The mastiff was generally used as a guard dog and is widely recognized as a particularly intelligent species.

A friend of mine who have kept the Tibetan Mastiff dogs for 20 years tells me that the animal is the king of all dogs and have a sense of pride is very strongly.

The high price paid for the dog is a sign that the red Tibetan mastiff has become a status symbol in China, replacing jewellery and cars as a way for the super-rich to show off their wealth.