A 13-year-old Golden Retriever in human years

Golden Retriever at 13 years

85human years

large breed — senior, roughly 100% through a typical lifespan

AVMA size-based15 for year one, 9 for year two, then 5.5/year for a large breed	85human years
Epigenetic clock16 × ln(age) + 31 — Wang et al. 2020, calibrated on Labradors	72human years
Difference between the twothey disagree — see the note below	-12years
Life stage	senior
Size class55–75 lb — larger dogs age faster	large
Typical lifespanmedian for large breeds	11years
Share of life so far	100%
Typical years remaininga population median, not a prediction about your dog	0years

Notes

**Golden Retriever.** 10 to 12 years, shorter than size alone predicts. Cancer accounts for roughly 60 percent of deaths in North American Goldens, which is the single largest breed-specific effect on this page.
Bigger dogs age faster, which is backwards from mammals in general and is the reason no single conversion table works. A large breed adds about 5.5 human years per dog year after the second birthday; a small breed adds 4, a giant breed 6.5. The old "multiply by seven" rule gets a one-year-old badly wrong in one direction and a fifteen-year-old badly wrong in the other.
The two methods differ by 12 years at this age, and neither is simply wrong. The epigenetic clock is measured from DNA methylation and captures early life very well, but it was calibrated on Labradors and cannot see breed size. The AVMA table does account for size but is a smoothed consensus rather than a measurement.
At senior stage, twice-yearly vet visits are the standard recommendation rather than annual ones. Most of what shortens a senior dog's remaining time — dental disease, arthritis, kidney and heart changes — is manageable when found early and expensive when found late.
Lifespan figures are population medians from veterinary data, not a forecast. Individual dogs of every size routinely live well past them.

Two answers, and neither is simply wrong

85 human years by the AVMA size-based table: 15 for the first year, 9 for the second, then 5.5 a year for a large breed.

72 human years by the epigenetic clock published in Cell Systems in 2020 — human age = 16 × ln(dog age) + 31, derived from DNA methylation.

They differ by 12 years here. The epigenetic clock is a measurement rather than a convention and captures early life remarkably well, but it was calibrated on Labradors and cannot see breed size. The AVMA table does account for size but is a smoothed consensus.

Bigger dogs age faster

This is backwards from mammals in general, and it is why no single conversion works. A large breed adds about 5.5 human years per dog year after the second birthday; a small breed adds 4, a giant breed 6.5.

The old "multiply by seven" rule gets a one-year-old badly wrong in one direction and a fifteen-year-old badly wrong in the other.

Where this dog is

Life stage: senior. Roughly 100% through a typical lifespan for a large breed, with a median of 11 years.

Those are population medians from veterinary data, not a forecast — individual dogs of every size routinely live well past them.

The one thing that moves the number

Weight. A landmark Purina lifetime study found dogs kept lean lived about 1.8 years longer than littermates fed 25% more. That is a larger effect than almost anything else within your control.

Nearby sizes

Measuring a Dog for a Coat: Back Length First, and Where to StopBack length decides the size and the tail clearance decides whether the dog will tolerate it. Manufacturers index on weight, which predicts neither.
Collar or Harness for a Dog That Pulls? The Neck Is the Wrong Place for That ForceA harness moves the force off the throat. It does not reduce the force, and it does not teach anything — which is why people conclude harnesses make pulling worse.
Can Two Dogs Share a Crate? Usually They Should NotThe sizing question has an answer. The prior question — whether to share at all — has a better one, and it is usually no.
Wire, Plastic or Soft Crate? Ventilation, Den Instinct and Whether It FoldsThree constructions, and the right one depends less on the dog's size than on where the crate lives and what the dog does when left in it.