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| The Most Expensive Dog :Red Tibetan Mastiff |
Moreover, the hefty price tag does not include Big Splash’s food, which comprises of enough chicken and beef to fill a growing 180lb dog, along with Chinese delicacies such as sea cucumber and abalone.
Owning one of the large working dogs has become a way for the wealthiest residents of China to demonstrate their financial success, much like fancy cars and couture clothing are symbols of wealth in the U.S. Tibetans believe the dogs have the souls of monks and nuns who were not good enough to be reincarnated as humans or into Shambhala, the heavenly realm.
These days there are only around 300 Tibetan mastiffs in the UK, and puppies sell for a more reasonable 850 pounds to 1,000 pounds.
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The Tibetan Mastiff became part of the American Kennel Club's Working group in 2006, but even after receiving official AKC recognition, the breed remains relatively rare in the U.S. It ranked 124th out of 167 on the AKC's list of most popular breeds, determined by registration statistics, in 2010.
According to the breeder, Lu Liang, the astronomical cost for Hong Dong was not unreasonable. "We have spent a lot of money raising this dog, and we have the salaries of plenty of staff to pay."
He added that the new owner could charge almost 10,000 pounds a time for Big Splash to breed with a female.
His owner will need a big house too, as adult Tibetan mastiffs have been known to weigh as much as 286lb – the same as a sizeable rugby player.
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