Sorry, Spike, but Bobi, a 30-year-old dog, is the world’s oldest living dog.
According to Guinness World Records, Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo, a purebred livestock guardian dog has spent his entire 30 years and 271 days in the village of Coqueiros in western Portugal.
Not only is he the oldest dog currently alive, but Bobi is also the oldest dog ever to have lived. The dog has lived twice his breed’s life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.
Bobi, who has lived his entire life with the Costa family in the Leiria, western Portugal village of Conqueiros, has therefore surpassed the nearly 100-year-old record held by Australian cattle dog Bluey, who lived for 29 years and 5 months between 1910 and 1939.
Owner Leonel Costa, who was just 8 years old when Bobi was born on May 11, 1992, said: “Bobi has been a warrior for all these years, only he knows how he’s been holding on, it must not be easy because the average dog’s life span is not that high and if he spoke only he could explain this success.”
According to the GWR website, Bobi’s mother and the Costa family are used to long-lived dogs. Gira, the mother of Bobi, lived to be 18 years old, and Chicote, another dog owned by the family, survived for 22 years. Costa admitted that when he sought the title of oldest surviving dog, he never imagined registering Bobi as the oldest ever dog.
According to Costa, the dog’s longevity may be due to its peaceful surroundings. He has always been free to roam in the nearby forests; he has never been shackled or leashed.
Costa told GWR that he had always consumed the same food as his owners, just without the seasonings.
Bobi spends his days relaxing in the backyard with four cats. Costa told GWR that due to his failing eyesight and difficulty walking, he enjoys relaxing by the fireplace and lying in bed after meals.
Spike, a 23-year-old Chihuahua who only briefly held the title of oldest dog in the world, lost the title to Bobi.
