By: Today Staff
From: October 2009

This old dog may not be learning any new tricks, but he now holds the title as the world’s longest-lived pooch. Otto, a dachshund-terrier mix, is 20 years and 8 months old — that’s about 145 in dog years, his owners estimate — and he is being recognized for his great age by Guiness World Records

Lynn Jones, 53, of Shrewsbury, England, has owned Otto since he was six weeks old. She and her husband, Peter, contacted Guinness after the previous record-holder, Chanel — also a dachshund mix — recently died at age 21.

So what’s Otto’s secret for longevity? Love, good food and regular trips to the vet, the couple say. Still, the pet now suffers from arthritis and is no longer as active as he was in his younger days. “He doesn’t really like walkies any more,” Lynn told the UK Daily Mail. “He gets about 10 yards down the road and then looks back over his shoulder as if to say, ‘I want to go home.’ “

But what Otto lacks in physical ability, he still retains in spirit.

“He’s still playful,” she said. “He can still jump all over people when they come around.”