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Oldest Dog Ever – Dogs are our best friends; they are the ones who teach us to live our life to the fullest. However, they only have one flaw, i.e., they do not live for a more extended time period, and that is one of the most bitter truths of our life. There are some breeds that believed to be alive for an extended time period, such as Maltese, Beagle, Australian Cattle Dog, etc., but other than breed; it also depends upon the quality of care provided to him. According to Guinness World Records, Bluey was the oldest dog ever that lived for about twenty-nine and a half years.
Yes, it was an American Cattle Dog, but as per its owner, his routine of living life was also different from normal dogs, which may also be one of the reasons for his long life.
Generally, smaller dogs live for 15 to 16 years, medium and large-sized dogs live for 10 to 13 years, while some giant dogs live for only 7 to 8 years. However, Bluey lived for 29.5 years. It may sound surprising to some of you. Let’s dig in what’s the secret lying behind his long-living life.
Bluey – “Oldest Dog Ever Lived on the Earth”
Bluey, whose full name was Bluey Les Hall, was owned by Les and Esma Hall. As per the Guinness Book of World Record, Bluey was the oldest dog ever who lived from June 7, 1910, to November 14, 1939. Bluey was an Australian cattle dog, and several studies conducted that this breed of dog tends to live about one year longer than other dog breeds. However, Bluey’s case was still astonishing as she lived for much longer than the expected time span.
Bluey, The Oldest Dog Ever – Secret to his long living life!
According to several reports and interviews, when Bluey’s owners were asked about the reason that may lie behind his long, happy life, they simply replied that they might never know for sure, but Bluey used to eat a lot of kangaroo and emu. Based on this information, it can be assumed that a raw fresh diet was one of the reasons for this oldest dog’s long life, but other reasons are still just a mystery.
Maggie – “Unofficial Oldest Dog Ever Lived on the Earth”
As per the Guinness World Record, Bluey was the one who lived for the longest time span like a dog. She bought it as a puppy and worked among cattle and sheep before saying goodbye to everybody. She stayed in this world for twenty-nine and a half years. However, Maggie the Kelpie lived for 30 years old. So, when you wonder who is the oldest dog ever has mentioned globally was actually not Bluey, it was Maggie who left this world peacefully in 2016.
What’s Maggie’s (oldest dog ever) little secret to long-living life?
Alike Bluey Maggie was also a cattle dog, and yes, cattle dog has the ability to live one or two years longer than other breeds. However, living for 30 years is far beyond this expectancy. Other factors that led to a long life of Maggie were:
The exercise
Generally, when you take your dog on a walk, it is for about 20 or 30 minutes a day, and that too is not for a very long distance which covers a total distance of about 2km to 5km a day. When Maggie’s owner, Brian McLaren, a dairy farmer, was asked about the same in the case of Maggie. He laughed at the talk and cross answered that Maggie apparently got 9km of exercise on an average per day just by following him on his tractor.
The food
The second reason for a long life of Maggie was the intake of proteins, vitamins, calcium, and other nutrients in the form of fresh raw whole foods. Life on the farm means you can have a lot of fresh whole foods that are not good only for human beings but also for animals too.
Long-Lived Dogs – Other than Maggie & Bluey!
Maggie and Bluey are the names that come at the top position whenever anybody talks about the oldest dog ever they have heard about. However, besides Maggie and Bluey, there were some other dogs too that lived a long life. Definitely not longer than Maggie and Bluey but somewhat longer than normal dogs.
#1 Kathy
Lived For: 22 Years & 29 Days
Breed: Mutt
Kathy was a rescue dog born on January 8, 1991, and died on February 6, 2013,i.e.; she started on the earth for 22 years and 29 days. She was picked from an animal shelter in Las Vegas and was famous there as the angriest dog of all time. She got this name because of her propensity of biting strangers and her habit of barking and growling at everything that comes in her path.
It can be said that Kathy was a famous dog. This is because she had her own Facebook page that had ample followers. The followers used to like regular updates of her antics and silliness. However, on February 7, 2013, there was a sorrowful update on the page that thanked everybody who made this dog’s page fun and also signified that Kathy was no more. After then, the Facebook page was no more active.
#2 Piccolo
Lived For: 23 years and 86 days
Breed: Mutt
Piccolo was also one of the oldest living dogs. He lived from October 1, 1987, to December 26, 2010. It can be said that he was an infamous dog because not much information is provided about him on any platform. It is just; he is considered on the list of the oldest living dog ever as he lived for 23 years and 86 days.
#3 Sugar
Lived For: 24 years and 360 days
Breed: Unknown
Sugar was also similar to Piccolo. Records do not tell very much about her too, except her date of birth and date of death. Sugar lived from August 18, 1952, to August 13, 1977, i.e., she spent her beautiful 24 years and 360 days on this planet. However, the sad thing is, her life is an excellent mystery for this world now.
#4 Pusuke
Lived For: 26 years and 248 days
Breed: Shiba Inu mix
Pusuke was a lovely and healthy dog whose death brought a sudden shock to her owner, Ms. Yumiko Shinohara. He was born on April 1, 1985, and left this world on December 5, 2011. According to her owner, Pusuke was looking absolutely fine. He even went on two walks a day and displayed healthy behavior, but suddenly he lost his appetite, started suffering from breathing problems, and consequently left. That was shocking as well as sorrowful for Ms. Yumiko because she lost her happily living companion suddenly.
She even said that Pusuke was a solid living creature that was once hit by a car and suffered near-fatal injuries. He had to undergo surgery for those injuries, and that powerful creature came out through this critical situation very well in 2010.
#5 Buksi
Lived For: 27 years (approximate)
Breed: Mutt
Buksi was born in the year 1990 and passed away on August 26, 2017. She spent most of her life in the yard of a guesthouse, and her lifestyle was not even an active one. That is why her addition to the oldest living dog ever record was a surprising thing. Though she hadn’t spent an active life, still, she able to live for approximately 27 years which was surprising for many. Thus, the Faculty of Ethnology of the Hungarian ELTE University drawn blood samples from the body of Buski and sent them to American labs for further research.
#6 Adjutant
Lived For: 27 years and 98 days
Breed: Black Labrador Retriever mix
Adjutant was a gamekeeper’s dog who was born on August 14, 1936, and passed away on November 20, 1963,i.e.; he lived for 27 years and 98 days, an impressive time span. He was owned by James Hawkes, and no further data was provided for her. However, as a gamekeeper’s dog, it can be expected that she should have spent an active, athletic life.
#7 Bramble
Lived For: 27 years and 211 days
Breed: Border Collie
Bramble was one of the famous oldest dog ever. It came to this world on September 1, 1975, and left this planet on March 31, 2003. It was a rescue dog who was mainly popular for a vegan diet consisting of lentils, textured vegetable protein, and brown rice, with some extras thrown in occasionally. This veggie-eating pooch used to had a meal once a day, i.e., during dinner time, and stay the whole day active, spending most of the time exercising.
Other than his diet, the dog was also famous for a book. His owner mentioned the dog in one of his books: “Bramble; The Dog Who Wanted to Live Forever.” Besides Bramble, his owner had seven more dogs who all lived on a vegan diet.
Note: If your dog is not a vegan and after reading this you are wondering about changing his diet, then it is recommended that first, you should consult your veterinarian for this matter.
#8 Butch
Lived For: 28 years (approximate)
Breed: Beagle
Butch was a happily lived dog that came into this world in 1975 and passed away in 2003. It was a beagle who also added to the list of oldest living dogs once, and he has even considered the longest living dog on the earth often that was absolutely wrong because officially Bluey is the oldest dog ever that lived on this planet, and unofficially Maggie is the oldest dog ever lived here.
Butch was generally described as a young-at-heart living dog who loved to play and could eat food just as much as any younger dog would.
Above mentioned dogs were some officially recorded longest living dogs. Still, according to some other resources, there were few other dogs too who spent a long period on this earth, including Max, who lived for about 29 years and 282 days, and Chilla, who lived for 32 years that make him the real oldest dog ever lived. However, his age couldn’t be verified; that is why he is not officially mentioned anywhere for his longest living life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1 Can a dog live for 20 years?
The life span of dogs varies from breed to breed. Generally, smaller dogs live up to the age of 15-16 years, medium and large-sized dogs live up to the age of 10 to 13 years, while some giant dogs live for only 7 to 8 years. However, there are some dogs who live for 20 years. In fact, some live for more than 20 years, but this happens rarely. For instance, the oldest dog ever was Bluey, who lived for 29.5 years.
Q2 What type of dog lives the longest?
Dogs are one of our best companions, but these companions do not stay with us for a very long time. Actually, the secret behind a dog’s life lies in the quality of care provided to him but also somewhat depends upon the breed. Top breeds that usually live for the longest are:
- Maltese
- Beagle
- Australian Cattle Dog (Bluey, the oldest dog ever, was also a cattle dog)
- Shish Tzu
- Lhasa Apso
- Cockapoo
- Jack Russel Terrier
- Toy Poodle
- Chihuahua
- Pomeranian
Q3 What is the oldest animal in the world?
While humans may live for many years, some animals are giving them tough competition by living for a longer time span. For instance, Giant Tortoises can live for more than 100 years, and Bowhead Whales can live for about 200 years. Below, there are eight world’s oldest animals are mentioned:
- Henry, the Tuatara, was 187 years old in 2013.
- Timothy, a female spur-thighed tortoise, lived for 160 years.
- Harriet, the Galapagos tortoise, lived for 176 years.
- Jonathan, a giant tortoise, was 186 years old in 2018.
- Tu’i Malila, a radiated tortoise, lived for 188 years.
- Hanako, a scarlet koi fish, lived for 226 years.
- Adwaita, the Aldabra giant tortoise, lived for 255 years.
- Ming, ocean Quahog Clam lived for 507 years.
Q4 What is the healthiest dog breed?
Everybody wants their dog to have a happy, healthy life, and that can be achieved by taking proper care of the dog and giving him a good diet, involving him in exercises that can make him healthy and active. Being healthy doesn’t absolutely make your dog the oldest dog ever, the one who will live for a longer number of years, but yes, it can help him to stay more happy and active. Some certain breeds are considered to be the healthiest dog breeds:
- Australian Cattle Dog
- Australian Shepherd
- Border Collie
- Chihuahua
- German Pinscher
- Mixed Breeds or Mutts
Check out this article to know more about different dog breeds.
Conclusion
“Such short little lives our pets have and they spend most of it for loving us,” this statement is absolutely correct. Dogs are that interface that connects us to an ideal world, but unfortunately, they don’t live for a very long time. Some live for 5-6 years, and some live for 15-16 years that are not enough for them and for us also to spend a happy life together. However, they try their best to keep us happy, and we should try our best to return this favor.
Know more about when to give your dog a trazodone dose with this article.
Although these can’t stay for a very long time with us, we may give the best life for the time they are with us. We have always known that diet and exercise are two essential things that can keep us healthy and active but keep in mind that these two things can also keep your dog happy and healthy and can also make him the oldest dog ever lived on this planet like Bluey and Maggie. It entirely depends upon us how we take care of our dog, how much we make him happy, and maybe they surprise you by living much longer than you are expecting.
