The real test of health is how long do these dogs live. Several studies have shown that smaller dogs live longer than larger dogs, long faced (dolichocephalic) dogs live longer than short faced (Brachycelpahlic) dogs and mixed breed dogs live longer than purebred dogs. Most of the dogs we have bred are medium sized, mixed breed and medium faced (mesocephalic)
We have looked at life expectancy in two surveys – one in 2016 and one in early 2025
We found a median life expectancy for all our dogs of 14 years in both survey. These dogs were Miniature Labradoodles, Groodles and Cavoodles and were all desexed as puppies. Our medium sized O’Connell Retrievers and Minigroodles are too young for these calculations to be useful. We’ll have to wait until 2035 before enough will be old enough consider their longevity
The results are presented in the following graphs:
These results are slightly better than those reported in three major reviews of life expectancy in dogs. I’ve presented the comparison of our results with the published results in a chart below (thank you Chat GPT)
So – our research indicated that our previous dogs have had an excellent life expectancy – higher than the results of a number of studies. These results further support my decision to continue to desex our puppies prior to sale. Time will tell whether our medium sized Minigroodles and O’Connell Retrievers have similar results.
- D.G. O’Neill, D.B. Church, P.D. McGreevy, P.C. Thomson, D.C. Brodbelt. Longevity and mortality of owned dogs in England. The Veterinary Journal Volume 198, Issue 3, December 2013, Pages 638-643
- Kirsten M. McMillan 1*, Jon Bielby 2, Carys L. Williams 1, Melissa M. Upjohn 1, Rachel A. Casey 1 & Robert M. Christley. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports (2024) 14:531, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w
- Cornelia Kraus . Noah Snyder‑Mackler How size and genetic diversity shape lifespan across breeds of purebred dogs. GeroScience 202 627–643 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-022-00653-w