The world's oldest dog ever: Bobi takes Guinness World Record at 30 years old

A dog in Portugal named Bobi has been now declared the world's oldest living dog and the oldest dog ever, Guinness World Records confirmed on Thursday.

According to Guinness, Bobi was born on May 11, 1992 – making the purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo 30 years and 266 days old as of the Thursday announcement.

Bobi has lived his whole life in the village of Conqueiros, in Leiria, Portugal, with the Costa family, Guinness said.

Leonel Costa describes Bobi as "one of a kind" – adding that the family is "very happy and grateful to life for allowing us, after 30 years, to have Bobi in our daily lives."

In addition to Guinness' verification, Bobi's age has also been confirmed by Sistema de Informação de Animais de Companhia, a database for pets authorized by the Portuguese government and managed by Sindicato Nacional dos Médicos Veterinários, the country's national union of veterinarians.

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World's oldest dog title has changed hands several times in past year

If you think you've read about other canines who have taken the crown for the world's oldest living confirmed dog in recent months, you're not wrong. Sometimes dog owners don't realize their pet is the oldest until others make the news – leading to new verifications and confirmed record holders.

Just two weeks before announcing Bobi as the world's oldest living dog, Guinness gave a 23-year-old chihuahua mix from Ohio, Spike, the title.

A slightly younger purebred chihuahua from Florida, TobyKeith, also held the title more than once in the past year.

January: The world's oldest living dog, a chihuahua named Spike, takes Guinness World Record 

How has Bobi lived so long? A 'calm, peaceful environment,' owner says

Costa, 38, was 8 years old when Bobi was born – so the two grew up together, Guinness said.

"Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother, or my grandparents who have already left this world. Bobi represents those generations," Leonel Costa told Guinness.

He credits much of Bobi's longevity to living in a "calm, peaceful environment."

He also told Guinness that the 30-year-old pup is "very sociable" because he grew up surrounded by many other animals, and has always preferred eating "human food" – which Costa soaks in water, to remove most of the seasonings.

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Bobi breaks record for oldest dog ever

In addition to being the world's oldest living dog, Bobi is now also confirmed to be the oldest dog ever.

Guinness said the previous oldest confirmed dog was an Australian cattle dog, Bluely, who died in 1939 at 29 years and 5 months old.

Bobi taking the titles of the world's oldest living dog and the oldest dog ever was a surprise for Costa.

"I never thought of registering Bobi to break the record because fortunately, our animals have always lasted for many years," he told Guinness – noting that Bobi's mother, Gira, lived to age 18 and another one of their dogs, Chicote, lived to be 22.

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Regular veterinarian appointments and exams for Bobbi show that he is "doing well for his advanced age," Costa told Guinness. However, due to his age, walking is difficult for Bobbi and his eyesight has worsened – so the pup rests more than he used to.

According to Guinness, the average lifespan for a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo is 12 to 14 years. The breed is known for protecting livestock, the American Kennel Club notes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World's oldest dog ever is 30-year-old Bobi in Portugal, Guinness says