The Lifespan of the giant breeds..

..is so sad
A lady we see often had a St.Bernard and a cocker spaniel, she always walked past the street..when returning from the shops earlier i saw her with just Mitsy the cocker n asked where Harvey her Saint was, she told me he had been pts through age related probs at 8 years old, just.
Made me think..how do you giant breed owners deal with this kinda thing?
I know death is part of life and everything and all of us have to go one day..but it really doesn't seem long enough for the giant breeds

They arent called a heartbreak breed for nothing which is probably why research can play a huge part before bringing a large breed into your life, the longivity of the parents health issues within the line, something you wouldnt know unless you did the research....

Just out of interest, why is it that giant breeds have a shorter lifespan?

Sorry if I'm being a bit thick, it's a bad habit I've developed after many years of practice!

Do you know i actually couldnt tell you? i would summise , heart/growth/bloat issues , i've probably heard of more being pts due to arthritis/bone issues too much stress on a huge body, and being such a large breed they dont cope too well whereas a smaller breed would be quite mobile a large breed wouldnt be...Which i guess is where quality of life comes in..

I guess?

Just makes you wonder why animals like Elephants can live as long as humans etc?

Off topic, but always make me wonder!

Yeah you got me thinking now , i'll ask on a dane forum

Sorry! There probably isn't a definitive answer, perhaps just one of those things.

But something that bugs my brain!

well when you compare large breeds to elephants lolololol hmmm still pondering it

I know, I've far too much time on my hands! Just don't tell my employers that!

maybe because elephants are designed to be elephants, but dogs are not designed (from nature) to be giant?