World's oldest dog celebrates 26th birthday

Dog years: Max and his owner Janelle Derouen yesterday as the mixed breed terrier celebrated his 26th birthday

In dog years the terrier-cross is 182, the equivalent of being born in 1827. He lives in Louisiana in the United States of America.

"I never spoiled Max," said his owner Janelle Derouen. "I've never fed him anything but Kiddles and Bits [brand of dog food] and a few treats like those beefy doggy bones. We don't give him any food from our table," added Janelle, 49, who lives with her husband Billy, also 49, in New Iberia.

Old dog: 26-year-old Max, who is a contender for the title of world's oldest dog, is awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records

Max, who is greying, has a veterinary birth certificate to prove his age and is awaiting official confirmation from Guinness World Records.

Janelle and Billy bought Max from a local sugar cane farmer in 1983. "He was the only one in the litter that was brown and I liked the colour so I took him home," said Janelle.

Max has been visiting the same vet since birth at the Robichaux Veterinary Clinic in New Iberia. An 80s puppy Max's birth was formally logged in 1983.

Puppy love: Mrs Derouen attributes her pet's age to his laid-back attitude: 'He likes to lie down, relax, nap, sleep a lot and keep life simple,' she says

Until recently it was believed that Chanel, a geriatric Daschund-cross from New York was the oldest dog alive but Chanel, who turned 21 in May, is a full five years junior to Max.

Chanel is riddled with health problems, struggling desperately to see, walk and hear. But Max is still in fine health and only suffers from mild arthritis and some cataracts. His secret, says Janelle, is not worrying about anything at all.

"He's a very, very laid back dog," said Janelle. "He likes to lie down, relax, nap, sleep a lot and keep life simple. He'll play with the kids for a bit but if they bother him too long he'll wander off. He doesn't have any fancy toys, just a bit of rope and a regular squeaky ball."

Janelle and Billy held a special birthday party for Max on Sunday. "We spoiled him just a little bit that once," said Janelle.

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