Pets are an endless source of joy and comfort for many. Some find taking care of a small critter fulfilling, others lean towards dogs that they can be active with, and then there are those who like cats and their general independence. Basically, there’s a pet for every type of personality, and people are largely thankful for the companionship, reciprocating the unconditional love with dedicated care.

And it will likely surprise no one that one of the most popular pets around the globe is a dog! These pets can accompany you for majority of your life; they can watch you grow up just as much as you document their journey. Dogs often become full-fledged members of the family, so their birthdays become as much of a milestone as your own. But here’s the hard truth—their cake day holds more significance than many imagine.

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A veterinarian debunks the idea that 1 human year equals 7 dog years

Image credits: Dr. Hunter Finn

Image credits: Dr. Hunter Finn

A video went viral on TikTok, made by veterinarian Dr. Hunter Finn. It was viewed 4.2m times and unfortunately, it’s not about dog petting techniques. “Okay, so you know that one saying that one human year equals seven dog years?” said Dr. Finn. “It’s not true.” Dr. Finn informed people that the largely prevalent idea that dogs age according to the formula of 1 human year=7 dog years is actually wrong. In fact, 1 human year means your dog has aged to the equivalent of 31 human years!

@dr.hunterfinn♬ Steven Universe – L.Dre

A 1-year-old dog equals 31 years in human years, but the aging scales down with time

Image credits: Dr. Hunter Finn

Image credits: Dr. Hunter Finn

While the 1=31 might seem scary, there’s no need to panic (much)! “A 1-year-old dog equals a 31-year-old human,” the veterinarian continued. “And a 2-year-old dog is 49.” So we can rejoice that a 2-year-old doggie is not secretly a 62-year-old. In fact, a 7-year-old dog is equal to 62 years in age, and an 8-year-old dog is 64. The aging slows down with years, which can provide some relief to dog owners. This calculation might be a blow to some people, especially with senior dogs in the families, but information such as this serves a very important purpose—education.

When you know the dog’s age, you can act accordingly and take care of it better

Image credits: Dr. Hunter Finn

Image credits: Dr. Hunter Finn

Think of it like this—the older you are, the more closely you have to monitor your health. When you could climb a tree in a minute when you were 10, at the age of 40, you might find yourself struggling. Over time, the body becomes less nimble and there is a plethora of other problems. It’s exactly the same for your dog! If the pooch is nearing his 5th birthday, his health is closer to that of a 50-year-old man, so it’s likely he needs more monitoring and frequent checkups.

The new calculations have a scientific study behind them

Image credits: UC San Diego News Center

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine released a study that focuses on a method for determining the age of a cell, tissue, or organism. The created formula is transferrable across species and shows that dogs mature and age quite rapidly during their first years, reaching human-based maturity in less than a year. “This makes sense when you think about it—after all, a nine-month-old dog can have puppies, so we already knew that the 1:7 ratio wasn’t an accurate measure of age,” said senior author Trey Ideker.

But there’s no truly definitive research in the field right now

The discussion about dog ages is ongoing both between dog owners and scientists themselves. All the way back in 2013, an article appeared in The American Naturalist magazine about a study that found bigger dog breeds age faster than smaller dogs. For large dogs, adult life is in fast motion, which results in them dying young, but there’s no answer as to why.

The American Kennel Club calculates that 1 human year is 12-15 for a dog

A few years ago, even the American Kennel Club chimed in on the topic, stating smaller dogs age approximately 15 years in one human year, while bigger dogs age 12 years in the same time. However, according to them, these numbers switch places as time goes by, meaning bigger dogs will reach older age faster: after 5 human years, small dogs have reached 36, while big dogs would be 45. And then there are the middle calculations for the in-between breeds.

Image credits: American Kennel Club

Naturally, people online were both amazed and concerned by the conflicting news

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