Chihuahua sets new world record for being oldest living dog at the age of 23
A CHIHUAHUA has set a new record for being the world’s oldest living dog at the age of 23 — or 161 in human years.
Spike’s remarkable longevity is put down to a daily routine of waking at 7am, eating sausage and cheese for dinner and having Doritos as a treat.
The rescue pooch lives on a farm with owner Rita Kimball.
Every morning Spike will take a walk round the farm to visit the horses and cows and sometimes ride on the tractor.
And on Saturday nights he enjoys a hot bath.
Rita said: “In his early years, he loved Doritos.
“He liked them crunched up and would eat the cheese Doritos every time we had them.
“Spike has ridden on tractors, been a passenger inside the combine, and tags along when we cut wood.
“He visits with the animals in the barn — cows, horses, and barn cats.
“When he was younger, he tried intimidating the cows and horses by barking and trying to chase them.
“Now they just stare at him and don’t even move.”
Spike was already ten when Rita took him in after finding him chained up for days in a supermarket car park.
He is hard of hearing and struggles to see, but still follows Rita around her farm in Camden, Ohio.
She said: “Most of our family knew Spike was old but didn’t know he had a shot at being the oldest in the world. Now he is a record holder, they see him as a celebrity.”
Guinness World Records confirmed Spike is the world’s oldest living dog at 23 years and seven days.
The oldest dog in history was Australian cattle-dog Bluey who lived to be 29 years and five months old.
Converting dog years to human years depends on factors such as breed and size.
But as a rough guide, a dog’s calendar age is multiplied by seven to find its equivalent in human years.