Tibetan Mastiff Twins Sold for $3 Million in China: Rare Dogs as 'Treasured as Giant Panda,' Says Breeder

Tibetan mastiff twins were sold for an astounding 18 million yuan or nearly $3 million USD in China's Zhejiang province Tuesday, according to reports. The huge, hairy sheepherding dogs are seen as a symbol of status and power there, and a wealthy property developer was eager to pay the high price for the animals.

The Tibetan mastiff twins were sold to a real estate mogul from the eastern Shandong province, according to breeder Zhang Gengyun, who raised the dogs. The golden-haired mastiff is nearly 3 feet tall, weighs 200 pounds, and was 12 million yuan alone.

"His hair is bright and he has a [drop-dead] gorgeous face," the breeder told the Associated Press. "Usually he's quiet and gentle, but when a stranger shows up, he could bark endlessly and bite."

The other dog, whose fur is a darker red with splotches of gold, was sold for 6 million yuan. Both dogs are very valuable in China because of their affiliation with wealth.

"The Tibetan mastiff is as treasured in China as the giant panda, so people consider it a symbol of higher social status," Gengyun said of the 1-year-old dogs.

The dogs are usually sold for several hundred thousand dollars, but that can be negotiated. However, the breeder who received almost $3 million for the twin Tibetan mastiffs said that this sale was far from a publicity stunt.

"It isn't uncommon for a breeder to hype a price in order to raise his profile in the industry, just like a celebrity can inflate his or her appearance fee," he explained. This, though, is "a real deal," he promised.

Though the buyer's name was never revealed, Zheng Gengyun said the man may start breeding the rare dogs himself. The steep price for the dogs may not have been too bad in that case: the buyer could recoup the money if he sells several mastiffs, and the dogs were paid for on his credit card.