Space to roam

    One of his buyers from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, even bought a mountain property to raise the mastiff so it would have lots of space. He invited Wang to his house, showing that he knew about mastiff raising, had a warm heart and the right environment.

    Wang, a 30-year-old Shanghai native, set up Jielian Tibetan Mastiff Kennel last winter, in remote Hangtou Village in Fengxian District.

There is a saying among ultra-rich men in northern China: you need a young beautiful wife, a Lamborghini, a villa with expansive grounds, a purebred horse and a Tibetan mastiff, the bigger and more ferocious the better. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The former logistics company profession used all his savings, about 500,000 yuan in all, aimed at "fostering China's best Tibetan mastiff." His kennel is set in a big orchard, and as one approaches the dogs start barking -- a deep rumbling, rather frightening sound.

    "Take it easy. My boys and girls are a little wary of strangers," Wang says as he opens the heavy iron-made gate.

    Five huge Tibetan mastiffs locked in five enclosures, each 8 square meters, bark even more fiercely and jump against the doors.

    "Hush. Hush." Wang soothes them. "What's up, naughty baby?" He kneels down and pats one of the dogs lovingly through the metal gate.

    If it were not raining, these huge monster-like dogs would be running freely and playing in the peach garden.

    Wang has one bitch, Bafei, a perfect lion-maned mastiff bought in northern China in 2008. All dogs in the kennel, already huge at 12 months old, are built like young lions.

    My biggest concern is whether the master can raise the dog properly," says Wang. "To some extent, the mastiff is a status symbol because it is very expensive to raise. More important, it is a trust-worthy friend who deserves true love and sincerity from the master."

    Wang has raised many big dogs since he was a child, including chows and German shepherds.

    He calls the Tibetan mastiff "the ultimate goal of a dog lover."

    After years of studying everything about mastiffs, Wang says good-bye to the 10-year-old logistics company he founded with a partner 10 years ago and started raising mastiffs.

    "I devote my heart and soul to the kennel for the rest of my life," he says.