Great Dane Age Calculator
How old is your Great Dane
in human years?
Great Danes are usually quoted at 7 to 10 years, but a 2024 study of 584,734 UK dogs measured 10.6. This calculator uses that figure, so treat it as the optimistic end for a giant breed.
By Claire Whitman · Updated · Sources
By Breed set to Great Dane. Different breed? Use the main dog age calculator.
Great Dane age chart: Great Dane years to human years
Find your Great Dane's age on the left and read across. The right column is our standard estimate for a dog over 90 lbs. It turns senior at 7.5, about half a year before the age used here: a 7-year-old Great Dane is about 61 in human years, against 63 for a typical giant dog.
| Dog age | Great Dane | Typical giant dog 90+ lbs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 31 | 31 |
| 2 years | 42 | 42 |
| 3 years | 46 | 46 |
| 4 years | 50 | 50 |
| 5 years | 54 | 55 |
| 6 years | 57 | 59 |
| 7 years | 61 | 63 |
| 8 years | 65 | 67 |
| 9 years | 69 | 71 |
| 10 years | 73 | 75 |
| 11 years | 77 | 80 |
| 12 years | 81 | 84 |
| 13 years | 84 | 88 |
| 14 years | 88 | 92 |
| 15 years | 92 | 96 |
| 16 years | 96 | 100 |
Shaded cells: senior life stage (the last quarter of expected lifespan, AAHA 2019).
When is a Great Dane considered a senior?
At about 8, based on the 2019 AAHA guideline that the senior stage is the last 25% of a dog's estimated lifespan, and a 10.6-year median. If you go by the American Kennel Club's 7 to 10 year range, it would be closer to 6. Because the studies differ, it's reasonable to start talking about senior care with your vet from about 6 or 7.
How long do Great Danes live?
- 10.6 years (median): McMillan et al. (2024) included 1,986 UK Great Danes. The median for all dogs was 12.5. It's a smaller sample than most breeds in that study, and 864 of those dogs had died when the data was collected.
- 7 to 10 years (breed range): the range the American Kennel Club lists. It isn't a measured average.
We couldn't find a large study of Great Danes in everyday vet clinics like those available for many other breeds, so this number has less behind it. We cover what is known in Great Dane lifespan: the numbers and the heart question.
Heart screening
In a UK screening study of 107 Great Danes, 35.6% met the criteria for dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. That was a group of dogs brought in for screening, not a sample of all Great Danes, but it's still a good reason to ask your vet about heart checks.
How we calculate Great Dane age
- First two years: the formula from Wang et al. (2020, Cell Systems), human_age = 16 × ln(dog_age) + 31, the same for every dog. A 1-year-old is about 31 in human years and a 2-year-old about 42.
- After age 2: a steady pace set so a Great Dane reaches 65 human years when it turns senior at about 8. That's about 3.9 human years per year, against 4.2 for a typical giant dog. It puts a Great Dane at the 10.6-year median at about 75, the same point every size reaches at its typical lifespan in our main calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How old is a 5-year-old Great Dane in human years?
About 54. A typical giant dog would be about 55. The chart above shows every age from 1 to 16.
How old is an 8-year-old Great Dane in human years?
About 65. Eight is about when a Great Dane enters the senior stage on this estimate.
When is a Great Dane considered a senior?
From about 8 using a 10.6-year median and AAHA's last-25% rule, or closer to 6 if you use the American Kennel Club's lower range. Ask your vet when to begin senior checkups.
How long do Great Danes live?
A 2024 study of UK dogs found a median of 10.6 years across 1,986 Great Danes. The American Kennel Club lists 7 to 10 years.
Why do Great Danes age faster than small dogs?
Bigger breeds generally have shorter lives. After age 2, a Great Dane adds about 3.9 human years for each calendar year in this calculator.
Sources
- McMillan KM, Bielby J, Williams CL, Upjohn MM, Casey RA, Christley RM (2024). Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14: 531. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w
- Stephenson HM, Fonfara S, López-Alvarez J, Cripps P, Dukes-McEwan J (2012). Screening for dilated cardiomyopathy in Great Danes in the United Kingdom. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 26(5): 1140–1147. doi:10.1111/j.1939-1676.2012.00987.x
- Bonnett BN, Egenvall A, Hedhammar Å, Olson P (2005). Mortality in over 350,000 insured Swedish dogs from 1995–2000: I. Breed-, gender-, age- and cause-specific rates. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 46(3): 105–120. doi:10.1186/1751-0147-46-105
- Wang T, et al. (2020). Quantitative translation of dog-to-human aging by conserved remodeling of the DNA methylome. Cell Systems 11(2): 176–185. doi:10.1016/j.cels.2020.06.006
- Creevy KE, et al. (2019). 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 55(6): 267–290. doi:10.5326/JAAHA-MS-6999
- American Kennel Club. Great Dane breed profile.