What is the oldest dog in the world? Lots of claims can be found on the internet about one breed lasting longer than another. However, the oldest living dogs of a few very popular breeds actually lived to be around the same age as each other.
To fully comprehend a dog’s age, one must apply the “dog years” formula. However, the old theory that one dog year = 7 human years is no longer supported by scientific research. Different dog breeds age differently, and small dogs typically live longer than large ones. The original formula was based on a ratio that assumes the average human lives to 70 and the average dog lives to 10. Based on current research, the American Kennel Club offers these formulas for calculating a dog’s age:
- 15 human years equals the first year of a medium-sized dog’s life.
- Year two for a dog equals about nine years for a human.
- And after that, each human year would be approximately five years for a dog.
While there are certain factors that can make one breed last longer than others on average, the fact of the matter is that a little bit of luck and the right conditions can make animals from many breeds live for decades. Here we’re going to look at the oldest dog in the world and other senior pups from a few different popular breeds, explaining what made them so special.
#8. Bramble the Border Collie
Each of the dogs on this list is special or stands out for one reason or another. Bramble is no exception, and this animal from the United Kingdom was known for being a bit of a vegetarian. He only ate vegetables, lentils, rice, and other plants exclusively. It’s also interesting that Bramble tended to eat just once daily.
The Border Collie breed is known for dogs that live a bit longer than average. It’s not uncommon for them to live to be 14 to 17 years. However, it’s pretty rare for them to live as long as Bramble did at 25 years and 89 days.
#7. Pusuke the Shiba Inu Mix
Pusuke was from Japan, and he was once considered the oldest living dog by the Guinness Book of World Records. As a Shiba Inu mix, he was expected to have a reasonably long age since they have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years as it is.
However, this famous animal lasted from April 1985 until December 2011 for a lifetime of 26 years and 248 days. That’s quite an impressive run. This dog was featured in a variety of media at the time of his passing because of his popularity in Japan and abroad.
#6. Buksi the Mutt
Famous as the oldest dog in Hungary for quite some time, Buksi had more of a social media following than most human beings ever will. Living from 1990 until 2017, this dog comes in as sixth on our list as he died at the age of 27.
Even in his death, this dog was in for a bit of fame. He was studied by ELTE University because of his long life, and videos of this process are readily available online.
#5. Adjutant the Labrador Retriever
On this list, Snookie just barely beat out Adjutant, who comes in fifth place. Adjutant lived from 1936 through 1963, which totaled 27 years and 98 days.
Even though he’s fifth on the list, he may be the most impressive dog of the bunch. The reason for that is that he was a Labrador Retriever, and they live shorter lives on average compared to the others we’re taking a look at here. With an average lifespan in the range of 10 to 12 years, that makes living for more than 27 years even more impressive.
#4. Snookie the Pug
Snookie is fourth on our list. She stands out for being a more recent addition to the list since she only died back in October of 2018. This pug was around since early 1991. Overall, this led her to be around for 27 years and 284 days. Living this long is pretty remarkable since the pug breed only averages a lifespan of 13 to 14 years on average.
Living in South Africa, she is the only dog from Africa on this list as well. In her native country, pugs can sell for close to $2,000. Not bad for a best friend, right? Pugs tend to stick around for a while, known for being a breed to outlive others. Snookie even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for being one of the oldest dogs ever.
#3. Taffy the Welsh Collie
In 1998, Taffy was mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the longest-living dogs still around. He was a Welsh Collie, a cross between a Welsh Sheepdog and a Border Collie. Once again, we see the theme of the oldest dogs ever coming from intelligent breeds.
Taffy was able to make it to 27 years and 211 days. He was from the United Kingdom.
#2. Butch, the Oldest Beagle
Interestingly enough, it was a beagle named Butch who held second place. We say this is interesting because he had some things in common with Bluey. The breed is on the smaller end of the size scale, and both breeds are known to yield intelligent dogs.
Butch was from the state of Virginia in the United States. What makes Butch stand out from a few others on this list is that he once held the title from the Guinness Book of World Records for the dog that had lived the longest but was also still alive while he officially held the title. He was around from 1975 until 2003 an age of just over 28 years at the time of his death, but information about Bluey being discovered later ended his time on top of the list.
#1. Bluey, The Oldest Dog Ever Recorded
Bluey was the name of the oldest dog ever reliably recorded. She was an Australian cattle dog, and she lived to be 29 years and 5 months.
Since she died in 1939, there aren’t a lot of detailed records about her. However, what we do know is that she lived in Rochester, Victoria, Australia. She was a very busy dog and worked with sheep and cattle for more than two decades. This active life may have contributed to her longevity since we do know that regular exercise is important for a dog’s health.
Something really interesting about Bluey is that she prompted studies on the breed. The findings determined that Australian Cattle Dogs live about a year longer than other breeds of similar size. However, their average lifespan is still just around 13.4 years, which is less than half of how long Bluey lived.
Summary of the Top 8 Oldest Dogs Ever
| Rank | Dog | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bluey the Australian Cattle Dog | 29 years 5 months |
| 2 | Butch the Beagle | 28 years |
| 3 | Taffy the Welsh Collie | 27 years 211 days |
| 4 | Snookie the Pug | 27 years 284 days |
| 5 | Adjutant the Labrador Retriever | 27 years 98 days |
| 6 | Buksi the Mutt | 27 years |
| 7 | Pusuke the Shiba Inu Mix | 26 years 248 days |
| 8 | Bramble the Border Collie | 25 year 89 days |
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
