Meet Bobi, the World’s Oldest Living Dog Who Is 30 Years Old

Meet Bobi, a Portuguese Farm Pup and the Oldest Living Dog Ever at 30 Years and 267 Days Old

Photo: Guinness World Records

The average lifespan of a dog is about 10 to 13 years, although it varies among breeds and sizes. However, one pooch has surpassed that life expectancy, sticking around with his loving family for much longer than that. Bobi, a farm dog from Portugal, has been certified by Guinness World Records as not only the oldest dog living but the oldest dog ever. He is 30 years and 266 days old as of February 1, 2023.

Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of livestock guardian dog that usually lives between 12 to 14 years. He resides on his family’s farm in the village of Conqueiros, Portugal, where he was born on May 11, 1992. His family credits his longevity to eating the same food as his humans (although free from seasoning), drinking a lot of water, having the freedom to roam around his nature-surrounded home, and the calm and peaceful environment Bobi lives in, far away from cities.

The dog's owner, called Leonel, was 8 years old when Bobi was born and has described him as “one of a kind.” Since they've basically grown up together, the proud dog parent has fond memories of walking to school and playing with Bobi. The dog did give him a health scare in 2018 and was hospitalized, but he is generally in good health.

Due to Bobi's advanced age, he's not much of an adventurer and rests more than he used to. These days, he enjoys hanging out in the backyard with his four cat friends and usually lies in bed after meals. Sadly, his eyesight is failing him, as Leonel has noticed Bobi colliding with obstacles when he walks around. “We have regular [vet] appointments with him and the exams have always shown that he is doing well for his advanced age,” Leonel explained.

The title of the oldest living dog had just been given to Spike, a Chihuahua mix from Ohio, last December who then was 23 years and 7 days old, while the former holder for the record of the oldest dog ever was Bluey, an Australian cattle-dog born in 1910 that lived to be 29 years 5 months old. Bobi's age was confirmed by the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria, as well as SIAC, a pet database authorized by the local government and managed by Portugal's National Union of Veterinarians.

“Bobi has been a warrior for all these years, only he knows how he's been holding on, it must not be easy because the average dog’s life span is not that high and if he spoke only he could explain this success. We are very happy and grateful to life for allowing us, after 30 years, to have Bobi in our daily lives,” said Leonel.