# how to tell a dog age?



## hwtan (Jan 20, 2014)

the rescued working gsd i adopted

no history, no micochip, nothing

however, the snout is whitish

vet checked the teeth and estimated to be 2 to 5 yo

my neghbour said it might be 6 to 7yo

is there any other way to tell his age?


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

I wish, i have a rescued gsd mix who we were told was 2 or 3, her muzzle is grey and all her muscles are hard, I have younger dogs and there muscles are lean yet softish and fliexible, also her teeth look like they have been thru the ringer and back (street dog) she is even missing a few from previous affairs i am guessing as a street dog. If i had to go out on a limb and guess my shiggies age i would say she is most likely 6 or 7 just because she is much more chill in the house and can appreciate skipping a walk to sleep on her bed all day.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Some GSDs start greying around the muzzle early, around 2 or 3 years old - so your vet could be right.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

You can usually get a clue by the teeth. If they are sharp, clean and white, with no wear or tartar buildup, you're probably looking at a young dog under 2. If there is tartar present, the dog is probably at least 2-3 years old. If there is significant tartar, wear, or discoloration, probably 5 or more. 

You can't really tell by greying on the muzzle because some dogs go grey as young as 2. And I have seen dogs aged 10+ with good hard muscle tone, and dogs as young as 2-3 that were as soft as a stuffed animal. Muscle tone has more to do with exercise and activity level than age.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

This is what shiggies teeth look like. Anyone got any ideas? Maybe op post a pic? 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

misslesleedavis1 said:


> This is what shiggies teeth look like. Anyone got any ideas?


 Little bit of tartar on those teeth, I'd guess the dog is around 3ish years.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

Xray of the teeth would be a good indicator... dirty teeth could be diet. they are not very worn so the dog is probably younger. xray will show the pulp size which consistently gets smaller until 5-6 years old. That will tell you a good indication of age


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I think once a dog has all their "adult teeth" it can be very hard to determine age by the teeth. If they still have puppy teeth it is easy to tell but once they're full grown it is difficult. I think a lot of times the vet is just giving a guess and it may not be very accurate. I've heard of people whose vet guessed the dog was 2-3 and then the dog soon began to show very obvious "old age" diseases/conditions, and other vets determined the dog was more likely 12+.

Tartar buildup is not a good indicator as a young dog who had a poor diet and/or genetics could have a lot of tartar, and an older dog who had good genetics/diet or has had really good dental care could have teeth in very good condition. 
Wearing of the teeth is a slightly better indicator, but still a guess because although dogs teeth do get worn down with age, genetics and diet/malnutrition also play a role on how quickly/slowly the teeth wear down and a younger dog can end up wearing down their teeth a lot by chewing abrasive objects.


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## MadLab (Jan 7, 2013)

Dogs fed raw meaty bones won't have a tartar build up too

I've seen a dog with brown teeth change with about 6 chicken legs over a week. 

It is really hard to tell the age of a dog.

I had one dog stray into my house and was sure he was 2 and he turned out to be 5 when i met his owner. He's now 10 and still looks young and is hyper when out and about.


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

MadLab said:


> Dogs fed raw meaty bones won't have a tartar build up too
> 
> I've seen a dog with brown teeth change with about 6 chicken legs over a week.
> 
> ...


Yeah, our Jessie had the vet tech cracking up when the vet thought she was around 3... at 8 years old. Raw food diet, and she wasn't a chewer otherwise, her teeth were not a good indication. Our Zeus was thought to be older when we got him than when he had to be euthed due to cancer because his teeth were so much better from switching to raw. We had him for nearly 7 years, and were fairly sure he was in the 6-7 range when we got him.


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