Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Bryan Johnson Turns His Longevity Experiment Toward Dogs
Bryan Johnson spends a lot of time and money trying to slow human ageing.
Now he wants to study whether dogs can live healthier and longer lives too.
His dog, Katara, is a trained guard dog who travels with him.
Johnson says she will receive extensive health measurements and longevity treatments.
He thinks better diets could help many dogs.
He also says dogs and humans have many health similarities.
Because of this, research on dogs might eventually help people.
Companies are already testing possible medicines and gene therapies for ageing-related conditions in animals.
Johnson says people may be especially willing to pay for advanced healthcare for their pets.
Bryan Johnson plans to apply extensive health monitoring and longevity interventions to his guard dog, Katara.
Johnson says Katara, a professionally trained Belgian Malinois, protects him from attackers because he receives death threats.
He said he has no current plans to launch a company focused on canine health.
Johnson argues that improving dogs’ diets could significantly improve their health, criticizing some commercial dog foods.
He believes canine longevity research could advance human medicine, while companies including Loyal and Rejuvenate Bio pursue treatments for dogs.
- Who
- Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, his Belgian Malinois Katara, and canine-health companies including Loyal and Rejuvenate Bio.
- What
- Johnson plans to measure Katara extensively and try longevity-focused health interventions, while discussing broader canine-health research.
- When
- The plan was discussed in interviews and at a longevity event earlier that week; Katara will turn two in October.
- Where
- The longevity event took place in San Francisco.
- Why
- Johnson says dogs are amazing, that diet and other interventions may improve their health, and that canine research could contribute to medical advances for humans.
- Dog
- Katara, a professionally trained Belgian Malinois and Johnson’s guard dog
- Johnson’s plan
- Make Katara “the most measured dog in the world” and apply longevity therapies
- Company plans
- Johnson said he has no current plans to launch a canine-health company
- Diet concerns
- Johnson criticized what he described as harmful compounds in many commercial dog foods
- Drug development
- Johnson said drug approval is substantially faster for dogs than for humans
- Existing research
- Loyal is pursuing possible lifespan-extension drugs, while Rejuvenate Bio is exploring gene therapy for animal diseases
- Potential human benefit
- Johnson said similarities between dogs and humans could make canine-health advances useful to people