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Move over Toby Keith: A chihuahua mix ‘su-paw-star’ from Ohio has now claimed the Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest living dog.
Spike, who turned 23 years old and 26 days Thursday, hails from Camden, a small town with a population of just over 2,000 people in the Dayton area.
Guinness World Records North America said Spike, the new record holding pup, stands at 9 inches tall and weighs just under 13 pounds
Oh, and don’t worry: The previous elderly title holder Toby Keith, a pure-bred chihuahua, is still enjoying life in Florida, his owner told USA TODAY Thursday.
The world’s oldest dog title can change hands while title holders are still living when canny humans catch wind of the Guinness World Records, get their pets verified and stake a claim to the title.
Pebbles, a 22-year-old South Carolina-based toy fox terrier previously held the title before he passed away on Oct. 3, after a long life full of “country music and being loved,” his owner said.
A parking lot, an old dog and a new mom
Spike’s mom, Rita Kimball, said she found Spike in the parking lot of a grocery store in 2010 when he was 10 years old, the global organization that keeps track of record achievements announced said in a press release Thursday.
“He had been shaved up his back, had blood stains around his neck from a chain or rope, and looked pretty rough,” Kimball said. “The clerk in the grocery told us he had been there for three days, and they were feeding him scraps…. When we left the store and entered the parking lot, he followed.”
Not knowing who Spike belonged to, Guinness reported, Kimball took the tiny pooch home to join the rest of the herd on her small farm.
Although he was “small and friendly” he had a big attitude, Kimball said, so she named him Spike.
In fact, the only time Spike ever bears his infamous chihuahua personality is when he’s pet by a stranger, according to Kimball.
“He is friendly but since he’s almost blind and hard of hearing, he gets testy at times and just wants to be left alone,” she said.
Long walks, crunchy Doritos and a weekend bath
On summer weekends, Spike loves long walks with his mom in their rural hometown.
“He visits with the animals in the barn: cows, horses, and barn cats,” his owner said.
In his earlieryears, Spike loved Doritos.
These days, his owner said, he relishes in a braunschweiger with cheese for dinner, a Saturday evening bath and his occasional favorite chip – crunched up of course.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
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