6Mar/103
The Noble and Faithful Akita
Third in an indefinite series of posts on dog breeds I like. See previous entries here and here.
There is no way I could watch this recently released direct-to-DVD Lasse Hallstrom movie, which is inspired by the true story of Hachiko. I would pretty much be in tears the entire time thinking about Shmoo, the amazing Akita I spent my childhood with:
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How Much for that Doggy in the Window?
$582,000.
In an increasingly status-conscious culture of conspicuous consumption among the moneyed in China, purchasing rare Tibetan Mastiffs has become a major sign of 'arriving.' And the purchase of Yangtze No. 2, an absolutely gorgeous show-quality molosser (who, notably, has not been spayed), by an unidentified Ms. Wang, is the ultimate in conspicious dog purchasing.
Tibetan Mastiffs are difficult dogs - unfriendly, protective, and completely unwilling to pay attention to their masters. Long considered one of the most ancient breeds and the possible source for all other mastiff breeds, fewer than 400 purebred Tibetan Mastiffs are extant today. In 2008, AKC opened its doors at Westminster to the Tibetan Mastiff for the first time, a sign of the breed's growing status-symbol recognition. Time will only tell if Yangtze No. 2 will appear at the major dog shows, but no matter what, that is one amazing dog.