dogs fed once a day show no correlation with illness

dogs fed twice a day show a small correlation with illness - chicken or the egg (sick dogs need to be fed more often) - also, this needs to be broken down by size/breed to be useful

where the dog sleeps at night is not correlated with illness

fewer dog walks per day show a slight correlation with illness - chicken or the egg

less intense exercise shows a slight correlation with illness - chicken or the egg

whether or not a dog is pure or mixed breed has no correlation with illness

of the 33,172 dogs that were in the database in 2020 only 15,720 filled out the yearly update for 2021 - a 53% dropout rate

whether or not a dog is from a breeder or shelter is not correlated with illness

not having toys routinely is slightly correlated with illness

whether or not dogs are walked on or off leash or both is not correlated with illness

the number of trips per month to dog parks is not correlated with illness

the age at which the dog was neutered is not correlated with illness

consistency or inconsistency in routine is not correlated with illness

having other dogs in the house is not correlated with wellness

having any kind of other animals in the house is not correlated with wellness

ill dogs are slightly more obedient

the data on dogs fed a grain free diet are inconclusive

those with ill dogs answer more questions completely without the ‘NA’ default

there is a slight correlation between higher education and more illness

having two vet visits per year is correlated with wellness

dogs eating their own or other animals’ feces is not correlated with more illness

there is a slight correlation between traffic noise in the house and illness, but this might have to do more with other demographics of owners living near traffic because previous analysis by the Dog Aging Project staff shows a correlation between illness and housing values and income

there is no correlation between having a sitter or daycare and illness

there is a correlation between the number of treats per day and illness - # treats or weight?

use of rawhide treats is not correlated with illness

the data on diet consistency are inconclusive

dog teeth brushing is not correlated with health

the size of the dog is not correlated with illness

owners with sick dogs feel it is only a little harder to take care of them

owners of sick dogs do not feel like the money spent on them is too much

This is the end of current findings. There will be more analysis as the future years’ data come in.