The Longest-living Dog Inspired a Wildly Popular Kids Show

cartoon of a family of four dogs — "Bluey" was the most-watched show in the U.S. in 2024. Itsissen / Shutterstock

Man's best buddy lives for 10 to 13 years, on average. But the longest-living dog more than doubled that time on Earth.

A pooch who lives to see his or her 20th birthday is considered extremely long-lived. Researchers call these age-defying canines "Methuselah dogs," after the oldest religious figure in the Bible, who lived for 969 years.

Meet some of the longest-living dogs in recent history. They span various dog breeds. Some have been working dogs, while others have led lives of leisure. But they all defied old age, living their best lives along the way.

Contents

Bluey (29 years, 5 months)
Adjutant (27 years, 98 days)
Taffy (27 years, 211 days)
Buksi (27 years)
Pusuke (26 years, 8 months)
Bramble (25 years, 89 days)
Spike (25 years and counting)
Cicci (23 years, 364 days)
TobyKeith (23 years, 112 days)
Pebbles (22 years, 187 days)

Bluey (29 years, 5 months)

Australian Cattle Dog

That's right: The beloved children's cartoon "Bluey" gets its name from a real dog!

Australia's Bluey, born in 1910, didn't have the advantage of 21st-century veterinary medical service. Yet she packed in nearly three decades of life, working as a cattle and sheep dog in Rochester, a town in Victoria, for much of that time.

Bluey earned a Guinness World Record for longest-living dog and, in 2019, was honored with a mural in Rochester. The average life expectancy of Australian cattle dogs is 12 to 16 years, so Bluey was quite the outlier.

Adjutant (27 years, 98 days)

Labrador Retriever

Adjutant lived in the United Kingdom, where he worked as a gameskeeper's dog, helping to protect game from potential poachers. He was born before World War II, in 1936, and lived until the Swinging '60s.

Taffy (27 years, 211 days)

Welsh Collie

Taffy, a cross between a Border Collie and a Welsh Sheepdog, was born in 1975 and lived until 2003. She lived in the United Kingdom, eventually nabbing the record for world's oldest living dog.

Buksi (27 years)

Mongrel

The longest-living dog in Hungary, Buksi lived a carefree life on a horse-riding farm, cavorting with people, horses and other dogs in a peaceful environment.

He got plenty of exercise, enjoyed a diet of raw, unprocessed food and was even the subject of a research study on long-lived dogs at ELTE University.

Pusuke (26 years, 8 months)

Shiba Inu Mix

Pusuke, born in 1985, lived north of Tokyo with his guardian Yumiko Shinohara. As he entered his golden years, ultimately winning a Guinness World Record, he earned a fan following in Japan.

Then, at the advanced age of 23, he was struck by a car, sustaining serious injuries. His veterinarians didn't expect him to pull through, but Pusuke bounced back and lived for another few years.

Bramble (25 years, 89 days)

Border Collie

Born in 1975, Bramble lived nearly double the life expectancy of Border Collies. She loved swimming and lived her whole life on a plant-based diet of whole grains, vegetables, legumes and fruit. In fact, a vegan dog food brand is named after her.

Spike (25 years and counting)

Chihuahua Mix

Rita Kimball in Ohio found Spike in a grocery store parking lot with rope burns and blood stains around his neck. Spike, who appeared to have survived animal attacks, jumped right into Rita's car.

A vet exam — including a gander at his eyes and teeth — revealed that he was at least 10 years old. Rita spoiled the former stray with home-cooked meals like chicken liver and roast beef.

Cicci (23 years, 364 days)

Pomeranian Poodle Mix

Adorable, funny-faced Cicci was spoiled by his guardian, Robert Cirello, and pampered by his neighbors in Narnali and Prato, Italy. A death-defying pooch, Cicci survived an accidental ingestion of rat poison, a stroke and being hit by a car.

He nearly made it to age 24, dying just one day short of his birthday.

TobyKeith (23 years, 112 days)

Chihuahua

As a puppy, TobyKeith was adopted by Gisela Shore when she was working at the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue in West Palm Beach, Florida. He lived with Gisela, two other dogs and two birds.

TobyKeith developed a special bond with Coco, Gisela's Umbrella Cockatoo. In 2022, Guinness World Records certified that TobyKeith was then the oldest living dog.

Pebbles (22 years, 187 days)

Toy Fox Terrier

A tiny-but-mighty toy fox terrier, Pebbles weighed in at just 4 pounds (1.8 kg) and gave birth to 32 puppies during her life with her longtime partner Rocky. She hailed from Long Island and moved with her family to Taylors, South Carolina, where she became a country music fan.