South FL Chihuahua Is World’s Oldest Dog: Guinness World Records

GREENACRES, FL — A Palm Beach County pooch has set a new record as the world’s oldest living dog.

Chihuahua TobyKeith, who was born Jan. 9, 2001, was verified as being 21 years and 66 days old on March 16 of this year, according to Guinness World Records.

He’s lived in Greenacres, Florida, with his owner, Gisela Shore, for almost all of his life. She adopted him from Peggy Adams Animal Rescue in West Palm Beach when he was just a few months old.

While volunteering with the animal rescue, she learned about TobyKeith, then a puppy, who was being surrendered by an older couple because they could no longer care for him.

"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,” Shore told Guinness World Records.

After two decades together, she started to consider that TobyKeith could be the oldest dog living when he turned 20.

Once his record was confirmed, Shore, her family and her friends were thrilled.

"It definitely brought a big smile on my face,” she said.

To celebrate, TobyKeith got a bath, had his nails trimmed and went for a car ride as a special treat.

He shares Shore’s home with two other dogs — Luna, a 7-year-old American bulldog, and Lala, a 3-year-old Chinese Crested — and two parrots: Coco, a 28-year-old Umbrella Cockatoo, and Coqui, a 32-year-old African Grey.

While he enjoys playing with the other pups, he has a special bond with Coco, according to Guinness. The two often walk around the house together.

Most days, TobyKeith is up by 6:30 a.m. for his first trip outside before his first snack of the day. His favorite treat is a slice of turkey, his owner said.

Since Shore works from home, he takes short walks throughout the day and hangs out near her workstation.

At his age, he has far exceeded the life expectancy of an average Chihuahua, which ranges from 12 to 18 years old.

Though he has a heart condition, Shore said in a video that he’s healthy considering his age.

She believes TobyKeith’s continued health is helped by regular exercise and a healthy diet, consisting of vegetables, rice and chicken and no sugary treats.

The oldest dog ever recorded was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, owned by Les Hall of Rochester in Victoria, Australia, according to Guinness.

Bluey was obtained as a puppy in 1910 and worked among cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years before being put to sleep on Nov. 14, 1939, at age 29 years, 5 months.