World’s Oldest Dog, Maggie, Dies At 30

The world’s oldest dog, Maggie, an Australian Kelpie, died at 30. Maggie’s age cannot be verified because her owner, Victoria dairy farmer Brian McLaren, does not have the paperwork. He says that he bought her as a puppy when his son, Liam was four. He is now 34.

The conventional calculation of dog years to human years, 7:1, is not quite accurate. Through the first five years of a dog’s life, they are 36 in human years. After that, depending on size, the age varies. According to Pets MD, Maggie was 166 in human years.

The average lifespan for a canine her breed and weight is about 11 to 12 years. The dogs who live the longest are usually smaller, such as chihuahuas. Pets MD also said that dogs over 90 pounds usually live only eight years and medium (20-49) to large (50-89 lbs) live about 11 years.

The record for oldest dog previously belonged to an Australian Cattle Dog called Bluey who died in 1939 aged 29. Guinness World Records reports he was bought as a puppy in 1910 in Victoria, Australia.

Before Maggie died peacefully in her basket, she was deaf and losing her sight. “She was 30. She was still going along nicely last week. She was walking from the dairy to the office and growling at the cats and all that sort of thing,” McLaren told the Weekly Times. “She just went downhill in two days. I’m sad, but I’m pleased she went the way she went.”