Pooch in Portugal smashes world record to become oldest living dog of all time

As certified by Guinness World Records, the oldest living dog of all time is Bobi, a pooch on a farm in Portugal.

As certified by Guinness World Records, a pooch on a farm in Portugal has become not only the oldest dog in the world but also of all time. At 30 years and 266 days old, this Wednesday, February 1, Bobi received the outstanding accolade.

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He replaced Spike the Chihuahua, who had only been crowned as the oldest canine in the world two weeks ago. Prior to those two, an Australian cattle dog held the title for almost 100 years. Bluey died at the age of 29 years and 5 months, living from 1910 until 1939.

Bobi was born and raised on a family-run farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal’s Leira district, not far from the town of Nazare, famous for its huge surfing waves.

His owners – the Costa family – believe that the secret to Bobi’s longevity is the fact that he lives in the countryside, where they said he enjoys playing with their four cats.

His survival as a pup is a heartwarming tale. Bobi was born as one of four male pups and because there were already so many dogs on the farm, Mr Costa made the decision that he didn’t need more of them.

His 38-year-old son Leonel related the story: “I was eight years old. My father was a hunter, and we always had many dogs. Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive”.

As Bobi’s luck would have it, Mr Costa somehow left him behind by accident when he went to dispose of the litter. Leonel and his brothers quickly hid the newborn puppy from their father.

Leonel explained, “We knew that when the dog opened its eyes, my parents would no longer bury it. It was popular knowledge that this act could not or should be done”. By the time the pup was discovered, it was already too late. Although their father punished them for hiding the dog, Loenel admitted it ‘was worth it’.

The family dog obviously suffers the typical ailments that arrive with the onset of old age. He struggles to walk and has difficulties with his eyesight. His food needs to be soaked in water to remove any seasoning before he can eat it, as he shares the same meals as his owners. Bobi also drinks a lot of water his family added.

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