Bobi’s Dog one of the most famous dogs has gone viral in the last few weeks after the announcement of Spike as the world’s oldest dog.
Guinness World Records has been presented with evidence of a dog that is older. A much older dog. Actually, Bobi (b. May 11, 1992) isn’t just the oldest dog in existence; he‘s the longest-living dog.
Bobi is 30 years old and 266 days old as of February 1, 2023.
His entire life was spent with the Costa family, who reside in the small village of Conqueiros, which is located in Leiria, Portugal.
According to the owner, Leonel, Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, which is a type of guardian dog that is livestock-based and has a life expectancy between 12 and 14 years.
The Portuguese pet has surpassed its record of almost 100 years The previous oldest dog, Bluey (1910–1939), was an Australian cattle dog who was born at 29 years and five months old.
In 1992, Bobi was enrolled with the Servico Medico-Veterinario do Municipio de Leiria (Veterinary Medical Service in the Municipality of Leiria). They have confirmed the date of birth for Bobi.
Bobi’s age was checked through SIAC, which is a database for pets approved by the Portuguese government and maintained through the SNMV (Sindicato Nacional Dos Medicos Veterinarios, or National Union of Veterinarians).
From being a mutt at birth to now being the longest known dog in the world, Bobi’s story is an amazing one.
He was the first of the four pups in the outbuilding, where the Costa family kept wood.
Because of the many animals that they owned before Leonel’s father decided they wouldn’t be able to keep the new puppies,
“Unfortunately, at that time it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home […] to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive,” Leonel described.
On the day that they were born, Leonel’s parents walked into the room, and swiftly adopted them while the mother of their children, Gira, was absent.
But, as they rushed, they weren’t aware that they’d left one person behind.
Leonel remembers how he and his brothers were extremely sad in the next few days. However, they were able to observe that Gira kept coming to the shed where her pups were born.
“We were puzzled by the circumstance since if the animals weren’t more there, what reason would she even leave?”
They decided to join Gira during one of her excursions, which led them to the discovery of Bobi. Bobi was fortunate to avoid a similar fate to his family members because he was hidden amongst all the timber.
Leonel and his siblings chose to keep Bobi’s life hidden from the world.
“We knew that when the dog opened its eyes, my parents would no longer bury it,” Leonel stated. “It was popular knowledge that this act could not or should not be done.”
It typically takes between one and two weeks for puppies born to allow their eyes to open for the very first time, but they will only open their eyes after the central nervous system is mature and their eyes have been fully developed.
The moment Leonel’s parents finally discovered Bobi the dog, it was too late. Their puppy had opened his eyes already. Bobi had become part of the family.
“I confess that when they found out that we already knew, they screamed a lot and punished us, but it was worth it and for a good reason!”
Bobi (1999)
“If Bobi spoke, only he could explain this,” Leonel stated when he was discussing the reasons for Bobi’s long-lasting existence.
Leonel says one of the main factors is the “calm, peaceful environment” Bobi lives in “far from the cities.”
Bobi is not tied down or placed on a leash. She has always been free to roam through the fields and forests around the Costa house.
Leonel writes about Bobi in terms of being “very sociable,” as he was raised with a variety of pets.
Bobi isn’t as active as he reaches his senior years, and walking can be difficult, so Bobi spends most of his time playing at the park with his four cats.
Bobi’s eyesight is deteriorating too; Leonel often notices him getting into obstacles as they walk.
Because of his age, Bobi rests more than is normal, and prefers lying in bed following meals. On colder days, he would prefer to sit by the fireplace.
In terms of his food habits, Bobi has always eaten “human food.’
“What we ate, they ate too,” Leonel told me. Leonel believes this is a major factor in Bobi’s endurance.
“Between a can of animal food or a piece of meat, Bobi doesn’t hesitate and chooses our food.”
Leonel immerses his food in water prior to feeding his animals in order to get rid of any flavorings.
