A 30-year-old canine in Portugal is officially the world's oldest dog

Bobi, aged 30 years and 268 days, was crowned as the world's oldest living dog by the Guinness World Records last week. Bobi also holds the enviable record of being officially the oldest dog to have lived on the planet.

It was only two weeks ago that Spike, a 23-year-old chihuahua mix from Ohio, was named the oldest living dog. Spike's story was quite emotional as he was founded abandoned as a 10-year-old dog in the parking lot of a grocery store. His current owner, Rita Kimball, decided to take him home, and he shot to fame after receiving Guinness recognition.

A peaceful existence that would not have been

Unlike Spike, Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo, a purebred livestock guardian dog, has lived all his life in the peaceful village of Conqueiros in western Portugal. With the average lifespan of a Rafeiro being 12-14 years, Bobi has already doubled the life expectancy of his breed. However, he has also gone on to beat the official record of the oldest dog ever lived on the planet, held for over eight decades.

Between 1910 and 1939, the Australian cattle dog Bluey lived for 29 years and five months. Bobi's age has also been confirmed by the veterinarian facility of his municipality and verified by the official pet database of the Portuguese government.

Bobi's owner Leonel Costa was just eight when the now record-holding canine was born. But Costa's father decided they had too many animals at home and buried the newborn puppies in a hole. Bobi survived since he was left behind, camouflaged in the woodshed, perhaps in haste. Costa and his brothers kept this a secret from their parents till Bobi opened his eyes, after which the dog became part of the family.

Growing up, Bobi has only eaten the food his owners have eaten sans the seasonings. He drinks more than a quarter gallon (one liter) of water daily, requiring him to urinate multiple times. Apart from that, he enjoys his country life, napping after meals and spending most of his time with his four cat friends.

Bobi comes from a family of dogs that live extended lives. His mother, Gira, lived till 18, and another dog, Chicote, lived till 22. Over the years, though, his eyesight has weakened and sometimes collides with obstacles in his path. on colder days, Bobi likes to sit by the fireplace.