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Miscellaneous See other Miscellaneous Articles Title: Dog 'sold for $2 million' in China One of the Tibetan mastiffs (L) was sold in China for almost $2 million, a report said on March 19, in what could be the most expensive dog sale ever Beijing (AFP) - A Tibetan mastiff puppy has been sold in China for almost $2 million, a report said Wednesday, in what could be the most expensive dog sale ever. A property developer paid 12 million yuan ($1.9 million) for the one-year-old golden-haired mastiff at a "luxury pet" fair Tuesday in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Qianjiang Evening News reported. "They have lion's blood and are top-of-the-range mastiff studs," the dog's breeder Zhang Gengyun was quoted as telling the paper, adding that another red-haired canine had sold for 6 million yuan. Enormous and sometimes ferocious, with round manes lending them a passing resemblance to lions, Tibetan mastiffs have become a prized status symbol among China's wealthy, sending prices skyrocketing. The golden-haired animal was 80 centimetres (31 inches) tall, and weighed 90 kilograms (nearly 200 pounds), Zhang said, adding that he was sad to sell the animals. Neither was named in the report. "Pure Tibetan mastiffs are very rare, just like our nationally treasured pandas, so the prices are so high," he said. One red mastiff named "Big Splash" reportedly sold for 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) in 2011, in the most expensive dog sale then recorded. The buyer at the Zhejiang expo was said to be a 56-year-old property developer from Qingdao who hopes to breed dogs himself, according to the report. The newspaper quoted the owner of a mastiff breeding website as saying that last year one animal sold for 27 million yuan at a fair in Beijing. But an industry insider surnamed Xu told the paper that the high prices may be the result of insider agreements among breeders to boost their dogs' worth. "A lot of the sky-high priced deals are just breeders hyping each other up, and no money actually changes hands," Xu said. Owners say the mastiffs, descendants of dogs used for hunting by nomadic tribes in central Asia and Tibet, are fiercely loyal and protective. Related video: 2,257 Comments Poster Comment: [nancy] I don't know much about Tibetan mastiffs, but they are beautiful animals. Asians often claim their dogs have forebears that are not canines. The Chow-Chow supposedly has bear blood, but I have never seen that confirmed and I tend to doubt that legend. Buying rare or extremely popular breeds is always dicey since unscrupulous breeders tend to inbreed which brings out the worst traits in the animals. People who purchase purebreds often do not pay attention to the needs of the animal, just the appearance, which can cause further problems with temperament. I have owned two purebred Chows. I like them because they are very clean, require only weekly grooming, do not need a lot of exercise and are fiercely protective. They also have hair rather than fur which is better for allergy sufferers. I have been told they can be aggressive, but neither of mine were, just defensive of me, my family members and my home. People should research breeds before buying a puppy since the most important part of dog ownership is supplying what the animal needs, not how you look when walking the dog. Best bet may be to hit the local shelter and adopt a mutt that is the right size and temperament for your family. Purebreds, like this very expensive mastiff, require special care and can be very expensive to properly maintain.+48-3 Commenter China is the new center of capitalism. The place to be in 1800 was England, in 1900 America, in 2000 China. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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