World’s Oldest Dog, Pusuke, Dies at Age 26 [PHOTO]

Pusuke, the world's oldest living dog, according to the Guinness Book of Records, died on Monday at age 26 in his home in Japan.

Pusuke died on Dec. 5 in Sakura, Japan at 26-years-and-nine-months-old, which would make him over 182-years-old in human years, according to ABC.

His owner, 42-year-old Yumiko Shinohara, told ABC News that Pusuke had been acting normally, eating regularly and going for evening walks. All of a sudden, on Monday morning, he lost his appetite and could not breathe.

Shinohara said Pusuke died peacefully five minutes upon her return from afternoon errands.

"I think (Pusuke) waited for me to come home,'' she told ABC Sydney.

Pusuke was certified as the world's oldest living dog by Guinness last December using vaccination records from his date of birth in 1985. He took the place of a 28-year-old Beagle named Butch who died in 2003.

Like us on Facebook

According to PetVR, Pusuke almost lost his shot at Guinness fame when he was struck by a car in 2008 and ruptured his internal organs. However, the 28-pound dog underwent surgery and continued life as a record-breaking elder canine and guard dog to Yumiko Shinohara.

Related Article: 5 Tips for Pet Longevity

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:

To contact the editor, e-mail: