Two numbers, and why they disagree
The size chart is the one the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) publishes for pet owners. It counts a dog's first year as about 15 human years and the second as about 9 more. After that it adds 4 human years for each birthday in small dogs and up to 7 or 8 in giant breeds, because bigger dogs age faster and usually live shorter lives.
The DNA formula comes from a 2020 study by Tina Wang and colleagues at the University of California San Diego. They compared chemical marks on DNA that build up with age (methylation) in people and in dogs, and matched them: human age ≈ 16 × ln(dog age) + 31. By this measure dogs race through their early years, so a 1-year-old is like a 31-year-old, then slow down. It was built from Labrador retrievers only, so it does not adjust for size.
Neither is exact. The chart is handy for everyday comparisons; the formula is a reminder of how quickly young dogs grow up. For care, the life stage matters most. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) counts a dog as a puppy until rapid growth ends at about 6–9 months, a young adult until about 3–4 years, then a mature adult until the last quarter of the expected lifespan, when the senior years begin. The AVMA puts that at about 8–11 years for small dogs, 8–10 for medium, 8–9 for large and 6–7 for giant breeds.