It is said that 1 dog year is equivalent to 7 human years, which makes dogs wise beyond belief, and certainly smarter than some of their pet parents. Sadly, that also means that our canine pals do not live as long as we do. The average lifespan of a dog is between 10 and 13 years, depending on the breed, size, environment, and the canine’s health.
However, some dogs have defied the odds and lived well beyond the 10 to 13 years. Have you ever wondered about the oldest dogs in the world? We have! In this list, we will give you the top 10 oldest dogs of all time and a little bit about them as well.
The 10 World Records for Oldest Dogs of All Time
1. Bluey
The oldest dog on our list is an Australian Cow Dog named Bluey. Bluey lived in Victoria, Australia, and lived to the ripe old age of 29 years and 160 days, making him the oldest dog ever.
Bluey’s full name was Bluey Les Hall, and he lived from June 7, 1910, to November 14, 1939. Since he died so long ago, there aren’t many records to study about Bluey. From what we gathered, he was your typical working dog that worked herding sheep and cattle. Bluey’s legacy prompted research on the Australian Cow Dog to see why they lived so long.
2. Butch
Next on our list is a Beagle named Butch, who lived in Virginia, USA. Butch lived for approximately 28 years. He was born in 1975 and passed away in 2003. The dog once held the Guinness book of world records title for being the oldest dog alive until his passing.
Unlike Bluey, there is some documentation about Butch. His owners described him as friendly, young at heart, and a lover of all kinds of food.
3. Taffy
Taffy was a Welsh Collie who lived for 27 years and 317 days. The dog lived in the United Kingdom, but there are no records of what part of the UK she lived in. There are no birth or death records for Taffy, though she was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest dog alive in those days.
Taffy lived a full, happy life, and there’s not much to be found about the Welsh Collie, other than she is often confused with another long-living dog with her name, only that dog was a Poodle.
4. Bramble
Bramble was a Border Collie who resided somewhere in England, though it’s unknown where. She lived to be 27 years and 211 days old. She was a rescue dog born on September 1, 1975, and passed away on March 31, 2003. She was adopted by Anne Heritage and is most famous for living on a vegan diet for most of her life. Evidently, that diet worked for Bramble because she lived to a ripe old age.
The dog was active, ate once a day, and got plenty of exercise. However, though this diet worked for Bramble and other dogs that Anne Heritage adopted, it’s still better to talk to your vet before changing your dog to a vegan diet, just to be on the safe side.
5. Adjutant
Adjutant was a gamekeeper’s dog who lived in Lincolnshire, England. Adjutant lived to the ripe old age of 27 years and 98 days. He was a Black Labrador Retriever Mix and lived with his owner James Hawkes.
He was born on August 14, 1936, and passed away on November 20, 1963. While very little is known about the dog, we can assume that since he was a gun dog, he kept busy and was quite active until he passed away. The dog must have been athletic and intelligent to make it in that life.
6. Buksi
Buksi is listed as a mutt who lived for approximately 27 years in Sarretudvari, Hungary. The dog was said to have been born sometime in the 1990s and spent her life living in the yard of the guest house and riding hall of her owners. She passed away on August 17, 2017, from what is thought to have been heart complications due to heat.
7. Pusuke
Pusuke was a Shiba Inu Mix who lived in Tochigi, Japan. He lived to the age of 26 years and 248 days. His death came as a complete and total shock to his owner because the dog seemed happy and healthy just the day before.
Pusuke was born on April 1, 1985, and passed away on December 5, 2011. Pusuke went on two walks a day and seemed to be healthy. He suddenly lost his appetite, developed breathing problems, and then passed away.
In 2008, the dog was hit by a car and suffered massive, life-threatening injuries. However, he pulled through and lived much longer than expected.
8. Sugar
Sugar was an unknown breed, and no one had any idea what state she was born in, but she lived in the United States. Sugar lived to be 24 years and 360 days old. Born on August 18, 1952, Sugar passed on August 13, 1977. Sadly, no one knows much about Sugar. She seems to be quite the mystery in the dog world, as nothing but her date of birth and death have ever been recorded.
9. Piccolo
Piccolo was a mutt with unknown origins; he lived in Italy, but the details of his life are unknown. He lived to the ripe old age of 23 years and 86 days. Piccolo was born on October 1, 1987, and passed away on December 26, 2010.
10. Kathy T. Dog
Kathy T. Dog was a mutt from Las Vegas, Nevada. She lived to the old age of 22 years and 29 days, making her the youngest dog on our list. Kathy was a rescue dog and was constantly teased about being the angriest dog of all time. She liked to bite strangers and loved barking at anything that crossed her path.
Kathy was born on January 8, 1991, and died on February 6, 2013.
Conclusion
Each of these dogs was special in its own way and will be missed by many. Although most breeds do not live more than 13 years, the world’s oldest pups lived nearly twice that average age. Do you know any other dogs that have lived a long life? Let us know in the comments!
See also:
- How Long Do Dogs Live? Average Lifespan Data & Care
- 10 Oldest Dog Breeds (With Pictures)
- 12 Most Loyal Dog Breeds: Canine Companions (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: Radek Ziemniewicz, Shutterstock
The 10 World Records for Oldest Dogs of All Time
