Florida Chihuahua Named World's Oldest Living Dog by Guinness World Records

A 21-year-old chihuahua from Greenacres, Florida, now holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest living dog.

"TobyKeith" was born on Jan. 9, 2001, and had his record verified at the age of 21 years, 66 days on March 16, 2022.

The pup's owner, Gisela Shore, has been with him for the vast majority of his life after adopting him from an animal shelter when he was just a few months old, according to Guinness World Records.

"I was a volunteer at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue and one of the employees told me about an elderly couple trying to surrender a puppy because they could not take care of him any longer," Shore told Guinness.

Over the last two decades, Shore has fostered over 150 dogs and puppies from Peggy Adams Animal Rescue. 

"I met with the elderly couple and I was introduced to a tiny tan Chihuahua," she said. "They had named him Peanut Butter. I later changed his name to TobyKeith."

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Shore said that when TobyKeith turned 20, she started to consider that could be the oldest living dog in the world. Once his record was confirmed, Shore's family and friends were thrilled.

Shore said that TobyKeith even got a bath, nail trim and car ride as a special treat to celebrate the news. 

TobyKeith shares Shore's affection with her two other dogs: Luna, a 7-year-old American Bulldog, and Lala, a 3-year-old Chinese Crested. Shore also tells Guinness that she has two parrots: Coco, a 28-year-old Umbrella Cockatoo, and Coqui, a 32-year-old African Grey.

She says TobyKeith loves to play with Luna and Lala, but shares a special bond with Coco and often walks around with her in tow. 

Gisela Shore (via Guinness World Records)

An average day for TobyKeith is to wake up at 6:30 a.m. for his first trip outside before getting his first snack of the day. Shore says his favorite treat is a slice of turkey. 

The rest of his day consists of more short walks and lying next to Shore's workstation when she's working from home. 

Shore says TobyKeith has a heart condition, but it doesn’t give him too much trouble. At 21 years old, he has already far exceeded the average life expectancy of a Chihuahua, which is 12 to 18 years. 

So what's the secret to TobyKeith's longevity? Shore believes his good health is maintained by regular exercise and a healthy diet of vegetables, rice and chicken (and no sugary treats). In addition to his health, she also thinks the key to TobyKeith's old age is good genetics and a loving home.

The oldest dog ever recorded was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, owned by Les Hall of Rochester, Victoria, Australia. 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 the age of 29 years, 5 months.