Canine aging science is advancing rapidly, with the Dog Aging Project generating insights that may extend healthy lifespan and improve welfare for millions of companion dogs.
Canine aging science offers hope for extending not just lifespan but healthspan — the period of life during which dogs experience good health and high quality of life. The Dog Aging Project's longitudinal data will generate insights applicable across the aging biology field. From a welfare perspective, the goal is not longer life per se but more years of comfortable, cognitively engaged, socially connected life. Advances in pain management, cognitive support, and potentially pharmaceutical interventions may transform the senior dog experience over the coming decades — making welfare-conscious senior dog care an increasingly evidence-rich field.