Convert your dog's age to human years accurately. Accounts for size and breed differences, because not all dogs age the same!
Your 5 year old medium dog is roughly 36 in human years.
The old rule of multiplying a dog's age by 7 to get human years is simplistic and inaccurate. Dogs mature much faster in their first two years then slow down.
For example, a 1-year-old dog has reached the same physical maturity as a 15-year-old human. By year 2, they are like a 24-year-old human. After that, aging slows down and varies heavily by breed size.
Small dogs generally live longer than large dogs. Here is a rough breakdown of aging speed after age 2:
Age slower. A 10-year-old small dog is only about 56 in human years.
Age faster. A 10-year-old giant dog is roughly 79 in human years.
The Guinness World Record holder was Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog who lived to be 29 years and 5 months old!
It depends on size, but generally: Small dogs at 11-12 years, Medium at 10 years, Large at 8 years, and Giant breeds at 7 years.
