Bobi the 30-year-old farm dog is officially world’s oldest dog ever

• Image Credit: Google

• Feb 3, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The news comes two weeks after Spike, a 23-year-old Chihuahua mix from Ohio, was named the world's oldest dog...

Digital Desk: A 30-year-old Portuguese dog named Bobi has been named the world's oldest dog by Guinness World Records, officially outliving the dog that held the title for nearly eight decades.

The news comes two weeks after Spike, a 23-year-old Chihuahua mix from Ohio, was named the world's oldest dog.

Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo born on May 11, 1992, is 30 years and 268 days old as of February 3, 2023, which is impressive even for a breed with a life expectancy of 12–14 years.

His secret to longevity? A loving family and free-roaming farm life in the community of Conqueiros, Leiria, Portugal.

The mastiff's human, Leonel Costa, stated that the tricenarian canine was one of four puppies born in an outbuilding and was destined to be put down by his hunter father since the family had too many animals on the farm.

"Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home […] to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive," the now 38-year-old explained to Guinness World Records.

Costa and his brothers were shocked to discover the tiny pups had gone while their mother, Gira, who lived to be 18 years old, was not present. However, they noticed something odd.

She was still going to the shed where she had given birth. They decided to follow her one day and discovered that Bobi had been abandoned by his parents after successfully blending in with the wood.

The only surviving dog of the litter remained a secret between Costa and his siblings for a while.

"I confess that they [the other family members] shouted a lot and punished us when they found out that we already knew, but it was worth it and for a good reason," he stated.

But he eventually became just as welcome as any other family member, including eating of "human food."

"Between a can of animal food and a piece of meat, Bobi doesn't hesitate and selects our food," said Costa, who attributes Bobi's long life to his curiosity about what his people eat and, of course, the fact that he has never been chained.

Due to age-related concerns such as difficulty seeing and walking, the ever-sociable dog has recently chosen to hang out with his cat friends. However, throughout all these years, there has only been "one huge concern" in terms of health - when he had to be hospitalised in 2018 after collapsing from breathing difficulties.

Bobi, at 30 years old, is still the world's oldest dog, breaking the record previously held by Australia's Bluey, who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months.