Scientific Results: An open science study of ageing in companion dogs

July 15, 2026 - 10 minutes read

[vc_message message_box_color=”violet” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-paw”]Posts in our Scientific Results – The Science We Stand On series introduce past papers published in the scientific literature by members of the Dog Aging Project research team. This is the science that led to the Dog Aging Project. Follow this series to learn more about the scientific questions we asked at the beginning of the Dog Aging Project.[/vc_message]

Who worked on this research?

Kate E. Creevy
Joshua M. Akey
Matt Kaeberlein
Daniel E. L Promislow
The Dog Aging Project Consortium

 

Where was it published?

Nature (2022)

 

What is this paper about?

This paper introduces the Dog Aging Project (DAP), a groundbreaking research effort designed to better understand how and why dogs age. Instead of studying animals in a laboratory, researchers are learning from thousands of companion dogs living normal lives with their families. By following these dogs over time, the project aims to uncover what helps dogs stay healthy as they age and what contributes to age-related diseases.

What Did the Researchers Do?

The researchers created a large, long-term study because dogs age in many of the same ways humans do, but much more quickly. This allows scientists to learn about aging over the course of a dog’s entire lifetime in just a decade or so, rather than waiting many decades to observe the entire lifetime in people.

To make this possible, they built the Dog Aging Project, an “open-science” research platform that collects information from dogs and their owners across the country. This includes details about a dog’s age, breed, genetics, diet, exercise habits, medical history, home environment, behavior, and cognitive health. Some dogs also contribute biological samples that help researchers study the biology of aging more closely. Open-science means that all these collected data are de-identified and made freely available to the research community so other scientists can pursue additional analyses.

This work has produced a valuable national resource: a growing database of dog health information, a framework for studying how genetics and environment interact to influence aging, and a platform for testing potential interventions that might help dogs live healthier, longer lives. 

The ultimate goal is to identify the factors that influence lifespan, healthspan (the years spent healthy), disease risk, and cognitive aging. This paper explains the project itself, what was created, why it’s important, and how researchers plan to use it to advance our understanding of aging.

What Did the Researchers Learn?

Since this paper is an introduction to the project rather than a report of major scientific findings, its main purpose is to outline several important ideas about aging.

First, the researchers argue that dogs are uniquely valuable for aging research. Dogs develop many of the same age-related diseases as humans, including cancer, arthritis, and cognitive decline. They share our homes and environments, receive advanced medical care, and age much faster than people. As a result, dogs provide a rare opportunity to study aging in a real-world setting within a practical timeframe.

The paper also emphasizes that aging is influenced by much more than genetics alone. A dog’s health and longevity are likely shaped by a combination of factors, including genes, diet, exercise, environment, social conditions and veterinary care. By studying thousands of dogs with different lifestyles and backgrounds, researchers hope to better understand which factors have the greatest impact on healthy aging.

Another important observation is that different dogs age differently. For example, smaller dogs often live significantly longer than larger dogs, and certain breeds are more prone to specific diseases than others. These natural differences provide researchers with a powerful opportunity to investigate why some dogs age more slowly or remain healthier later in life. 

Finally, the researchers suggest that companion dogs can help bridge the gap between laboratory research and human medicine. Many promising anti-aging treatments have shown benefits in mice, but mice do not experience the same environments and lifestyles as humans. Because dogs live alongside people, they may provide a more realistic way to evaluate potential approaches for promoting healthy aging before they are eventually studied in humans.

Overall, this paper presents a valuable new scientific resource aimed at addressing some of the biggest questions about aging. The researcher believes that by understanding why certain dogs live longer and healthier lives than others, they can gather insights that will benefit both canine and human health. 

 

What do these results mean for me and my dog?

This paper explains the approach the Dog Aging Project team is using to answer important questions about aging. Researchers believe that companion dogs provide a unique opportunity to study healthy aging because they share our homes and environments, develop many of the same age-related diseases as humans, and age much more quickly. By studying dogs throughout their lives, scientists hope to better understand the factors that influence health, longevity, and quality of life. The knowledge gained from this research could help improve the lives of future generations of dogs and may also provide valuable insights into healthy aging in people.

This means that every piece of information you share about your dog matters! By providing details about your dog’s health, lifestyle, and experiences, you are contributing to one of the most ambitious efforts ever undertaken to understand aging in companion dogs. Your participation helps researchers explore why some dogs live longer than others and how genetics, environment, lifestyle, and veterinary care work together to influence aging. 

Every survey completed, health update submitted, and sample provided adds to a growing body of scientific knowledge. Over time, these contributions help researchers identify patterns that may lead to better ways to promote healthy aging, prevent disease, and improve quality of life for dogs. Your participation is helping create a valuable scientific resource that has the potential to advance our understanding of age-related diseases, healthy longevity, and the biology of aging itself.  

Most importantly, none of this would be possible without the dedication of participating dog owners, veterinarians, and the remarkable dogs at the heart of the study. The Dog Aging Project is built on this partnership, bringing together thousands of people who share a common goal: helping dogs live healthier, longer lives while contributing to discoveries that may benefit human health as well. Together, we are helping shape the future of aging research, one dog at a time. 

 

Where can I learn more?

Creevy, K.E., Akey, J.M., Kaeberlein, M. et al. An open science study of ageing in companion dogs. Nature 602, 51–57 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04282-9

 

Abstract

The Dog Aging Project is a long-term longitudinal study of ageing in tens of thousands of companion dogs. The domestic dog is among the most variable mammal species in terms of morphology, behaviour, risk of age-related disease and life expectancy. Given that dogs share the human environment and have a sophisticated healthcare system but are much shorter-lived than people, they offer a unique opportunity to identify the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors associated with healthy lifespan. To take advantage of this opportunity, the Dog Aging Project will collect extensive survey data, environmental information, electronic veterinary medical records, genome-wide sequence information, clinicopathology and molecular phenotypes derived from blood cells, plasma and faecal samples. Here, we describe the specific goals and design of the Dog Aging Project and discuss the potential for this open-data, community science study to greatly enhance understanding of ageing in a genetically variable, socially relevant species living in a complex environment.

 

*Photo Credit: Texas A&M University CVMBS

Tags: , , ,