldn't think so the way she behaves sometimes. Personally I would go for a third verdict. See another vet. Or at least find out how long the other two have been practising and how much experience the have with dogs. Chances are the one with the most experience is likely to be more accurate. I would guess that if your dog is greying around the muzzle then it definately isn't a two year old. Remember to bare in mind that these methods of aging will only estimate an animals age, it will not be accurate.

Answer 3

I wouldn't trust grey patches. My dog started getting grey in his face when he was 4 years old.
As far as how active they are. That depends on the breed of dog. I have a cocker spaniel and he is 8 years old and is still as frisky as he was when he was a pup.

From what I understand vets do go by the dogs teeth to see what age they are. However, if this dog did not have very good owners they may not of touched the dogs teeth making it hard to decide what age they are. (Can be the color of the teeth, if they all have came in yet... etc.)

I am sure the vet should be able to see if the dog has cut all of his teeth or not. Usually like a human, a dog will cut certain teeth at certain ages.

Answer 4

The teeth are generally a good way to tell a dogs age. My neighbors dog is getting gray and she is just 5 years old. I guess you will have to guess the age at somewhere in between 2 and 9.

But at least he has a good home now, so age shouldn't matter too much.

Answer 5

I would take your dog to another vet (or maybe a groomer) who knows how to guess a dog's age from their teeth. It is a good way to get an ESTIMATE of their age although not a positive way. See what the third person guesses and take an average.

Younger dogs can get white patches by their mouths too but it is more common in dogs that are getting older (just like us humans get gray hair!)

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How can I tell my dog's age?
I found my dog about a year ago. After putting flyers up and not getting any responses for about 6 months, we decided to keep him. We think he may have ran away from a nearby kennel. This kennel does not treat their animals very well by the way.
Well the vet I have been taking him thought he was 2...

Answer 7

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A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 8

I bet he is 9 yrs old then the vets can how old they are maybe not a exact date but pretty darn close from the dogs teeth so I would probably go with that to be honest.

Even though he is 9 yrs old and acts like a puppy that is awesome so be proud of that. I have seen many dogs that age still act like a puppy and that is great . That means he is healthy and loves to play !!!

Answer 9

A good vet can give you a reasonable estimate of your pet's age by looking at his teeth, and also his general physical condition such as weight, body fat, and other things. My advice: Get one more opinion from a local, reputable vet. We just adopted a puppy from a rescue organization, and the estimate for his age was "about 9 months."

Answer 10

The teeth is a good sign. My dog had grey fur on his face and body a year before he passed away so for me, it was quite accurate. He still acted like a young dog even he was old. His teeth was in good condition too. I guess bring him to a very experienced vet and get them to guess the age from the teeth and not from anything else.

Answer 11

Yup! By the teeth is how you do it! By teeth, you will know how old your dog is. I'm sure ur vet, the first one, is right! Energetic will not prove anything. Only a teeth exame will!