Hannah Zulueta I recently had a consult with a client who’s 15 year old has been eating a cooked diet. What impressed me the most was how healthy the dog was based on their blood results which were better than some blood results I’ve seen for dogs half its age.
And with all of the recent news about Bobi, the 30-year-old dog in Portugal, it got me curious about all of the oldest dogs. Bobi has eaten home-cooked meals in the form of “stews” using meat that the family feeds themselves as well as organic vegetables grown in their own garden.
Those dogs listed below with an asterisk have had their ages verified. Others listed are noted because although stories exist about these dogs, their ages could not be verified (rescue or adopted dogs) or they were never recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
A summary of what these dogs ate is in the first table below. Following that is a list of each of the dogs based on age, where they lived, diet, breed, and lifestyle
| Diet | Number | Percentage |
| Commercial diet | 15 | 50% |
| Homemade diet | 7 | 23% |
| Unknown | 3 | 10% |
| Mixed commercial and homemade | 2 | 6.67% |
| Raw | 2 | 6.67% |
| Vegan | 1 | 3.3% |
| Dog’s Name | Age | Recorded Date | Country of Residence | Diet | Breed | Lifestyle |
| Bobi* | 30 yrs, 8 months | 2023 | Portugal | Homemade diet | Rafeiro de Alentejo | Companion dog |
| Bluey* | 29 years, 5 months | 1939 | Victoria, Australia | Homemade diet | Australian Cattle Dog | Working dog, herding cattle |
| Butch* | 28 years old | 2003 | United States | Unknown | Beagle | Companion dog |
| Taffy* | 27 years, 6 months | 2003 | United States | Commercial dog food | Welsh Sheepdog | Companion dog |
| Adjutant* | 27 years | 1963 | United States | Unknown | Labrador Retriever | Hiking and swimming with owner |
| Jerry | 27 years | 2007 | Australia | Raw diet | Mongrel | |
| Buksi* | 26-27 yrs | 2017 | Hungary | Mixed commercial food and Homemade diet | Mixed breed | |
| Bramble* | 27 years | 2003 | United Kingdom | Vegan diet | Border Collie | Companion dog |
| Pusuke | 26 years, 9 months | 2011 | Japan | Commercial dog food | Shiba Inu | Companion dog |
| Max | 26 years, 8 months | 2013 | United States | Commercial dog food | Beagle | Companion dog |
| Jingo | 26 years, 6 months | 2007 | United Kingdom | Commercial dog food | Whippet | Companion dog |
| Chanel | 26 years | 2009 | United States | Homemade diet | Dachshund | Companion dog |
| Otto | 26 years | 2017 | United Kingdom | Raw food diet | Dachshund | Companion dog |
| Bella | 24 years, 8 months | 2019 | United Kingdom | Commercial dog food | Border Collie | Companion dog |
| Blue | 24 years, 6 months | 2015 | United States | Commercial dog food | Blue Heeler | Companion dog |
| Teddy | 24 years, 6 months | 2011 | United Kingdom | Homemade diet | Mixed Breed | Companion dog |
| Paddy | 24 years | 1989 | United Kingdom | Unknown | Border Collie | Companion dog |
| Otto | 24 years | 2010 | United States | Commercial dog food | Dachshund | Companion dog |
| Spike* | 24 years | 2023 | United States | Mixed commercial food and Homemade diet | Chihuahua Mix | |
| George | 23 years, 7 months | 2011 | United Kingdom | Commercial dog food | Whippet | Companion dog |
| Windsor | 23 years, 6 months | 2013 | United Kingdom | Commercial dog food | Greyhound | Companion dog |
| Toby | 23 years, 4 months | 2016 | United States | Homemade diet | Mixed breed | Companion dog |
| Sparky | 23 years, 3 months | 2002 | United States | Commercial dog food | Chihuahua | Companion dog |
| Rusty | 23 years, | 2010 | United States | Commercial dog food | Companion dog | |
| Smokey | 23 years, | 2003 | United States | Commercial dog food | Companion dog | |
| Gino Hammerstrike* | 23 years | 2023 | United States | Homemade diet | Chihuahua, American Eskimo Dog Mix | |
| Piccolo | 22 years, 9 months | 1991 | United States | Commercial dog food | Companion dog | |
| Betsy | 22 years, 6 months | 2019 | United Kingdom | Commercial dog food | Companion dog | |
| Pebbles* | 22 years 6 month | 2022 | United States | Homemade diet | Toy Fox. Terrier | |
| Gracie | 22 years, 3 months | 2014 | United States | Commercial dog food | Companion dog |
Lifestyle Of The Oldest Dogs
An active lifestyle played a crucial role in the longevity of these dogs. For example, Bluey, the 29-year-old cattle dog, had plenty of access to the outdoors and had a life full of activity and daily adventures.
Bobi, on the other hand, has the freedom to roam unleashed through the forests and farmland close to home and the calm countryside in which he grew up, which the owners attribute to his long life.
Low Stress
Common to these dogs is the owner’s stories about their dogs living happy and stress-free lives.
It Goes To Show Every Dog Is Different
If you looked up this list hoping to find the diet that will provide a magical health elixir, it’s as elusive for dogs as it is for humans.
Half of these dogs were fed a commercial diet, while the rest were fed a mixture of cooked, raw, and even one that was fed vegan food.
Ultimately, the best diet is the one that your dog does the best on. Let their bodies and quality of life reveal the answer to you.
Wishing you and your dog’s good health!
Resources
- “Oldest dog EVER record broken by 30-year-old Bobi from Portugal”. Guinness World Records. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ Guinness World Records (ed.). “world’s oldest dog”. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Guinness Book of Records. Guinness Publishing Ltd. 1998. p. 240.Edition included both Bluey and Taffy.
- ^ Guinness World Records (1970 ed.). p. 35.
- ^ origo.hu (ed.). “A demens kutyák titka: magyarok kutatják az ebek öregedését” (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ index.hu, ed. (28 August 2017). “Elpusztult Buksi, Magyarország legöregebb kutyája” (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ Ellis, Emma Grey. “Is It OK to Make Your Dog Vegan?”. WIRED. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ “Bramble the Collie’s Secrets to Living to Age 25”. v-dog. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ “Oldest dog living”. Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ Steinberg, Brooke (19 January 2023). “Chihuahua named Spike is world’s oldest dog: ‘He makes the best of each day'”. New York Post. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ “22-year-old Gino Wolf is the new oldest dog on Earth”. Guinness World Records. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ “World’s oldest dog living confirmed as 22-year-old Toy Fox Terrier”. Guinness World Records. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ “Pebbles, the world’s oldest dog, passes away aged 22”. Guinness World Records. 5 October 2022. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ “World’s oldest dog confirmed as 21-year-old chihuahua TobyKeith”. Guinness World Records. 14 April 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
Author Biography
Hannah Zulueta obtained her Certificate in Canine Nutrition from CASI Institute. She is also studying for her Doctorate in Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Herbalism from the esteemed Pacific College of Health and Medicine.
She resides in San Diego with her three dogs, Maggie, Orbit, and Mr. Higgins.
She is available for one on one consultations. Additionally, you can find her sharing free content on Instagram.
