We all love our pet dogs, and if we had our way, we would have them to live forever. But nature has a different plan.
Dogs typically live for around eight to 15 years, but then there are some rare exceptions.
A tiny percentage of the canine population reaches 20 years of life. In fact, the world’s oldest dog ever recorded lived up to nearly 30 years old.
Size, breed, diet, care, and exercise affect a dog’s life expectancy. However, it remains uncertain exactly how some dogs manage to outlive others. Is it genetics, or are they just lucky?
Who are these fortunate canines? Read on to learn about the top ten oldest dogs in the world.
8. Bramble the Border Collie, United Kingdom
Border Collies are known to live a bit longer than most dogs, often reaching 14 to 17 years. However, Bramble was a rare exception. He lived up to 25 years and 89 days!
If you think that’s pretty amazing, wait until you learn about his healthy lifestyle. The world’s eighth oldest dog loved to exercise. He regularly walked for at least two hours with his owner each day. Even more impressive is Bramble was a vegetarian and preferred to eat plants exclusively, such as rice, lentils, and various vegetables. It is also interesting how Bramble seemed capable of curbing his cravings by eating only once a day.
7. Pusuke the Shiba Inu, Japan
Born on 1 April 1985, Pusuke almost did not make it to his ripe old age of 26 years and 248 days. In 2008, this Shiba Inu mix was hit by a vehicle and had to undergo hours of surgery to treat his near-fatal injuries. As we all know, Pusuke survived the gruesome ordeal. The Guinness Book of World Records listed him as the oldest living dog in 2010.
Pusuke loved to walk, often going on a stroll twice a day. According to his loving owner, Yumiko Shinohara, Pusuke seemed perfectly happy and healthy. But he then suddenly lost his appetite and started having breathing difficulties. The dog passed away peacefully on 5 December 2011.
6. Buksi the Mutt, Hungary
Hungary’s oldest dog Buksi was born in 1990 and spent her days in the yard of a guesthouse and riding hall of Sarret. She died on 26 August 2017 of heart complications. It may have been caused by the hot summer weather. Buksi was approximately 27 years old.
What makes Buksi’s case more interesting is she is neither a purebred nor lived a specific lifestyle that could have led to her long lifespan. The Ethology Faculty of ELTE University drew blood samples from Buksi and sent them to laboratories in the United States, hoping to understand the dog’s unusually long life.
5. Adjutant the Labrador Retriever, United Kingdom
Labrador Retrievers typically live up to 10 to 12 years, but not Adjutant. This playful, black male lab lived for 27 years and 98 days. That is more than twice the average lifespan of Labradors. Adjutant was born on 14 August 1936 and passed away on 20 November 1963. He was a gamekeeper’s dog and spent most of his days helping his owner.
4. Taffy the Welsh Collie, United Kingdom
Taffy is the UK’s oldest dog ever to live. The Guinness World Records listed Taffy as the longest living dog in 1998. Apart from this, Taffy’s life is shrouded in mystery, and we do not even know when she was born. We do know that she lived up 27 years and 211 days. Because there is not much information about Taffy, she is often mistaken for an old poodle with the same name.
3. Snookie the Pug, South Africa – The third oldest dog ever
Pugs are known for being affectionate, charming, and friendly. With a lifespan ranging between 13 to 14 years, pugs on average live longer than some breeds. However, Snookie, our fourth oldest dog on the list, exceeded expectations and reached 27 years and 284 days. This beloved pug was born on 1 January 1991 and died on 12 October 2018.
2. Butch the Beagle, United States – The second oldest dog ever
This lovable beagle was the Guinness Book of World Records’ longest living dog from 1975 to 2003. He passed at the ripe old age of 28 years. For some time, people incorrectly credited him as the oldest dog to have ever lived until the discovery of another dog.
Butch was from Virginia, and much of his life has been documented in newspaper articles. Those who knew him described him as playful, intelligent, and perpetually young at heart
1. Bluey the Australian Cattle Dog, Australia – The number one oldest dog ever
First on our list of oldest dogs ever is Bluey, the famous cattle dog from Rochester, Victoria, Australia. He lived to be 29 years and 160 days. The record shows that he was born on 7 June 1910 and died on 14 November 1939.
Bluey was a busy farm dog and worked herding sheep and cattle for almost three decades. His active lifestyle may have contributed to his long lifespan, reinforcing several studies that cite exercise as essential to a dog’s health. As for his diet, he ate a lot of kangaroo meat.
Bluey prompted scientists to study the life expectancy of Australian Cattle dogs, which led to the conclusion that this breed is most likely to outlive other dogs of similar size by one year. Bluey, however, is still quite exceptional as he lived 15 years more than most Australian Cattle dogs.
