30-Year-Old Portuguese Dog Breaks World Record
Nobody likes to think about their dog’s life coming to an end, but it is rare for them to live past their teens. However, at 30 years old and 226 days old, a Portuguese pooch has far exceeded the average life expectancy, and has now been named the oldest dog in the world.
Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo, was given the accolade by the Guinness World Records earlier this month, after beating an Australian dog called Bluey.
He was 29 years and five months old when he died in 1939, meaning he held the record for 83 years.
The Portuguese government’s pet database confirmed Bobi’s age, which means he has more than doubled the average life expectancy of his breed.
Bobi has always lived with the Costa family on the west coast of Portugal in a village called Conqueiros.
Leonel Costa, who was just eight when Bobi was born, told BBC News the secret to his long life is the “calm, peaceful environment” he lives in.
Although the four-legged creature now has difficulty walking and his eyesight is deteriorating, he has been relatively healthy throughout his life, except for a brief scare in 2018 when he had trouble breathing.
His mother also reportedly lived a long time, passing away when she was 18 years old.
Rafeiro do Alentejos typically live between 12 and 14 years and were traditionally used as hunting dogs. The large species are good as guard or sheep dogs, as they are both powerful and calm. They are also great family pets, as they are full of affection and good with children.
If you want to take good care of your pet to give them the best chance of a long and healthy life, make sure they eat well, have lots of exercise and look after their muscles with dog hydrotherapy.
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