Tibetan Mastiff Craze Sweeps China (PHOTOS)

The Tibetan mastiff is not only an ancient dog with a rich history, dating back to nomad times in Central Asia, it's a modern-day craze in China.

The special breed of dog is becoming more and more popular across China, but besides popularity, it's associated with affluence. A Tibetan mastiff costs upwards of $600,000, per MSNBC.

The Tibetan mastiff has literally become a status symbol, NPR reports. Not jewelry, not cars, but Chinese millionaires have their eyes on the dog.

In fact, it is viewed as a holy animal, and legend has it that Tibetan mastiffs provide their owners with a blessing to their health and security.

The breed is commonly identified as independent and intelligent, and protective of its owners and their property.

Along with the widespread praise, Tibetan mastiff dog shows are frequently held in China. Take a look at some pictures from recent shows and vote on your favorite.

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In this photo taken March 21, 2010, Tibetan mastiff puppies for sale sit on a car covered by a red blanket during annual China Tibetan Mastiff Expo on the outskirts of Beijing, China. In recent years, interest in Tibetan Mastiffs has surged in China with more rich Chinese looking for various ways to to exhibit their wealthy and investment options in addition stocks and real estate. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe)

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In this photo taken March 21, 2010, Tibetan mastiff puppies for sale sit on a car covered by a red blanket during annual China Tibetan Mastiff Expo on the outskirts of Beijing, China. In recent years, interest in Tibetan Mastiffs has surged in China with more rich Chinese looking for various ways to to exhibit their wealthy and investment options in addition stocks and real estate. (AP Photo/ Gemunu Amarasinghe)

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GeoTor said on 6 Friday 2010 pm31 9:18 pm: $600,000 for a puppy ?!? That's almost as stupid as buying a 390 square foot condo, with no parking, in downtown San Francisco for $600,000 ... is it not ?!?

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Comments

[QuietLightTraveler]

04:44 PM on 08/20/2010

Yea, and when they get tired of the dog, they fix it for dinner. lol

[FosterMom]

01:08 AM on 08/17/2010

Tibetan Mastiff puppy: $600,000
Accessories for the (canine) accessory: $2,000
Cost for dog trainer (since your status symbol is acting up): $5,000
Realizing you could have gotten a great companion for $50 (or free off of the streets): Priceless

[Enrique Navarro]

12:01 AM on 08/12/2010

I don't understand why people always have to find a way of arguing about anything... There are comments here about how China is exterminating Tibetans and why this article shouldn't be posted in this section. This article is about a beautiful breed; the Tibetan mastiff, not about politics, human rights or editing in the Huffington Post!

http://thegermanshepherddogbreed.blogspot.com/

[FlaviaDeLuce]

12:46 PM on 08/10/2010

Tibetan Mastiff is all cool and dandy but Tibetan people are something they try to exterminate.. hm..

cute dog, fd up country

[mike72]

03:39 AM on 08/11/2010

What what data do you have to back up your assertion that Tibetans are being exterminated?

There are 6 million Tibetans today living in Tibet, up from less than one million in 1950. UN has awarded (for all its worth, after all China has a huge power stake in UN) China for the protection of Tibetan culture.

If US can remotely do something as good as China, Native Americans might still be flourishing in their land we now call America.

Get your facts straight and not just have a mental jerk and spill it off.

[FlaviaDeLuce]

01:22 PM on 08/11/2010

Are you for real??? China even paid their poorest chinese people to move to Tibet years ago, so they can say they have a large population there, I guess you don't read books, newspapers or watch tv you dingbat..

there are zillion articles on this
Since the 1950s, the Asian nation of Tibet has been under the brutal thumb of Communist dictatorship. Few Americans seem to be aware of the situation; I wasn't until recently.

In 1950, Red China invaded the peaceful, religious country of Tibet, which borders China and a few other nations such as Bhutan and Nepal. Red China insists that Tibet is part of their territory, hence their justification of their occupation of this country.

Ever since the Communist occupation, native Tibetans have been beaten and imprisoned, and Tibetan women have had forced abortions and sterilizations. In addition, Red China has been moving low-income native Chinese into Tibet in an effort to gradually replace the native population.

Tibetans have been forbidden to practice their religion (Buddhism), and have been imprisoned simply for displaying a picture of their religious and national leader, the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959; he resides in India where he is with the rest of the Tibetan government in exile, hoping one day to return to a free Tibet. In the meantime he and other expatriate Tibetans work for the freedom of their country.

[mike72]

05:05 AM on 08/12/2010

I am asking you what data do you have to support your claim tha Tibetans are exterminated?

From less than a million to 6 million now does not seem like extermination.

[kareemachan]

12:33 PM on 08/10/2010

My cousin has a half-Tibetan mastiff/half Rottweiler that is a sweetie of a dog. Nice temperament, not as long-haired as these guys, and smart. His name, appropriately, is Bear, and he's just a great dog.

[iLoveOldNY]

04:43 AM on 08/10/2010

Ugly dog tulip bubble?

[Matt Osborne]

02:40 AM on 08/10/2010

Harry Dresden magic at work?

[Animal Compassion]

12:47 PM on 08/09/2010

I thought the culture of China was to eat dog? Suprised this one breed gets to escape the fire pit. Will most likely be bred to the point of inbreeding just like the puppy mills here in the States.

[fourtruth]

03:59 PM on 08/09/2010

Yes, they will become inbred, then they will turn focus to something else. They will not escape though - they will be used for a while, when their novelty or usefullness as a breeder wears off they will be on the dinner plate.

They learned that "use, profit and throw it away" from us. 5 million dogs a year killed in USA. Thousands of race, polo and show horses sent to slaughter every year. If there were no profit to be made how small would that number be? We don't know, but it would be glaring.

[LogicalMathMan]

12:30 PM on 08/09/2010

Cute dogs though.

[LogicalMathMan]

12:30 PM on 08/09/2010

To those respondents who make this an ideological issue against all Chinese citizens: Your rancor is akin to those conservatives who rail against illegal immigration because a solitary, drunk, undocumented alien killed a nun in a traffic accident.

[prider]

09:45 AM on 08/09/2010

Why are cute and odd animal stories always posted in "green"? Green in the environmental sense typically means "balanced," "ethical," "ecological." I love pet animals, but the purebred animal business--more often than not--is abusive to the adored species. If you want "cute" animal stories, please have a "Animal" category. It would be very popular. It is offensive to environmentalists to have such stuff in the "Green" category.

[aDelphinium]

03:17 AM on 08/09/2010

Following the earthquake in Tibet some months ago, Chinese "rescue workers" stole Tibetan puppies from their owners to sell in China. It's disgusting.

[aDelphinium]

03:15 AM on 08/09/2010

These dogs are stolen from Tibet!

[LMPE]

01:38 AM on 08/09/2010

And then its like the Tibetan mastiffs turn against everyone for eating dogs all those years. Those grade-Z movies about nature's vengeance come true!

[Gatormouth]

11:20 PM on 08/08/2010

At least they are mellowing, some. The last I heard Saint Bernards were favored table meat in China. http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/stbernards.htm

[LogicalMathMan]

12:27 PM on 08/09/2010

LOL...that was my first thought about this article. This is progress.