Wondering what is the oldest Dachshund on record? We detail the longest living known and their backstories.
What is the oldest Dachshund?
Dachshunds have a longer life span than a lot of other dog breeds, as they normally live from 12-7 years.
The oldest dachshund on record is a dachshund named Rocky, who lived to be 25 years old!
Rocky was a short-haired (smooth) dachshund who lived from March 1987 to April 18, 2012.
His owner was Robert Rowland of Shingle Springs, California, and even though he was not listed on the Guinness Book of World Records, his story was covered by a local news site back in 2011.
In the 2011 interview, Robert Rowland stated he owned Rocky at two weeks of age and that Rocky was still in good shape and could still run around.
The only indicator of Rocky’s old age was his cataracts. However, he could still see items a couple of inches away.
Rowland mentioned that Rocky lived so long because he had an energetic life.
He would take Rocky to automobile shows, on fishing trips, and practically everywhere with Rowland.
Around a month after Rocky turned 25, Rowland and his vet made the decision to put Rocky down. Despite being rather healthy at his age, Rocky’s legs could no longer support him as his joints had worn out.
Even though Rocky was 25 years old, Rowland said the lab work at the vet office showed he had very little or no damage to his liver or other organs.
So Rocky at the age of 25 was probably the oldest dachshund that ever lived.
RELATED: How To Care For Old Dachshunds
Second Oldest Dachshund
A dachshund named Chanel lived from May 6, 1988, to August 28, 2009 and is thought to be the second oldest Dachshund. Thus, she was 21 years and 114 days old before she passed.
Her owner was The Shaughnessy family from Port Jefferson Station, New York.
Denice Shaughnessy adopted Chanel at six weeks of age, and since she was in the military the family traveled throughout the world and took Chanel with them.
They lived in Germany for six years, but the family eventually moved to Port Jefferson Station, New York where Chanel died from natural causes.
Just a couple of months before Chanel passed away during the summer of 2009, she had been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living dog.
Guinness presented Chanel with her certificate on her 21st birthday.
Even at age 21, Chanel had just a few health problems. She had cataracts and needed to wear goggles that were tinted. Chanel also didn’t take cold weather very well and wore a sweater.
Chanel couldn’t walk a long distance, so the Shaughnessy’s would put Chanel in a baby stroller while they walked together.
Chanel after being declared the oldest dog in the world became somewhat of a celebrity. She made TV appearances on the Today Show, the Kathy Lee show, and Live! With Regis and Kelly Ripa.
Third Oldest Dachshund
A dachshund named Otto lived from February 14, 1989, to January 14, 2010. Thus, he was 20 years and 334 days old. His owner was Lynn Jones from Shrewsbury, England and Otto was a dachshund-terrier cross.
The Guinness World Records declared Otto as the world’s oldest living dog, just a few months after Chanel died.
But then Otto passed away just a few months after he was declared the oldest dog.
Otto had stomach cancer and had to be put down after just a few months after his 21st birthday.
The owner stated that Otto lived a long life because they fed him wholesome food, made sure he had regular checkups by their vet and made sure they gave him plenty of love.
Otto was a bit deaf and did have arthritis but was still able to run around the yard with kids in the neighborhood.
Jones, mentioned that when Otto was young he could run nearly as fast as a greyhound.
The Guinness World Records gave Otto his oldest dog certificate in the middle of November 9, 2009, filming of the Paul O’Grady Show in the UK. The film was about elderly dogs in the world.
Those were the top three oldest dachshunds in the world that have since passed on.
Now, for the oldest living dachshund in the world, that currently belongs to a dachshund named Lady who was 17 years old in 2018 and believed to be still alive.
There are no current record updates.
Lady is a long-haired miniature dachshund. Her claim to fame is a national news story in 2018, when Lady was finally found and reunited with Rick and Michelle after being missing for five years.
The owners thought she was lost for good over the years, but Lady had a microchip, and animal control in Norwich, Connecticut was able to track down Rick and Michelle in Brooklyn, New York.
To say the least, Rick and Michelle were shocked when they received the phone call from animal control after being missing for five years.
In a statement, Rick said: “When I called and they said this dog is a redheaded, long-haired dachshund, my heart dropped. I ran upstairs, I said (to my wife), ‘We’ve got someplace to go. Lady’s alive’.”
Even after being missing for five years, 17-year-old Lady was relatively healthy and was slightly deaf and blind.
However, since that 2018 story, there are no updates about Lady and whether she is still alive.