The present study on life expectancy and cause of death is based upon data from 9,248 dogs. The entire sample showed a life expectancy of 10.0 years. The most frequent cause of death was tumors (27.3%), followed by cardiac and circulatory ailments (16.3%). The causes of death also showed a breed-specific distribution. The mean age attained in various breeds differed, ranging from 6.8 years in the Berner Sennenhund to 13.0 years in the Pudel. Dogs of mixed breeding tended not to differ from purebreds either in their life expectancy or in their cause of death.