World’s oldest living dog dies at 26

Pusuke, recognized last year by the Guinness World Records as the oldest living dog in the world, has died. The male Shiba Inu mix was 26 years and 9 months old, according to the Japan Times Online. According to the story, he was eating keeping up with his daily walks right up until the end.

Pusuke was born in Japan on April 1, 1985 and according to the Guinness record was owned by Shigeo Nagai (Japan) in Sakura-shi, Japan.

Twenty-six-years is old for a dog, but Pusuke wasn’t the oldest dog in the Guinness record book. That honor goes to an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey, owned by Les Hall of Rochester, Victoria, Australia, who was 29 years a 5 months old when he died. According to Guiness, “Bluey was obtained as a puppy in 1910 and worked among cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years before being put to sleep on 14 November 1939.”

And while we’re on the subject of records, the “world’s oldest known breed of domesticated dog is the saluki, believed to have emerged in 329 BC. Saluki dogs were revered in ancient Egypt, being kept as royal pets and being mummified after death.”