Patrick Geraghty believes his Border Collie, Skippy, could be Ireland’s oldest dog and one of the oldest in the world.
According to the 84-year-old Mayo farmer, the dog is 26-years-old or 130-145 in human years.
Records suggest that the average life expectancy for a Border Collie is between 12-15-years-old.
Skippy the dog
The Erris native bought Skippy when he was just a few-weeks-old in the mid-1990s from Joe Dean, Belmullet. He was a farm dog up until two years ago.
Geraghty – who farms on Elly Bay – credits two tins of Brandy dog food daily, an Irish stew (gravy on top), water and fresh sea as the secrets behind his border Collie’s long life.
The Mayo farmer does not have official records to confirm his dog’s age.
The “greatest reliable age” the Guinness World Records recorded for a dog was 29 months, five months.
Les Hall of Victoria owned the Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who worked among cattle and sheep in Australia for nearly two decades before being put down in November 1939.
According to the Guinness World Records, most dogs live for 8-15 years.
It says that “authentic” records of dogs living over 20 years are “rare and generally involve smaller breeds”.
According to records, some of the oldest dogs included 28-year-old Butch the Beagle, Taffy the Welsh Collie, who died aged 27 years and 211 days and Snookie the Pug from South Africa, who lived 27 years and 284 days.
This is my neighbor Pat and his dog Skippy.
Skippy was born in 1996! Yes 1996. pic.twitter.com/ga06AncoFS— Fergus Sweeney (@FergusMaSuibhne) February 14, 2022
Other dog-related articles
Earlier this month, we published an article outlining ten ways to exercise your dog when it is too cold for walks.
Money.co.uk, spoke exclusively to Ali Smith, an award-winning dog trainer, of Rebarkable, for guidance on encouraging dogs to burn energy and exercise and keep them happy on those bitterly cold days when a walk outside is not an option.
Ali Smith provided ten recommended activities to stimulate your dog’s mind and muscles. Read this article.
