The longest living dog breeds - name, description

Which dogs live the longest? Maybe these are huge Great Danes and Caucasian Shepherds? Or are tiny Chihuahuas more resilient? Read about this in the article.

The ways of a dog are inscrutable, and no one knows how much life is measured for each dog. But there are long-lived dogs - breeds with better health than other dogs.

Surprisingly, the longest-living dog breeds are Chihuahuas and other small dogs that live in handbags. Such a dog, if she is lucky, will live to be 17 years old. But powerful Caucasian Shepherds and other large dogs on average live much shorter than small ones, only 7-12 years. They have more stress on their joints and internal organs due to their dimensions being too large for a dog.

Causes and factors affecting the life expectancy of a dog

People become attached to their pets and look after them with great love and care so that the four-legged animals can spend a longer time with them. The life expectancy of an animal can be greatly influenced if you responsibly follow all the instructions of veterinarians:

1. Nutrition. A balanced diet is a strong foundation for the health of every dog. When compiling it, the age of the animal, its weight, and activity are taken into account.
2. Regular visits to the veterinarian. Some owners of four-legged animals neglect to examine the animal and vaccinate it. But in vain, because every day, when going for a walk, the dog runs the risk of contracting an infection, which can greatly affect its health and affect its life expectancy.
3. Stress. Pets who are in dysfunctional families or are often left alone experience extreme stress, and adrenaline is released into the blood, which negatively affects the functioning of the entire body.
4. Active lifestyle. The more a dog walks in the fresh air and moves intensively, the better its cardiovascular, nervous, digestive and other body systems work. This is important for maintaining a stable pet’s health at any age.

Saluki

The Saluki is perhaps the oldest breed, with records dating back to around 7000 BC. The name is associated with the Arab city of Saluk, the breed originated in Arab nomadic tribes, and was used mainly for hunting due to its exceptional speed and endurance. More often it belonged to the “ruling” class of society; in Islam it was considered a gift from Allah. At the beginning of the 15th century, it began to spread throughout the world; in the 1920s, the breed was recognized and became popular. Now the breed is popular only among hunters; it is very rarely found as a pet due to its highly developed hunting instincts.

Top 10 long-lived dog breeds

Despite the average age of 13 years, representatives of the longest-living dog breeds delight their owners for much longer. They are distinguished by good genetics and stable health; they are often small domestic dogs.

Yorkshire Terrier

Their popularity today is off the charts. A tiny decorative dog originally from England is one of the luckiest: they live up to 20 years.

Interesting! The oldest Yorkie reached 25 and died in 2016, which by human standards is equivalent to 117 years.

Chihuahua

Another breed that holds the record for longevity, again a small dog. Chihuahuas delight their owners with an interesting neighborhood filled with bright colors for 15–20 years. They are very curious, intelligent, and subtly sense a person’s mood.

Pomeranian Spitz

This cute fluffy cloud pleases its owners not only with its excellent appearance, but also with an average life expectancy of 12–16 years. They are distinguished by their friendly attitude and obedient character, for which they are so loved all over the world. They are very loyal to their owners.

Dachshund

Representatives of this popular hunting breed are also long-lived dogs. Dachshunds have been recorded to live up to 15–17 years. They are valued for their curiosity, cheerful disposition and well-developed intelligence, while the dog is not at all picky about its maintenance. These animals also get along well with children.

toy poodle

Decorative dogs, impressive in their appearance, are distinguished by high intelligence, for which toy poodles became favorites of the aristocracy. With proper care they have an impressively beautiful appearance. They are friendly towards strangers, very timid, even unexpected sharp sounds frighten them. They live 12–15 years.

Lhasa apso (Lhasa apso)

An unusual dog with sad eyes and long hair will become a reliable friend, guard and companion for a person for 12–15 years.

Interesting! The original purpose of their display is to help Tibetan monks recognize strangers approaching the temple during services. The assistants signaled this by loud barking.

Maltese

The Maltese lapdog is among the longest living, with the same long life: up to 15 years. They were known in ancient times, and their homeland was the island of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea.

Beagle

This animal is called the best companion for children because of their docile, obedient nature. These dogs are very playful and active, perfect for families with children. Life companions, accomplices in any master's undertaking. Beagles live up to 15 years, are active all this time, and charge those around them with optimism and cheerfulness even in adulthood.

Pug

The breed originated in China, but now pugs live all over the planet and are one of the most popular breeds. Although they rarely go beyond the age of 15, the oldest dog, King Tug, has already lived to be 19 and feels quite happy, full of strength and energy. Even though they are lazy in life, the pet will not refuse to play with its owner, which is why they are so valued.

Saint Bernard

This giant is quite peaceful. He is calm and always seems a little sad. The Saint Bernard is suitable for large families as it loves children. This breed loves long walks. But under no circumstances should you give her cardio exercises - this will negatively affect the dog’s health. Saint Bernards cannot tolerate summer heat, so they need a cool place in the house.

Saint Bernards, unfortunately, live 8-9 years. Due to the fact that during the first year of life they reach large sizes, the aging process starts too quickly. They need a lot of space, then they will be healthier and stronger. Another reason for short life expectancy is diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Alabai, under 15 years old

a dog of the Alabai ordinary. There are many reasons for this: quite large sizes, non-standard appearance, all this is noticeable even in the photo.

For a long time, alabai was used as an assistant for people. They have an innate instinct as guards, but they require due attention from the owner and proper care. In addition, they have a rather complex character, they are characterized by pride and self-confidence.

The pet can make decisions independently, and execution of the owner’s commands is possible only when there is a clear need for them.

Shih Tzu, up to 20 years old

The Shih Tzu is a tough little dog with a short muzzle and large dark brown eyes. They have a soft and long double coat. Sometimes Shih Tzus have long hair, like a Pekingese. Some of them have shorter curly hair. A Shih Tzu should weigh between 4.5 and 7.3 kg.

Dogs' ears are covered with long fur, and their tail with long hair is literally carried on their back. The coat can be any color, although white Shih Tzus and those with a gray sheen are common. A very noticeable feature of such dogs is the bite, which is required in the breed standard.

The oldest animal in the world today

Scientists consider the longest living animal on earth today to be a turtle named Jonathan. It is known that he is already more than one hundred and seventy-eight years old. The record holder lives in the South Atlantic on the island of St. Helena. The first photo of Jonathan was taken back in 1900. Since then, photo sessions have been held every fifty years. Thanks to this, you can see how the animal has changed.

The world's oldest turtle named Jonathan

The longest-living creature on Earth, according to research scientists, is a mollusk, which was discovered in the waters of the Arctic in 1982. At that time, the mollusk was at least two hundred and twenty years old. This record is noted in the Guinness Book of Records.

There are legends about a turtle that is 529 years old.

The long-lived mollusk, whose age at the time of its discovery was approximately four hundred years, was found in 2006 off the Icelandic coast. He was given the nickname "Min". For four whole centuries Ming lived in complete darkness at a depth of eighty meters. Its age was determined by the lines on its shell. Unfortunately, this record-breaking mollusk died of old age during the research, however, research on its shell continues.

How do you know if you are healthy?

And yet, even the healthiest breed can get sick. In this case, the animal’s recovery will no longer depend on genetics, but on the competent actions of its owner and a timely visit to the veterinarian. In order for everything to be okay with your dog, you need to track the disease at an early stage. How can you tell if your pet is healthy or sick? To do this, you need to look for these 10 signs:

1. Wet cold nose. This is the first indicator of your pet's health. Sometimes it’s unpleasant when a dog pokes his wet nose into your palm, but this should make you happy, because it means that everything is fine with him. But if the nose is dry and hot, this at least signals that the animal is dehydrated.
2. Eyes . They must be clean, free of smudges, and clear. Ideally, the dog's owner can see his reflection in the dog's eyes. If they are cloudy or milky white , it’s time to sound the alarm.
3. Ears . Clean ears, free of black lumps of wax and unpleasant odor, are the key to your pet’s health. An unpleasant odor may indicate not only improper care, but also nutritional problems.
4. Oral mucosa. In a healthy dog ​​it is pale pink, but in a sick dog it can be yellow, white or even blue.
5. The smell and condition of the coat . Almost every dog ​​smells like a dog and that's normal. But if the smell intensifies, turning into a stench , this indicates problems. A healthy dog's coat should be shiny and not fall out or become excessively tangled.
6. Temperature . The norm is from 38 to 39.2 degrees.
7. Breathing . The norm is up to 20 exhalations per minute. This indicator may increase in the heat or after vigorous physical activity. But in general, if a dog is breathing heavily and unevenly, he is most likely in pain and needs help.
8. Mood . If the animal is lethargic, reluctant to walk, is capricious and refuses to follow commands, it is most likely a health issue. Sick dogs may show aggression that is unusual for them, so if a usually affectionate dog begins to snap, this is a reason to immediately visit a veterinarian.
9. Appetite . In a healthy dog, it is always excellent; refusal to eat is a sign of serious problems.
10. Urination and bowel movements . In healthy dogs, these processes occur painlessly and regularly.

You can tell if a dog is healthy by first glance at the pet. If he is active, affectionate, with shiny fur and sparkling eyes, everything is fine, and the owner can praise himself for the excellent care of the animal!

Record holders

• The longest-living terrier is Max, who lives in Louisiana. His age is about 30 years, the dog was born on August 9, 1983. Lives to this day;
• The most expensive dog is $1.5 million. One multimillionaire paid this amount for a Tibetan mastiff puppy;
• The heaviest dog weighs 156 kilograms and is 96 centimeters tall. Breed: English Mastiff;
• The smallest dog in the world is the Chihuahua; with a height of 6.53 cm, it weighs only 170 grams;
• The fastest dog is a greyhound named Star Title, which reaches a speed of 68 km/h.

This is far from the most complete list of records, but we did not write frankly stupid ones, such as the longest distance a dog crawled between the legs of people standing in a row. By the way, there were 457 of them.

Where did the record book come from?

Everyone knows about this book, but few know its history and origins.

Initially, it was just a reference book, designed for those who like to argue over a glass of beer in pubs. A brilliant idea came to the owner of the Guinness Brewery, Sir Hugh Beaver; by the nature of his profession, he knew how disputes end in drunken companies.

Guinness Book of Records

It simply contained interesting facts, answers to quizzes, and simply encyclopedic notes.

But the book began to publish the funny capabilities of people and animals, thereby gaining enormous popularity. So in 1956, the directory was already replicated to 5 million copies, turning from a simple reference book into the achievements of mankind in half a century.

How to choose?

So how do you choose a healthy dog? Many pet health problems can be identified at the stage of choosing a puppy. A wise choice will save a lot of nerves, effort and money. So, if your goal is not to constantly visit the veterinarian, then you will have to work a little and not spontaneously and thoughtlessly take the first animal you come across. Instead you need:

1. Do not take a puppy from your hands, from an unverified breeder or from a poultry market . In this case, the chances of finding out what breed your pet really is, and how the health of its parents were, are zero. The first step to a healthy pet is to buy it from a nursery or a good breeder. If the seller is nervous, refuses to show documents, offers to carry out the transaction quickly and is not interested in what conditions the dog will live in, there is no need to buy a puppy.

Where to buy a dog: top 5 options that are safe for your wallet and mood

2. Find out about the health of the puppy’s parents, what illnesses they had, what type of mating it was, and whether they are close relatives. Puppies from the first mating are rarely healthy, the same applies to an already elderly and exhausted bitch. Taking a pet from a mating between relatives is definitely a bad idea; it may develop a genetic disease.
3. Meet the puppy's mother. It is clear that immediately after giving birth she will not look good, but an overly exhausted and nervous dog should be wary.
4. Look at the puppy itself. A healthy puppy looks plump, its fur shines and smells of milk. He is trusting and active, and can often crawl up and start sniffing his future owner. You can gently stroke the baby. If he's not scared, everything's fine.
5. Check the eyes, ears, nose - there should be no purulent or mucous discharge. You should not be disdainful and look under the tail - if there are areas stuck together from feces, a very unpleasant smell - then something is wrong. A healthy puppy's belly is pink, without rashes or scratching.

Pugs

Toy dogs that are described as “even-tempered and charming.” This is true, but the positive qualities do not outweigh the difficulties of caring for representatives of the breed.

Problems: Pugs are prone to obesity and allergies, and often suffer from problems with the musculoskeletal system. You can’t walk with a pug in hot or cold weather. In winter, due to the dog’s physique, the dog freezes quickly, and in a draft it can get bronchitis. In the summer heat, it is also better not to go outside with your dog - the pug can get heatstroke.

Dogs of this breed often injure their eyes and suffer from quite “human” glaucoma or cataracts. Paralyzed Pugs lose control of urination and bowel movements. Compared to these problems, year-round molting no longer seems so scary.

What to do? Assess your strengths; if in doubt, don’t start one. Establish a walking routine with your dog - go outside at the same time, when the heat subsides, and do not linger in the cold in winter. Visit your veterinarian and ophthalmologist regularly. Constantly comb the dog, wash it with special shampoos and attend express shedding. Do not introduce home-cooked food.

Spitz, under 16 years old

A Spitz is a breed of dog that has common characteristics: two layers of coat - the first is short and thick, which protects them from the weather, the second layer is formed by long, straight hair and is separated from the body.

The short-haired head resembles that of a fox with small pointed ears and a tail that is raised, curved and supported on the back. They are very similar physically to Nordic dogs.

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale has classified the Spitz breed into Group 5, into two separate sections; 4th section European Spitz and 5th section Asian Spitz. There are also some breeds that are called Spitz and which the FCI places in the 2nd section of Nordic hunting dogs.

Hit parade of old-timers

The fastest dog in the world when running: TOP 10

The longest-living dog, whose record is also known throughout the world, is the Australian shepherd Maggie, who was born in 1986. The dog was purchased for the owner’s son, who was 4 years old. She died when the boy was 34 years old.

The shepherd dog was constantly active, helping its owner, chasing local cats and gnawing on candy. However, recently her teeth began to fall out. The dog's owner claimed that he had lost the animal's documents. According to unofficial data, the animal died in 2022. She lived a happy and active life on her owner's farm in America. The longest living dog in the world was 29 years 7 months.

Old-timer dog

Another centenarian of the mixed breed lived in Japan. Pusuke is the name of the animal; it belonged to the Akita Inu dog family. This beautiful dog was born in 1985. She lived permanently in the same family. At the age of 23, Puske was hit by a car. But the dog’s life did not end there. After the accident, she lived for another 3 years. The animal died in 2011 at the age of 26 years and 8 months. She is also listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Note! Dogs live on average about 12 years, but there are cases where the animal lives up to 25 years. The terrier Max, a purebred dog who lived for almost 30 years, was also an old-timer.

The animal was born in 1983. The dog lived all his life in the USA, in the state of Louisiana. Max was always a strong dog, but in his old age he developed problems with his eyesight, cataracts began to develop, and subsequently arthritis developed. The animal lived 29 years 9 months. Janelle, the owner of the pet, never fed the dog from the table, she trained him every day and walked with him. Max was fed only specialized dog food. The dog died in 2013

The terrier Max, a purebred dog who lived for almost 30 years, was also an old-timer. The animal was born in 1983. The dog lived all his life in the USA, in the state of Louisiana. Max was always a strong dog, but in his old age he developed problems with his eyesight, cataracts began to develop, and subsequently arthritis developed. The animal lived 29 years 9 months. Janelle, the owner of the pet, never fed the dog from the table, she trained him every day and walked with him. Max was fed only specialized dog food. The dog died in 2013.

One of the oldest dogs in the world turned 27 years old in 2009. The animal lived in the city of Somerset. According to the owner, the secret to the dog’s long life lies in a vegetarian diet. In addition, the dog constantly visited the pool and took long walks with the owner. In 2007, the dog suffered a spinal injury.

Old mongrel dog

Record reached

Once upon a time there lived an Australian Shepherd. She was born in 1910. Helped herd sheep flocks. I have never been sick with anything. The ten-year mark has now been passed. The brothers and sisters have already died, but the kelpie still lives and lives. Energetic, active, with a good appetite.

A year before his death, the dog stopped seeing. But he remained active until the last moment. November 14, 1939 was the last day for the dog. The dog lived in the world for 29 years and 5 months. The dog's name was Bluey. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this four-legged dog is the oldest dog in the world.

Metis or mongrels

The mixed breeds have an average life expectancy of 14 years. While purebred dogs live on average 10 years. The difference may be that dogs bred to the same standards sometimes carry health problems at the genetic level. It is quite difficult to predict how long a mestizo will live. But if you choose a cross of breeds, then your pet will be the only one of its kind!

Have you already decided on your breed? Or still looking? Read about the top most popular dogs!

Dachshund, up to 17 years old

The dachshund's
distinctive physiognomy is due to a genetic mutation known as bassetism, which gives the specimen short limbs in relation to body size.

Based on its size and weight, it can be classified as standard (9–11 kg), miniature (4.5–6 kg) and Kaninchen. The latter is not only lighter in weight and smaller in size, but also has different physical features.

In addition, the Dachshund differs depending on the type of hair, it can be coarse hair (usually gray), short hair and long hair, the last two can be black with fiery red, chocolate brown.