Healthiest and Longest-Living Dog Breeds

What is the healthiest dog breed?

No one can honestly name a single healthiest breed. “Healthy” covers everything from joints and eyes to skin, teeth and cancer, every breed carries some inherited risks, and two dogs of the same breed from different parents can have very different health. What researchers can measure at scale is how long dogs live, which is the closest thing to an overall health score, and how often particular disorders turn up in vet records.

So this guide answers the question it can answer with evidence: which breeds live longest and shortest in large studies, and what drives the difference. Read every figure as an average across thousands of dogs, not a forecast for yours.

Which studies are these numbers from, and whose dogs?

The large breed-by-breed lifespan studies below come from the UK, where vet record systems such as VetCompass at the Royal Veterinary College make them possible. Australian dogs share the same breeds, but climate, desexing and vet care can differ, so treat UK figures as a guide rather than an Australian measurement.

Checked 10 November 2026. A median is the middle age at death; life expectancy at birth is calculated differently, so the two are not directly comparable.

We could not find a published lifespan table for all breeds in Australia. VetCompass Australia collects patient records from veterinary practices across the country, and the lifespan studies it has published so far are breed by breed, such as the Bullmastiff and Pug studies above.

Which dog breeds live the longest?

In the largest study, these nine breeds were least at risk of early death compared with crossbreeds (McMillan and colleagues, 2024). Several are rare in Australia, and some you may never see in a rescue.

Source: McMillan et al., Scientific Reports 2024 (UK dogs), checked 10 November 2026. Averages across many dogs, not a promise for any one dog.

Among more familiar breeds in the same study, the Border Collie and Labrador Retriever both had a median of 13.1 years, and the Pug 11.6. The UK VetCompass life tables (Teng and colleagues, 2022), which covered 18 common breeds, put the Jack Russell Terrier first at 12.72 years of life expectancy at birth, followed by the Yorkshire Terrier (12.54), Border Collie (12.10) and Springer Spaniel (11.92). The 2013 study of English vet records (O'Neill and colleagues) named the Miniature Poodle, Bearded Collie, Border Collie and Miniature Dachshund as its longest-lived breeds.

Notice the pattern rather than the names: small to medium dogs, with a normal-length muzzle, most of them working terriers, spaniels, herders or small companion breeds. That pattern is more useful to an adopter than any single breed, because it applies to crosses too.

Which dog breeds have the shortest lifespans?

The same 2024 study found these breeds most at risk of early death (McMillan and colleagues):

Source: McMillan et al., Scientific Reports 2024 (UK dogs), checked 10 November 2026. The study lists the British Bulldog as “Bulldog”.

A short average life does not make these bad dogs, and many are deeply loved. It does mean planning for a shorter time together and, for the giant breeds, for the joint and heart problems that come with size. The Great Dane was among the shortest-lived breeds in the 2013 English study as well.

Do small dogs live longer than big dogs?

Yes, on average, and it is one of the most consistent findings in dog research. The 2013 English study found that longevity fell as bodyweight rose. The UK VetCompass life tables grouped breeds by Kennel Club group and found Terriers had the longest life expectancy at birth (12.03 years) and Working breeds, which include the giant guardian breeds, the shortest (9.14). In Australia, the VetCompass Australia study of Bullmastiffs recorded an age at death of 8.5 years, with mass lesions (lumps and tumours) the most common cause of death (Carney and colleagues, 2024).

The rule has a big exception, which is face shape.

Do flat-faced dogs live shorter lives?

Yes, on average. The 2024 McMillan study grouped breeds by size and by skull shape: brachycephalic (flat-faced), mesocephalic (medium) and dolichocephalic (long-nosed). Small long-nosed breeds lived longest, with a median of 13.3 years. Flat-faced medium-sized breeds had a median of 9.4 years, and flat-faced large breeds 10.7. Face shape made the biggest difference among medium-sized dogs.

The RSPCA Knowledgebase explains why: brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS, a breathing disorder caused by the shortened skull) is common in flat-faced dogs and is lifelong and often progressive, and these dogs also tend to have eye, ear, skin, dental and spinal problems. They also struggle in heat, which matters in most of Australia. The Australian evidence matches: in VetCompass Australia records of 7,909 Pugs, the median age at death was 10 years, and the top recorded causes of death were BOAS, seizures and degenerative spinal cord disorder (Wong and colleagues, 2025).

The French Bulldog shows why you should read the study, not the headline. The 2022 VetCompass life tables gave it a life expectancy at birth of just 4.53 years, the lowest of 18 breeds, but the authors warned that UK French Bulldog registrations rose steeply from 2,771 in 2011 to 39,266 in 2020, so their sample was skewed toward young dogs. The 2024 study, with different data, found a median of 9.8 years. Either way, it sits well below average. Our guides to French Bulldogs, Pugs and British Bulldogs cover the health side in detail.

Are mixed breed dogs healthier than purebreds?

This is where honest answers and popular belief part ways. The evidence is mixed, and it depends heavily on which breeds you compare.

• For crossbreeds: the 2013 study of English vet records found crossbred dogs lived 1.2 years longer than purebreds after accounting for other factors, and its authors said this supported the idea of hybrid vigour.
• For purebreds: the larger 2024 McMillan study found the opposite overall: a median of 12.7 years for purebreds against 12.0 for crossbreeds. Of 155 breeds, 73 had longer median lifespans than the crossbreed group, 40 had shorter ones and 42 did not differ significantly.
• For specific diseases: a US study of 27,254 dogs at a University of California, Davis teaching hospital (Bellumori and colleagues, 2013) looked at 24 inherited disorders. Purebreds were more likely to have 10 of them, including dilated cardiomyopathy, elbow dysplasia, cataracts and hypothyroidism; mixed breeds were more likely to have ruptured cruciate ligaments; and there was no difference for 13, including hip dysplasia, several cancers and patellar luxation.

The fair reading: a crossbreed is not automatically healthier, and a purebred is not automatically less healthy. A cross between two breeds that share a problem can inherit it from both sides. The McMillan authors also pointed out that “crossbreed” lumps together dogs of long-mixed ancestry and first-generation designer crosses such as Labradoodles, and that any first-cross advantage may not carry into later generations. What protects a dog is the health of its actual parents, and size and face shape, more than the label.

Many rescue dogs are crosses, and many are adults whose health is already partly known, which is the bigger advantage. Our guide to working out a rescue dog's breed explains what a mix label really tells you.

What health tests should you ask a breeder for?

If you buy a puppy, the parents' health testing is the best predictor you have. Ask to see the certificates for both parents, and ask which tests the breed club recommends, since each breed has its own list. The common ones in Australia:

Our summary, checked 10 November 2026. Requirements differ by breed and state body; the breed club's own page is the authority for each breed.

A breeder registered with Dogs Australia through its state body should show you these without being asked twice. Ask how long the parents' and grandparents' relatives lived, too: a breeder who tracks it is paying attention to the right thing. The National Labrador Retriever Breed Council is a good model of what a breed council asks of its breeders. For the full breeder checklist and the scam patterns to avoid, see our puppies for sale guide.

Why an adult rescue dog can be the healthiest choice

Every lifespan figure above is a forecast. An adult dog's health is partly a record. An adult has usually been examined by a vet, and any ongoing condition is often already known. The RSPCA Knowledgebase notes that RSPCA animals are vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and desexed as appropriate before adoption, and many rescues do a vet check and tell you what it found.

Before you adopt, ask:

• What did the vet check find, and can I see the records?
• Does the dog have any ongoing condition, medication or special diet?
• How does it cope with walks, stairs and hot days?
• Are its teeth, ears and skin in good condition?

A dog with a known, managed condition is not a bad choice; it is an informed one. Our senior dog guide covers older dogs, and the special needs listings show dogs whose rescues describe an ongoing condition up front.

Health guides for popular breeds

If you already have a breed in mind, these guides cover its common conditions, the tests that matter and what to budget for:

• Golden Retriever health issues
• Border Collie health issues
• German Shepherd health issues
• Cavoodle health issues
• Poodle health issues
• Boxer health issues
• Husky health issues

A healthy breed is usually a cheap one to own, too: fewer vet visits and no lifelong treatment. Our cheapest dog breeds guide covers the running costs, the dog cost calculator estimates them for your dog, and cheap vet care lists lower-cost clinics in every state. Still deciding what suits you? Try the what dog breed am I quiz or see our low maintenance dog breeds guide.