Tibetan mastiff is the most expensive dog breed

March 21, 2023
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Tibetan mastiff is the most expensive dog breed

Tibetan mastiff

China has gone crazy with love for a single breed, making it a kind of symbol of the Middle Kingdom. Although, perhaps such a friend is worth it. Tibetan mastiffs are one of the 14 oldest dog breeds that are closest in genes to wolves. Asians are very fond of this breed for its powerful and unusual appearance. Mastiff has come a long way from a guard of Nepalese and Tibetan residents to probably the most status dog in USA and in the world.

The history of the breed

There is an opinion that the Tibetan dog became the ancestor of all modern Molossians. Nyanjin University published a study, according to the findings of scientists from this university, most modern dog breeds diverged from wolves 42, 000 years ago, and Tibetan mastiffs – 58, 000 years ago. True, it is worth noting that there are those who do not agree with this report.

But there is a lot of evidence about this breed, it was mentioned by Aristotle, around 350 BC. Then he described in detail both the appearance and the special barking of the mastiff. Marco Polo also spoke about this animal, who made his famous journey through China in the 15th century. The collections contain a considerable number of Chinese miniatures depicting Tibetan mastiffs.

A pair of individuals was presented as a gift to the English king George V in the XIX century. They say that the king was delighted with them and rarely parted with his favorites. Thanks to this fact, mastiffs became popular among the nobility. But the war led to the almost complete disappearance of the Tibetan Mastiff in Europe, for example, in England there are only 300 individuals.

In China, the breed developed and gradually became a sign of the highest status of its owner. In ancient times, it was also highly valued for its unsurpassed protective qualities. It is known for certain that the mastiff can repel the attack of a leopard or a wolf.

Tibetan mastiff

Temperament and character of the Mastiff

This is a dog that will become an equal partner in the family, she will respect the owner as the leader of the pack, but will not tolerate humiliation and rude attitude. At the same time, they are very attentive to family members, especially to the younger ones.

The loud, uterine barking of Mastifa will scare off the thief from the site. They like to sleep during the day, so at night they can show excessive activity. It is better to run the animal into the house at night, and let it go into the yard in the morning. They have a very strong sense of property, so the Tibetans are wary of even the frequent guests of the family.

They have a very sharp mind, but at the same time stubborn, most representatives of the breed help obedience courses, but units will remain independent and stubborn for life. To have a healthy psyche, the pet needs to communicate daily with the owner, the dogs of this breed have a strong internal connection with the owner. Socialization is also required for the proper development of the puppy.

Mastiffs are very sensitive to changes: moving, the emergence of a new family member, a change of relationship can affect the behavior of a pet. Therefore, they are not recommended for service in the army and law enforcement.

Tibetan mastiff

The most expensive dogs in the world

Despite the difficulties with the upbringing and content of such a large dog, the breed is popular all over the world, and in China the Tibetan mastiff has become almost a totem animal. To a large extent, the growth of popularity contributed to the fact that the puppies of this breed in the past few years have been sold for record large amounts.

All the first 3 places of the rating of the most expensive dogs are occupied by Tibetan mastiffs and all of them were sold in China.

This price race started in 2009, when the Chinese business woman acquired a puppy for $ 500, 000. The male was named Young Tzu No. 2. Then such a price produced a splash, the puppy was bought at the prestigious annual Chinese exhibition of Tibetan mastphs.

Every year in China, such an exhibition is held where the best representatives of the breed are shown, there you can buy a puppy or stand in line for one of the planned litter in the future.

The same exhibition in northern China showed the world the following cost record in 2011. The Tibetan mastiff named Hong Dong was sold for $ 1. 5 million. The 11-month puppy at the time of sale weighed 90 kg, was 80 cm at the withers and continued to grow. From the Chinese, the name of the animal is translated as a “big flash”. Bought it a coal tycoon.

In 2013, the emperor, who was estimated at 1. 6 million dollars, became the record holder.

And more recently, in 2014, the most expensive dog on earth went under the hammer: a Tibetan mastiff for $ 1, 950, 000. The puppy was being sold by a breeder who had previously exhibited dogs for astronomical sums. The dog was bought by a Chinese developer. Occasionally they write about the dog that he eats exclusively fresh meat, and he has his own servant. It is assumed that the owner will try to get offspring from him. It can be assumed that this is the most wealthy dog.

Tibetan mastiff is the most expensive dog breed the Tibetan

Tibetan mastiff is the most expensive dog breed

All dogs sold for such amounts were males with red coat color, it is this color that is considered elite. Breeders even go to closely related crosses to achieve color intensity. Also very much appreciated is the special expression of the muzzle with slightly prominent superciliary arches, as if hanging over the eyes. In China, there are cases when they even tried to make plastic surgery on the faces of puppies. Unfortunately, despite the fact that such an operation costs from 50 to 100 thousand dollars, in 70% of cases they end in death.

In addition to the exterior and the parents of the dog, a lot of additional factors that are incomprehensible to a Western person play an important role, for example, the puppy’s zodiac sign and the year of birth according to the Eastern calendar.

“Gold has a price, but the Tibetan Mastiff is priceless. ”

Tibetan mastiff

Maintenance and care

For obvious reasons, none of the buyers was ever mentioned in the press by name. Journalists were told only the occupation and pseudonym. But it is clear that these people have the opportunity to keep a dog in a country house, since they are absolutely not apartments. This breed needs space and some degree of freedom, so an expensive house with a large yard is most suitable for them.

The dog can be fed fresh veal or lamb, as well as vegetables and oils carefully balanced in the diet. But most dog owners outside China feed Tibetan mastiffs with premium quality dry dog food. The dog should always have plenty of fresh water. It is advisable to have a canopy in the yard so that the dog can hide from the sun in the shade, as they are sensitive to heat.

Special care is required for wool, which must be combed very carefully with different types of brushes. Washing is required every 6 weeks. You also need to wipe the wrinkles on the face daily with wet wipes.

A bored mastiff can gnaw and break things, dig a hole in the yard, howl and bark loudly. If offended by the owner, he can run away.

This breed lives for about 14 years and matures relatively late. They are in full bloom at the age of 6-7 years.

Photo of the breed

A small selection of photographs of majestic Tibetan mastiff dogs.

Samuel Carter author About Author