World's Most Expensive Dog Sold for £1.2m

How much is that doggy in the window? Excuse me, did you say £1.2m? Oh, you did.

A Tibetan Mastiff puppy has taken the crown of the most expensive dog in the world as it was sold for $2m (£1.2m) last weekend.

The Tibetan Mastiff (examples above, but sadly not the actual dog in question) is an extremely popular type of dog amongst Chinese millionaires and this one fetched far beyond the normal price; they usually change hands for around £100,000. They are loyal, protective and, according to one Chinese Zoo, also look a bit like lions.

In 2010, the president of the American Tibetan Mastiff Assocation commented to AP in 2010, "They have a relatively short life expectancy and are not especially rare, so it's quite puzzling why they are fetching such a high price in China". Meanwhile, an "industry insider" also claimed that high prices are "just breeders hyping each other up, and no money actually changes hands".

However, if prices remain high, the purchase may be shrewd - the buyer has said that he intends to use the dog for breeding.

(Images: Rex)

[via Gawker]