I think realistically and practically, if you wanted to achieve the longest possible lifespan of a dog, you'd be advised to just start off with one or more of the breeds that already live a comparatively long time (e.g chihuahuas, little poodles, rat terriers, shih tzus) and start a breeding and lifestyle program designed to reduce/eliminate the most common causes of premature death and reductions of quality of life, to maximize the average lifespan.
I'd say that breaking that longevity cap that seems to be present for even the healthiest individuals of any given species is going to require genetic engineering (or some other medical intervention that slows or reverses senescence). At some point no matter how healthy and long-lived your family line is compared to the average population, you just run out of telomeres in some crucial cells of some crucial system.
I'd say that breaking that longevity cap that seems to be present for even the healthiest individuals of any given species is going to require genetic engineering (or some other medical intervention that slows or reverses senescence). At some point no matter how healthy and long-lived your family line is compared to the average population, you just run out of telomeres in some crucial cells of some crucial system.
