BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)

Subject: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 04:36 PM

NEW YORK – A wire-haired dachshund that held the record as the world's oldest dog and celebrated its last birthday with a party at a dog hotel and spa has died at age 21 — or 147 in dog years.

The dog, named Chanel, died Friday of natural causes at her owners' home in suburban Port Jefferson Station, on Long Island.

Chanel, as stylish as her legendary namesake, wore tinted goggles for her cataracts in her later years and favored sweaters because she was sensitive to the cold, owners Denice and Karl Shaughnessy said Monday.

The playful dachshund was only 6 weeks old when Denice Shaughnessy, then serving with the U.S. Army, adopted her from a shelter in Newport News, Va.

Along with her owner, Chanel spent nine years on assignment in Germany, where she became adept at stealing sticks of butter from kitchen countertops and hiding them in sofa cushions in the living room, Shaughnessy said. She also liked chocolate, usually considered toxic to dogs, Shaughnessy said.

"She once ate an entire bag of Reese's peanut butter cups, and, you see, she lived to be 21, so go figure," Shaughnessy added.

Karl Shaughnessy nominated Chanel for the title of world's oldest dog after noticing the Guinness World Records book had no record.

Guinness World Records officials presented Chanel with a certificate as the world's oldest dog at a Manhattan birthday bash hosted by a private pet food company in May.

Chanel loved the party, especially the cake, which had a peanut butter flavor and had been made for dogs, Denice Shaughnessy said.

Chanel exercised daily and ate home-cooked chicken with her dog food, but good care wasn't entirely responsible for her long life, said her owners, who attributed God.

"Dogs are God's angels sent here to look out for us," Denice Shaughnessy said.

A dog from New Iberia, La., named Max, is vying for the record of world's oldest dog. Owner Janelle Derouen said Max marked his 26th birthday on Aug. 9. She said Guinness World Records officials were reviewing documents to authenticate his age; a Guinness World Records official in London didn't immediately answer an e-mail from The Associated Press requesting confirmation of that.

When asked the secret to her dog's long life, Derouen said she was shocked he's still with her.

"I have five kids, and all my kids are grown and gone," she said. "Now my grandkids are playing with this dog."

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 05:14 PM

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: gnu
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 05:56 PM

I saw this early this morn and thought not to post it. Kinda glad, in a way, you did, George.

Awww indeed.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: frogprince
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 06:01 PM

He's looong gone.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: olddude
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 06:03 PM

My old Weiner dog Doolie will outlive him. I just know it ..

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: EBarnacle
Date: 01 Sep 09 - 10:49 PM

My friends had a beagle which lasted into its mid-20's. She was active up to the end. Her only signs of aging was going gray. One day she went out for her usual run in the woods and didn't come back. Who knows, she may still be running the Maine woods.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 01:42 AM

We had a very old Dachshund who went out into the woods one day and didn't come back too. I believe he meant it to be that way, because he had not gone into the woods of his own volition for many years. The very fact he did so on that occasion indicates to me that he felt the time had come to leave this life and he went off to find a private place to make his exit, as it were. I looked around all over for him that night and the next morning but never found a trace.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 04:36 AM

A friend's cousin, who lives in Dublin, had a little dog called Buttons who made it to 25. She was a bit slow in movement but amazingly alert and bright-spirited; also much loved, which no doubt is an aid to longevity.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: kendall
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 06:29 AM

I always doubted the part of Homer's Odyssey that said his dog recognized him after 20 years of his being away. Hmmm..

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: EBarnacle
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 06:42 PM

Kendall, yer jest a cynical doubting Thomas.

IMNSHO that woman figured she could get a little notoriety because no one else had claimed the laurels.

As mentioned on this thread, while it is uncommon, it is not rare for a healthy dog to live a long lifetime. I will bet you that none of the dogs mentioned was a large dog or some overbred, inbred puppy mill animal. Every one of the dogs and cats I have known have been lean and active up to the end, with the long lived ones simply living longer for some reason.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: terrier
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 07:18 PM

Small dogs regularly live to their early 20's but a working collie not a mile from where I live is 21 years old and is still agile enough to jump in and out of a tractor.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: Genie
Date: 02 Sep 09 - 07:56 PM

I wonder who came up with the proclamation of this dog "the world's oldest," and on what basis?   Did they even do so much as quasi-random sampling of dogs around the world?
They can probably come closer to accuracy with us 2-legged critters because most of us (in the industrialized world, anyway) have birth certificates (even Barack Obama, believe it or not).   

As for that "dog years" canard, it's a bit silly. Therelationship between dog chronological age and human chronological age is not linear.   If it were, you'd have canines reproducing themselves at the human equivalent of 3 1/2 and bitches continuing to have litters at "60 to 70 in human years," and then living to the human equivalent of almost 160 years old.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 06:40 AM

It was just probably that the owner was the first person who applied to the Guiness Book of World Records for the "oldest dog", that's all, Genie.

Now that it's been established as a category, other people will soon come forth with even older dogs. The ball has been put into play.

Subject: RE: BS: Obit - World's oldest dog (Dachshund)
From: Genie
Date: 03 Sep 09 - 04:14 PM

Well, at least we can pretty safely assume that Chanel, unlike other Guinness World Record holders, didn't do it on purpose just to get into the book. ; )