There is a saying that there are two things you cannot buy: love and friendship.
But in today’s world, you can certainly buy something that is not only man’s best friend but also loves him—and that is a dog.
Although dogs are not treated particularly well in our society, and many idioms are used locally to further diminish their status, in the Western world they are regarded as a person’s best friend and are viewed with respect and affection.
According to an estimate, there are more than 60 million pet dogs in the United States. A recent survey states that the average annual cost of keeping a dog in the U.S. is around $2,000.
Keeping a dog in America is an expensive hobby. Buying a good dog can cost a considerable amount of money—but not $1.5 million.
Recently, a Tibetan Mastiff dog was sold for $1.5 million. The dog’s name is “Big Splash.”
This red-haired Tibetan Mastiff was purchased by a wealthy Chinese businessman. Reports say that after this purchase, “Big Splash” became the most expensive dog in history.
The name of the new owner has not been disclosed, but it has been reported that he is involved in the coal mining business in northern China. The new owner has given his new “best friend” a Chinese name: “Hong Dong.”
Hong Dong is no ordinary dog. He weighs 180 pounds and is only eleven months old. As he grows older, his weight is expected to increase further—by how much, no one can say at present.
The dog’s breeder and trainer is named Liang. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said that Big Splash is not only of a superior breed but has also been trained exceptionally well, and that he fully deserves his $1.5 million price tag. Liang added that a great deal of money was spent on the dog’s upbringing and training.
Although China has faced strong criticism from the West due to ongoing political unrest in Tibet over the past several years, an interesting aspect is that in recent years Tibetan Mastiff dogs have become extremely popular among China’s wealthy elite, who are willing to pay very high prices for them.
According to Forbes magazine, China ranks second in the world after the United States in the number of billionaires, with a total of 115. Millionaires are so numerous that they are hardly worth counting.
The abundance of wealth has brought significant changes to Chinese lifestyles. Where once only bicycles were seen on Chinese roads, now large numbers of expensive, new-model sports cars can be spotted speeding along. And it doesn’t stop there—over the past few years, it has also become fashionable to see a high-breed, expensive dog peering out from the window of a car.
Since dogs have become a symbol of wealth, modernity, and fashion in China, their prices have risen rapidly. The latest example of this trend is Big Splash, who has now begun a new life under the name Hong Dong.
Tibetan Mastiff dogs are extremely popular among wealthy Chinese. In 2009, a Chinese woman bought a Mastiff named Yangtze for $500,000. Last year as well, another dog of the same breed was sold in China for $1.4 million.