The oldest dog that ever lived whose claim was verified was Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog who lived to be 29 years old. Bluey’s record has stood since 1939, only being briefly broken by Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo. Bobi was first certified by Guinness World Records to be 31 years old in February 2023. However, his record was suspended in January 2024 due to questions about a lack of evidence. So Bluey (at least temporarily) regains her 85-year record as the world’s oldest dog.
How old was the oldest dog to ever live?
The oldest dog ever, Bluey, was born on June 7, 1910, and lived until November 14, 1939, when she was put to sleep at age 29 years and 5 months. While other dog owners have come forward with claims their dogs broke this record since then, they’ve lacked the evidence to prove it.
Surprisingly, the record has seen some recent controversy. Bluey had been dethroned by Bobi; a Rafeiro do Alentejo who Guinness verified as the world’s oldest dog on February 2, 2023. Unfortunately, Bobi passed away later that year on October 21, 2023, at the purported age of 31 years old. However, after his death, several veterinarians voiced concerns over the lack of evidence that Bobi was the same dog that his owner claimed him to be and that a younger Rafeiro do Alentejo may have assumed his identity. In light of these comments, Guinness has opted to suspend Bobi’s record until an investigation is completed.
What breed was the oldest canine ever?
The breed of the oldest dog ever was an Australian Cattle Dog. At least one study of this breed showed it lives one year longer on average than other breeds in its weight class. However, Bluey was a massive outlier, living more than twice the average age for her breed.
How long do dogs live on average?
As a rule, the heavier and larger a dog is, the shorter its lifespan. So, average life expectancy varies wildly depending on the breed. Additionally, mutts tend to live around a year longer than purebreds, but it’s hard to estimate their lifespan due to their mixed lineage.
A British study found the following life expectancies for each breed:
- Afghan Hound: 12
- Airedale Terrier: 11.2
- American Cocker Spaniel: 12.5
- American Staffordshire Terrier: 12.3
- Basset Hound: 12.8
- Beagle: 13.3
- Bearded Collie: 12.3
- Bedlington Terrier: 14.3
- Bernese Mountain Dog: 7
- Border Collie: 13
- Border Terrier: 13.8
- Boston Terrier: 15
- Boxer: 10.4
- Bull Terrier: 12.9
- Bulldog: 6.7
- Bullmastiff: 8.6
- Cairn Terrier: 13.2
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: 10.7
- Chihuahua: 15
- Chow Chow: 13.5
- Dachshund: 12.2
- Dalmatian: 13
- Doberman Pinscher: 9.8
- English Cocker Spaniel: 11.8
- English Setter: 11.2
- English Springer Spaniel: 13
- English Toy Spaniel: 10.1
- Flat-Coated Retriever: 9.5
- German Shepherd: 10.3
- German Shorthaired Pointer: 12.3
- Golden Retrievers: 12
- Gordon Setter: 11.3
- Great Dane: 8.4
- Greyhound: 13.2
- Irish Red and White Setter: 12.9
- Irish Setter: 11.8
- Irish Wolfhound: 6.2
- Jack Russell Terrier: 13.6
- Labrador Retriever: 12.6
- Lurcher: 12.6
- Miniature Dachshund: 14.4
- Miniature Pinscher: 14.9
- Miniature Poodle: 14.8
- Newfoundland: 10
- Norfolk Terrier: 10
- Old English Sheepdog: 11.8
- Pekingese: 13.3
- Pomeranian: 14.5
- Pug: 11.5
- Rajapalayam hound: 11.2
- Random-bred/Mongrel: 13.2
- Rhodesian Ridgeback: 9.1
- Rottweiler: 9.8
- Rough Collie: 12.2
- Samoyed: 11
- Scottish Deerhound: 9.5
- Scottish Terrier: 12
- Shetland Sheepdog: 13.3
- Shiba Inu: 14
- Shih Tzu: 13.4
- Siberian Husky: 13.5
- Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier: 13.2
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 14
- Standard Poodle: 12
- Tibetan Terrier: 14.3
- Toy Poodle: 14.4
- Vizsla: 12.5
- Weimaraner: 10
- Welsh Corgi: 11.3
- Welsh Springer Spaniel: 11.5
- West Highland White Terrier: 12.8
- Wire Fox Terrier: 13
- Yorkshire Terrier: 12.8
However, it should be noted that the sample size for some of these breeds was small, so the data should be taken with a grain of salt.
