Calling all pooches! Scientists are on the hunt for hundreds of pet dogs to test a new anti-ageing pill that could work for humans as part of a massive study of 10,000 canines

  • Animals taking part in the five year study will remain at home with their owners
  • Owners will fill in regular online surveys and take the dog for annual check ups
  • As part of the survey 500 dogs will take an anti-ageing pill to test how it works
  • The pets will be monitored by a panel of animal welfare specialists throughout 

Hundreds of pet dogs are going to be taking a pill that researchers hope could show slow their ageing process and one day do the same for humans. 

It is part of a wider study of 10,000 dogs in the USA that will examine their health, eating habits, behaviour and relationship with humans.

The dogs taking part in the five year study will stay living with their owners and continue with their normal routine, but the owners will have to fill out online surveys and take their pets for an annual check up.  

Researchers will collect vet records, DNA samples, gut microbes and information on food and walks supplied by the owners as part of the study. 

The $23million study is being funded by the National Institute for Ageing to try and discover how and why humans and dogs get older. Stock photo

The $23million study is being funded by the National Institute for Ageing to try and discover how and why humans and dogs get older. Stock photo

Researchers have put a call out for owners to nominate their own pet to take party in the study as they want a broad spectrum of breeds, ages and sizes.

To nominate a pet, owners in the USA can visit the Dog Aging Project's website.  

The pets taking part in the study will have their well being monitored by a bioethicist and a panel of animal welfare advisers. 

Dr Daniel Promislow, pictured, says that if they find a genetic marker for a type of cancer in dogs that could be explored in humans.

Dr Daniel Promislow, pictured, says that if they find a genetic marker for a type of cancer in dogs that could be explored in humans.

'What we learn will potentially be good for dogs and has great potential to translate to human health,' said project co-director Daniel Promislow of the University of Washington School of Medicine.

If scientists find a genetic marker for a type of cancer in dogs, for instance, that could be explored in humans.

The $23million study is being funded by the National Institute for Ageing.

'Dogs are a good way to examine human lifespan as dogs and humans share the same environment, get the same diseases and dogs' shorter lifespans allow quicker research results, said study co-director Dr Marie Bernard. 

Researchers say all ages, sizes and breeds of dog are welcome on the study. 'Including both purebreds and mutts'. Stock photo

Researchers say all ages, sizes and breeds of dog are welcome on the study. 'Including both purebreds and mutts'. Stock photo

Leslie Lambert of Parkville, Maryland, enrolled her 11-year-old rescue dog, Oscar, in an early phase of the study.

'I would selfishly like to have him around forever,' said the 33-year-old veterinarian. 'Unfortunately, he ages much, much faster than I do.'

But she's torn by the prospect of an anti-aging pill because so many abandoned dogs go without care. 'Just because we can, should we?'

Researchers say human devotion to their pets mean they are more likely to fill in surveys, send records and submit dog poo for analysis. Dr Promislow - pictured - said 'people love dogs'

Researchers say human devotion to their pets mean they are more likely to fill in surveys, send records and submit dog poo for analysis. Dr Promislow - pictured - said 'people love dogs' 

Compared to farm dogs in the past, today's pampered pups live longer and get more geriatric diseases, said veterinarian Dr. Kate Creevy of Texas A&M University, the project's chief scientific officer.

Yet no standard measures exist for frailty or prognosis in sick, aged dogs, Dr Creevy said. The project will develop those tools.

One dog year is roughly equal to seven human years but that varies by breed. 

Compared to farm dogs in the past, today's pampered pups live longer and get more geriatric diseases. Stock photo

Compared to farm dogs in the past, today's pampered pups live longer and get more geriatric diseases. Stock photo

Large dogs have shorter lifespans than smaller dogs. A Great Dane's lifespan is about half that of a toy poodle's.

That makes large dogs better test subjects for the pill. Dogs weighing at least 40 pounds will be eligible for an experiment with the drug, called rapamycin, which is currently taken by humans to prevent rejection of transplanted kidneys. 

The drug has extended lifespan in mice and a small safety study in dogs found no dangerous side effects.

Human devotion to dogs drives projects like this, the scientists said. 

Owners will gladly fill out surveys, send records and submit a pup's poop for analysis if they think it will help all dogs live longer, even if it won't help their pet.

'People love dogs,' said Dr Promislow, who normally studies ageing in fruit flies. 'No one has ever come up to me and said, `Oh my goodness, I just love fruit flies.'' 

The welfare of the dogs taking part in the 10,000 strong study will be monitored by a bioethicist and a panel of welfare advisors.  Senior researcher Daniel Promislow, pictured, says what is good for dogs can translate into benefits for human health

The welfare of the dogs taking part in the 10,000 strong study will be monitored by a bioethicist and a panel of welfare advisors.  Senior researcher Daniel Promislow, pictured, says what is good for dogs can translate into benefits for human health

DOGS WERE FIRST DOMESTICATED SOME 20,000–40,000 YEARS AGO

A genetic analysis of the world's oldest known dog remains revealed that dogs were domesticated in a single event by humans living in Eurasia, around 20,000 to 40,000 years ago.

Dr Krishna Veeramah, an assistant professor in evolution at Stony Brook University, told MailOnline: 'The process of dog domestication would have been a very complex process, involving a number of generations where signature dog traits evolved gradually.

'The current hypothesis is that the domestication of dogs likely arose passively, with a population of wolves somewhere in the world living on the outskirts of hunter-gatherer camps feeding off refuse created by the humans.

'Those wolves that were tamer and less aggressive would have been more successful at this, and while the humans did not initially gain any kind of benefit from this process, over time they would have developed some kind of symbiotic [mutually beneficial] relationship with these animals, eventually evolving into the dogs we see today.'