The Dog Aging Project set out in 2018 to become the largest research data-gathering program of its kind, according to a February 2 report in the journal Nature. The project is enrolling and studying tens of thousands of dogs from all backgrounds for a long-term effort to better understand canine aging.

The researchers detail the methodology of their project in the article. The paper tells how, following their project launch, researchers at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, the University of Washington School of Medicine, and a dozen other partner institutions began to enroll companion dogs.  The project expects to run for at least 10 years. To date, more than 32,000 dogs have been enrolled.

The paper describes the potential implications of the Dog Aging Project for both human and veterinary medicine.

Lead author Dr. Kate Creevy commented, “The Dog Aging Project is creating a resource with the power to transform veterinary medicine, aging research, and many scientific and non-scientific fields of inquiry.” Data will include owner-reported surveys, veterinary data, biological and physical data and environmental data.

The study authors state, “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.”

Read the Nature article here

To learn more and to enroll your dog, click here

 

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