No Bad Dogs Podcast E332- The Science of Dog Longevity: How to Help Your Dog Live Longer & Healthier (w/ Dr. Matt Kaeberlein PhD)
Dec 18, 2025
Join Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, an influential aging researcher and co-founder of the Dog Aging Project, as he explores the science of canine longevity. Discover how factors like diet, exercise, and the revolutionary drug rapamycin could extend your dog's healthy years. Matt discusses the surprising effects of once-daily feeding and the importance of tailored care. He also highlights the need for awareness about misleading supplements and emphasizes the connection between mental enrichment and overall wellbeing.
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From Personal Loss To A Nationwide Study
- Matt Kaeberlein built the Dog Aging Project after realizing aging interventions that worked in mice might work in dogs.
- His German Shepherd Dobby inspired the effort and motivated him to pursue clinical trials for rapamycin in dogs.
Dobby: Personal Motivation For The Project
- Matt named his German Shepherd Dobby and lost him about a year before this interview.
- Dobby's aging and health struggles directly motivated Matt's commitment to translational aging research in dogs.
Dogs As Accelerated Aging Models
- Dogs age biologically faster than humans, roughly seven times faster on average, though not linearly across life stages.
- That makes dogs powerful models for testing interventions that might slow aging faster than in humans.