It was announced last week that the oldest dog in the world is Portuguese, a Rafeiro do Alentejo named Bobi, who lives in Leiria. Two weeks prior, Guinness World Records had announced Spike, a 23-year-old chihuahua, as the oldest dog living, but this has since been amended.
Bobi is not just the oldest dog living, he’s the oldest dog ever, born on May 11, 1992.
Bobi took Bluey’s 100-year record as the oldest dog ever, an Australian dog that lived between 1910 and 1939, dying at 29 years old and five months.
Bobi lives in Conqueiros, Leiria, with the Costa family. He is a Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed from Alentejo used as a guard dog for cattle herding. These dogs have an average life expectancy of 12/14 years.
Bobbi was set to be put down as a puppy, along with his siblings. Fortunately, his current owner, Leonel Costa, was able to hide him.
Three decades later, the owner of Bobi believes that the secret to his dog’s longevity is the fact that he roams freely without being tied to a chain or leash and that he is well-fed and loved.
Bobi only eats human food without seasoning and drinks about 1 liter of water a day. Bobi is also very social and loves spending time with other animals.