Dog Aging Project Enters New Phase to Explain Why Some Dogs Age Better Than Others

The Dog Aging Project, a large-scale observational study based in the United States, has entered a new five-year phase backed by around $29 million from the National Institute on Aging, part of the US National Institutes of Health. Led jointly by Tufts University and Texas A&M University, the project has enrolled nearly 55,000 companion dogs whose owners report on their health, behaviour and daily lives, making it one of the biggest studies of canine ageing ever undertaken.

Having spent its first five years mapping how long dogs typically live, which diseases they develop later in life and what causes death, the project's next phase aims to explain why. Researchers plan to follow the same dogs over time, linking early-life experiences to later cognitive decline and physical function; collect biological samples and environmental data, including drinking-water samples and wearable activity trackers; broaden their study of owner-chosen diets; and dig into how genetic risk interacts with lifestyle, since some genetically at-risk dogs develop disease while others do not. A particular focus will fall on dogs living unusually long for their size.

For owners and breeders, the project's leaders note that while a dog's genetic background cannot be changed, its effects can often be managed through preventive veterinary care, a healthy weight, regular exercise and timely screening at key life stages. As the research continues, it is expected to give vets and owners a clearer, more individualised picture of how to support a dog through old age, rather than relying on breed alone as a guide to future health.