Last Updated on September 20, 2023
5 months in dog years roughly equals 4 years in human years.
This calculation was made for a medium-sized dog (21 to 50 pounds) using the recommendations from the AKC (American Kennel Club).
There are 2 ways of calculating the conversion from human years to dog years. The above result was calculated using the more correct way, we’ll explain what makes the other way incorrect later in this article.
The table below shows dog years and their equivalent to human years, with different columns for different sizes.
| Dog's Age in Years | Human Years (Small Dog) | Human Years (Medium Dog) | Human Years (Large Dog) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| 2 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| 3 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| 4 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| 5 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| 6 | 40 | 42 | 45 |
| 7 | 44 | 47 | 50 |
| 8 | 48 | 51 | 55 |
| 9 | 52 | 56 | 61 |
| 10 | 56 | 60 | 66 |
| 11 | 60 | 65 | 72 |
| 12 | 64 | 69 | 77 |
| 13 | 68 | 74 | 82 |
| 14 | 72 | 78 | 88 |
| 15 | 76 | 83 | 93 |
| 16 | 80 | 87 | 99 |
Calculating how many human years is 5 months in dog years
As mentioned above, there are 2 main ways of calculating dog years to human years and vice versa. There’s a correct way and an incorrect way.
The old formula
Most people still assume that one dog year equals seven dog years. This belief probably started in the 1950s. However, it’s not the right way to measure it.
There has been plenty of research since then that disproves the 7:1 ratio, it seems people are still holding on the idea. This formula may have been based on the idea that dogs live to about 10 years old and humans up to 70, but honestly, we’re not quite sure when it started.
Therefore, while the 7-1 rule is easy to remember and calculate, it’s unfortunately incorrect.
The new calculation
The best method of converting human years to dog years is more difficult.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has the following to add to it:
- The very first year of a medium-sized dog’s life is about 15 years for humans.
- The second year of a dog’s life is equivalent to 9 human years.
- From that point forward each human year is equal to either four or five dogs years.
Keep in mind that smaller dogs tend to live longer than bigger dogs. Scientists concluded that every 4.4 pounds of body mass reduced a dog’s life expectancy by about a month.
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