The oldest dog in the world is a chihuahua and lives in Florida

The organization of Guinness records identified the oldest living dog in the world. This is TobyKeith, a Chihuahua who lives in South Florida who broke the record on March 16 when he turned 21 and 66 days old. Today, more than a month later, TobyKeith is still alive and well.

The little chihuahua was adopted by Gisela Shores when he was just a puppy and since then they live together in Greenacres, a small town about an hour north of Miami. Shores was working as a volunteer at a pet shelter when she learned more than two decades ago that an elderly couple who had a chihuahua puppy could no longer take care of him. That's when he went to meet the little dog and it was love at first sight.

TobyKeith was born on January 9, 2001, his first family had named him Peanut Butter, but when Shore adopted him he changed his name to that of the famous country music singer.

According to the official Guinness publication, at the moment there is no other longest-living dog in the world, although in history the record case was recorded in Australia.

“The oldest known case was an Australian cattle shepherd dog named Bluey, owned by Les Hall, of Rochester, Victoria, Australia. Bluey came to his owner's house as a puppy in 1910 and worked with cows and sheep for nearly 20 years, before he was slaughtered on November 14, 1939 at 29 years and 5 months,” the Guinness press release said.

TobyKeith, on the other hand, is of a breed that on average lives between 12 and 18 years old. Although he has a small heart problem, according to Shore, his health is very good. The dog goes for a walk in the morning, eats turkey (his favorite food), and sleeps many hours a day.

When the dog turned 21, Shore suspected that it was a unique case, so he sent his dog's data to the Guinness Records organization, who investigated the case and crowned it the longest living dog in the world.

“TobyKeith is my little bodyguard. He follows me everywhere, throws himself next to me when we watch TV. I love it,” said Shore, who also said that the mascot accompanies her while they work.

In human years, TobyKeith would be around 120 years old, according to the calculation made by the American Kennel Club agency. Shore believes that the key to longevity has to do with a genetic issue combined with a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet.

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