22 year old Gino Wolf loves salmon, nap by the fire and roam his California neighborhood in a spacious luxury wagon. The adorable Chihuahua mix was named “Oldest Dog Alive” by Guinness World Records on November 15, 2022, inheriting the title from Pebbles the Toy Fox Terrier, who passed away in October.
Gino’s father, Alex Wolf, attributes the dog’s longevity to a healthy diet of human food, routine veterinary care, and Gino’s own inner strength.
“I credit him,” Wolf told TODAY.com.
Toy Fox Terrier overthrew Chihuahua as world’s oldest dog
A small dog with “big dog energy”
On September 24, 2000, Bill Clinton was president, a dozen eggs cost 89 cents, and emergency is the number one show on television. Also, on this day, a small dog named Gino was born.
Two years later, he was waiting for his permanent home at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Colorado when Alex and two of his college roommates walked in.
Alex, a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, hopes to adopt a large dog. However, his roommates put their hearts on the 16-pound Gino (then known as Pee Wee). Turns out, their instincts were right. The Gino turns out to have all the benefits of a large dog in a cute, compact package.
“He always preferred being in a big dog park instead of a small dog park. The big dogs would follow him everywhere as if he were their brave leader, and that makes Gino proud,” said Wolf. “He’s always had ‘BDE’ – big dog energy.”
Gino enjoys living the college lifestyle with Alex and his friends. He’ll stay up late to party—sitting comfortably beneath the coffee table to make sure he’s in the middle of all the action—and then sleep happily the next day. He even enjoys snow, allowing him to blend right in with the family of skiers.
Gino becomes a California dog
When summer vacation arrives, Alex decides to take Gino returned to Southern California to live with his parents, calling it “the more responsible thing to do at the time.” Luckily, the dog happily adapted to the California lifestyle, sunbathing in the afternoons and bonding with the other family dogs.
“As a child, he used to enjoy exploring my parents’ large backyard with our other dogs in Manhattan Beach, going for a leash free walk in Venice, driving along the beach with banging music. Throw your head out the window or run around the golf course at La Quinta,” said Wolf.
Wolf moved back to California after graduation, and Gino moved with him to his new apartment. The little dog was by his side when he became a real estate agent, bought his first home, and met his girlfriend Rebecca Grenell.
“I have taken great care of him over the years and he is still in relatively good condition…and still really cute, which is surprising for his age!” Guinness World Records quoted Alex as saying.
Wishing Gino and Alex many more happy and healthy years together!
Featured images via Instagram
