Puppies of this breed were sold for an incredible 2 million dollars.
A few years ago, a one-year-old golden Tibetan Mastiff puppy, 80 centimeters tall and weighing as much as 90 kilograms, was sold for an incredible 2 million dollars. Apart from the fact that the puppy was very happy with the Chinese who bought it, it became the most expensive to sell a dog in the world, and it still holds that record today.
"Who is" the Tibetan Mastiff?
At the beginning, it would be good to mention that the term "mastiff", although adopted, may not suit this dog the best, because he is not really a mastiff. The term - mastiff - was used in Western Europe for almost all large breeds of dogs, so the Europeans, who came to Tibet for the first time, "brought" it with them. A name that would better suit this dog would be "Tibetan Mountain Dog" or "Himalayan Mountain Dog".
It originates from the nomadic cultures of Tibet, China, India, Mongolia and Nepal, and was used as a guardian of Tibetan monasteries and by local tribes to protect sheep from wolves, leopards, bears, large martens and tigers.
Some dog breeders distinguish between two "types" of Tibetan Mastiffs. Tibetans call one Drog-Khyi which means “nomadic dog” or “dog that can be tied up”, “dog that can be guarded”. The second species is Tsang-khyi (which in Tibetan means only "dog from Tsang") and refers to the "monastery" species, described as generally taller, heavier and much heavier in bones.
There are several legends about its origin. One of them says that they arrived in Central Asia following Attila the Huns. There is also one that says that the Tibetan Mastiff is a dog of God, because it represents the transformation of a Tibetan priest into a dog.
For Europe, this breed of dog with a lion's mane, whose average weight was 63 to 78 kilograms (the original breed in its natural range weighed 55 to 90 kilograms), and a height of 60 to 70 centimeters, was unknown until 1847, when a copy was sent to Queen Victoria as a gift.
The Tibetan Mastiff, although a very valuable gift, is considered a primitive breed because it usually retains the strength it would need to survive in Tibet and at the high altitude of the Himalayan Massif.
Like all races of guards, they are very brave, intelligent and incredibly loyal to their human family.
After a spectacular sale of two million dollars, the kennels "threw" themselves into breeding these dogs, however, it turned out that they are very expensive to maintain, so their fame quickly passed.
Nice dog