How Long Is 2 Hours For A Dog?

There’s no denying that dogs are different from us in many ways. Do they feel time differently from us though? How long is 2 hours for a dog anyway?

2 hours for a dog will feel to them like 2 hours and 30 minutes. This is because they process visual information 25% faster than we do.

Clearing Up The Confusion Behind Human Time Versus Dog Time

Over time, information can take on a life of its own. This is no less true with dogs and everything we know about them. So, when it comes to human time versus dog time, we need to start with life expectancy.

The Life Expectancy Of Humans And Dogs

According to the American Kennel Club, or AKC, depending on a dog’s size, they’ll live anywhere from 7 to 18 years of age. Smaller dogs live longer, medium dogs a little less, and bigger dogs less than that.

Today, people still generally follow the rule that 1 human year equals 7 dog years. Because of the different life expectancies for each size dog, this formula isn’t always true though. Still, no matter the dog’s size, it will age faster than a human, but does that mean it perceives time differently too?

How Long Is 1 Hour For A Dog?

Actually yes, dogs do perceive time differently than humans, but not by a factor of 7. Dogs, because of the way they’re built, actually see what’s going on 25% faster than we do. That means that time really does move more slowly for dogs than it does for humans.

So, how long is 1 hour for a dog? Well, 1 hour is always just 1 hour. However, when a dog is perceiving that hour, to them it’s more like 1 hour and 15 minutes. 60 minutes times 125% would be 75 minutes, which is 1 hour and 15 minutes.

So, How Long Is 2 Hours For A Dog?

2 hours for a dog is going to follow the same rule as 1 hour. Since dogs perceive things 25% faster than humans, that means that they will perceive 2 hours more like 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Does a dog know this though?

Can Dogs Keep Track Of Time?

Yes and no. Dogs aren’t able to track time the way that we do. For example, if you told a dog to wait for 30 minutes, they wouldn’t understand what that means.

However, dogs do respond to the passage of time and they can develop routines. When it comes to the passage of time, your dog will react differently if you’ve been gone for 5 minutes rather than 5 hours. When it comes to routines, they get a pretty good idea of when it’s time to eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, and more.

So, while dogs can’t keep track of time the same way that we do, they do still have a connection to time.

So, What Do I Do?

At this point, you might be wondering if you need to do anything for your dog. If you need to treat them better.

Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you’re already treating your dog well enough. You cared enough to do some research and to better understand their lives, so you’re probably fine. Still, if you’d like to use this information for more than just knowledge, use it to give your dog as much love as you can.

Dogs’ lives are shorter, which means our time with them is precious. You know as well as we do that they can’t stand it when we’re gone. So, with this new knowledge in mind, try to find ways to reduce the time you’re separated from them.

We’ll even give you some ideas for spending more time with them. We recommend playing fetch (with something safe, not a stick) or taking them somewhere with the family.

In Conclusion: How Long Is 2 Hours For A Dog?

Who knew dogs and time could get so complicated? Our canine companions really are awesome, and with his new knowledge about how long 2 hours is for a dog, you’ll be able to treat them even more awesomely.

So, what do you think? What are you going to do now that you know how long 2 hours is for a dog? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!