20 Dog Breeds With the Longest Life Spans

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Aside from the occasional potty accident on the expensive rug and the occasionally chewed shoe, the biggest downfall of man’s best friend is that they don’t live forever. You can have a best friend in your dog and never conceivably imagine your life without that animal, yet you haven’t a choice. Your dog will not live forever. Neither will you, of course, but you are going to live 6 or 7 or your dog’s lives. It’s sad, but it’s reality. That’s why many people choose to do their research to find out which dog breeds live the longest. This enables them to make a more educated choice so that their canine companion has a better chance of being around a lot longer. Here are the 20 dog breeds with the longest lifespan.

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Miniature Schnauzer – 14 years

These dogs are so cute with all that fuzzy hair. What’s particularly cool about this breed is that not only does it stay quite small for the duration of its life, it’s also one that maintains its very puppy-like behavior. This means it’s going to be like having a well-behaved, trained puppy in your home all its life. That’s something many people do feel is a great concept.

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Dachshund – 14 years

It’s not the longest living breed around, but it’s one that does live a long time. This friendly and very family-oriented dog lives several years longer than most breeds, and that’s something many families choose over other personality traits and characteristics. They’re adorable and sweet, and they make for such amazing little companions in any family.

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Pugs – 15 years

Everyone loves these dogs and their adorable little faces. They are about the cutest thing you will see all day, and we love them. They have a great personality, they are fun and they don’t require too much exercise. They’re good with kids, they’re kind of lazy and they do enjoy a good game of fetch for a few minutes before they move on to something completely different and elsewhere.

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Beagle – 15 years

These are wonderful dogs that make excellent pets. Not only are they hard working and busy dogs, they are very protective and very good with kids. This is the kind of animal your children should grow up with. They’ll be the best of friends, and they will always be together. And yours might even live longer. One Beagle was reported as living until he was 27 years old in the south.

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Maltese – 15 years

These are cute dogs, and that’s often enough for many people. They have a very healthy genetic history and tend to live a long time. They’re small dogs that love to spend time with you, but they also love to play and they enjoy the presence of children. They’re highly intelligent and they learn very quickly. These are ideal family dogs if you want your kids to have someone to grow up with.

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Boston Terrier – 15 years

They have a cute little face, but they’re also dogs that will be around for a long time. They have a very specific health issue associated with their breathing since they do have a flat nose, and they are prone to issues with their eyesight as they get older. However, neither of these issues is going to kill your dog. This means it will be around for many years for your family to love and enjoy.

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Poodle – 15 years

Beautiful and sweet, these very intelligent dogs will be around for a long time. They have very few health concerns for the most part, and they are active dogs. They love their people and are very loyal, but they’re not at all intimidating if you’re looking for more of a watchdog. However, they’re sweet and good with kids, which means they’ll fit right into your family.

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Pomeranian – 16 years

It’s a fun breed with a big personality and a desire to find a best friend and keep him. A family member of mine had a Pomeranian that loved him so much the dog would not allow anyone to come near his human. Despite being smaller than my shoe, this dog was fierce when it came to his protective nature. The good news is that this best friend will live a long time, so you have more bonding time with him and less time to live without.

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Boykin Spaniel – 16 years

Did you know that this dog has an official title? Not only does it live a long time, it’s the official dog of the state of South Carolina. We think it’s because he has big Southern hair and bangs. This fun dog has a lot of energy and the desire to work is strong with this one. It makes a great pet, which is good considering how long he might be around in your family. These are healthy, long-living dogs perfect for most families.

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Lagotto Romagnolo – 17 years

What’s interesting about this particular breed is that it looks more like a cross between a poodle and a retriever, but it’s not. It’s just a sweet Italian dog with a big personality and a very large desire to work and be active. The drawback to these long-living dogs is that they need some serious stimulation and work or they become quite bored. A bored dog is often referred to as a destructive dog.

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Cockapoo – 18 years

The cocker spaniel and poodle mix is a cute one, but it’s also a long-living one and people love that. He’s got a gorgeous coat and a lovely personality, and he’s very active. This intelligent dog loves to play and spend time with people that love him. However, while very loving, this is a dog that is often prone to suffering from separation anxiety due to the absence of his loved ones.

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Pomchi – 18 years

This is what you get when you cross the long living Pomeranian with a Chihuahua. You get a small dog with pointed ears and a kind of perfect combination of both dogs. He’s really cute, and there is no getting around the fact that this dog has some seriously good genes. He’s also going to live forever, so make sure you want to have a dog with a bit of a yappy nature and a stubborn personality.

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Lhasa Apso/Cockapoo Mix – 18 years

For a hybrid, this dog certainly has a long life span. He’s going to live nearly two decades, and he’s very cute. This is a breed that has a very high level of intelligence, and he also has a penchant for learning tricks so quickly you’ll think your dog is a genius. Maybe he is. What’s great about this breed, too, is that they’re very child-friendly. They also get along quite well with other animals, and they are not too territorial.

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Jack Russel/Chihuahua Mix – 18 years

The moral of this story is that mixing anything with a Chihuahua apparently means you’ll end up with a dog that lives forever (in dog years). This little hybrid is cute, and he has a lot of energy. The biggest issue you might encounter with this particular breed is his desire to eat all the food. All the food. To keep him around for these 18 long years, you might want to do your best to keep him on a diet so that he doesn’t gain weight and as a result, health problems.

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Australian Shepherd – 18 years

Some might call this breed high-maintenance since it does require ample exercise on a daily basis as well as frequent grooming, but it’s a sweet dog. More importantly, this is a highly intelligent breed, which makes him ideal for those who are looking for a dog breed that’s easy to train and easy to live with. This dog loves everyone.

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Chihuahua – 20 years

These dogs are known for being very yappy at times, and somewhat protective. They are very small and don’t require much in the way of exercise, but they are great with kids. These are big reasons that so many people love these animals. They’re super cute and they have big personalities, and they’re very intelligent. They make sweet pets.

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Lhasa Apso – 20 years

Here’s a dog your kids can grow up with; and he’s cute. Even though they are quite small dogs, they make for amazing watchdogs. Much like me, they don’t care much for strangers and are not open to making friends with people they don’t already know. This means you’ll know the second that someone else is around your house, because they will do their parent in telling you this information before you even realize it.

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Toy Poodle – 20 years

Let’s get this straight; very large dogs and very tiny dogs are often the victims of numerous health issues, which is part of the reason it never fails to shock anyone that this dog is on this list with such a long life expectancy. They’re very smart dogs and they require ample exercise and stimulation to keep them happy.

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Jack Russell Terrier – 20 years

This dog is very hard working and it likes to be kept busy. It’s not going to bode well for your belongings if you do not keep this dog stimulated by providing him or her with a job, but you will see that this particular breed does live for many years. It’s very loyal and protective, and it’s very intelligent. And it will be the happiest dog on earth if it can spend the majority of its time outside.

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Shih Tzu – 20 years

These are some of the most adorable little dogs in the world. They’re small and sweet, cute and absolutely adorable. There is everything to love about these animals, and that’s why they make such great pets. They are lap dogs, but they also have a fondness for activity, especially when it comes to playing with the kids. They’re friendly and open, and they are very trusting of just about anyone (ie – they are not good watch dogs).