An elderly chihuahua named TobyKeith has set a new Guinness World Record for the world’s oldest living dog.
At the age of 21 years and 66 days as of 16 March 2022, chihuahua TobyKeith from Greenacres, Florida, is officially the oldest dog alive.
TobyKeith’s owner Gisela Shore adopted him when he was just a few months old from an animal shelter.
She told the Guinness World Records: “I was a volunteer at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue and one of the employees told me about an elderly couple trying to surrender a puppy because they could not take care of him any longer.
“I met with the elderly couple and I was introduced to a tiny tan chihuahua. They had named him Peanut Butter. I later changed his name to TobyKeith.”
The average lifespan of a chihuahua, which is the smallest dog breed, is between 12 to 20 years and generally live much longer than other dog breeds.
TobyKeith lives with two other dogs, a seven-year-old American Bulldog named Luna and a three-year-old Chinese Crested named Lala.
He also shares his home with Shore’s two parrots, who are both older than TobyKeith. The birds are a 28-year-old umbrella cockatoo named Coco and a 32-year-old African Grey parrot named Coqui.
To celebrate his world record, Shore said TobyKeith “got a bath, his nails trimmed and went for a car ride as a special treat”.
“It definitely brought a big smile on my face!” she said.
On an average day, TobyKeith’s schedule begins at 6.30am for his first walk outside and his first snack of the day. He eats a healthy diet of vegetables, rice, chicken, and the odd slice of his favourite snack, turkey.
Shore takes him on several short walks throughout the day and he usually rests next to her work station when she is working from home.
The elderly pooch has a heart condition but it “doesn’t give him too much trouble”.
Shore believes that TobyKeith’s healthy genetics, a healthy diet and loving home are the key to his grand old age.
“The thought that my little guy has reached such a milestone is fantastic! I am thrilled,” she added.
However, TobyKeith has some way to go if he is to beat the oldest dog ever recorded.
The record goes to Australian cattle-dog Bluey, who lived until he was 29 years and five months old. He died on 14 November 1939 after being put to sleep.
