How to increase a german shepherd's lifespan?

The way to extend the life of any dog is to visit the veterinarian regularly and follow her instructions, keep them clean, especially their teeth, exercise regularly, don’t overfeed, but use high quality food.

Walk her. It will help keep her in shape and keep her happy. Even though it’s painful for her, all you have to do is ask if she wants a walk to see how good it is.

The last three dogs I have owned were German Shepherds.12 is a senior dog,so I would not take her running.Try to cut back on treats and maybe alittle food to get her weight down.Excess weight would cause unecessary strain on her joints.If she is ok to walk,I would do that.
You must have been doing something right for her to get to 12.They are great dogs. :))

Is there a pond nearby that you can take her swimming? That will be easier on her joints than just walking. There are also supplements you can get to help with the joint pain, check with your vet.

She’s 12 and she had puppies last year? That’s like a sixty year old grandma having babies. Get her spayed. Then you won’t have to worry about pyometra.

My border collies is 12 years old. He is just like my second son. Here is his reason for his long longevity: he is fed nothing but Pedigree canned dogfood, he is fed nothing buy Rachel Ray dry dog food, he gets a vet checkup every six months, we give him medication for his arthritis. He is extremely healthy. He has a wet, cold nose. We brush his teeth every two weeks, He has become an inside dog and thats okay.

And, he is given lots of love. When he has a date, we give him Scope.

Get her spayed.

Make sure she has sufficient exercise- swimming is great for older dogs,

Make sure she gets checked by a vet and that her teeth are cleaned if needed.

Feed her a nutritious diet.

Love her and spend time with her every day.

Up your vet visit to every 6 months if you have not done so yet.
Keep up good nutrition. As much as you may want to, no table food!

Here are two great books I would suggest getting from you Library or a store.
Complete Care for your Aging Dog
Caring for your Senior Dog

This has been mentioned but needs emphasis. Pyometra is a really horrible emergency to face and has caused death for many an animal that doesn’t survive the emergency surgery or the raging infection.

This only occurs in unspayed females (cats as well) and the only treatment is an immediate emergency removal of the infected uterus (spaying) at most likely triple the cost and triple the risk of death (usually from the degree of infection).

Get her spayed now while she is in good health for this routine surgery. If Pyometra forces the same situation, her infection-racked body will not have the same recuperative strength.

Has she been seen regularly at the Vet? I’m a little surprised they haven’t strongly suggested it.

I almost lost a cat to Pyo until I wised up about it Actually she was the only pet I ever had who didn’t get spayed immediately upon adopting them. But my delay almost cost her her life (and cost me a boatload more money) as well as tons of anxiety. It was a hard lesson for me to learn, but I certainly did.

Get her spayed. You will never regret it.

there are joint supplements.

I put a healing stone called infinite in my pets water bowl. They live long and prosper.

i don’t have any advice to add since you have been given some great tips. All I can add is enjoy her. Cuddle her and love her and enjoy her final years. Your question brought tears to my eyes and I could relate to how you are feeling.