Society

Heroine mastiff gives birth to 26 pups

By Zuo Likun (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-10 11:05

Dog-owner Sun Dejiang attends his mastiff and its pups. [Ganshaqu.com]

A heroine Tibetan mastiff gave birth to an astonishing 26 pups, all healthy, on Tuesday in Mudanjiang City, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Mastiff usually gives birth to four to eight cubs in a litter, the report said. Dog-owner Sun Dejiang and his wife now have to subgroup the 26 cubs for nursing, fearing they might choke one another in a huddle. The mother dog now has to breast-feed the cubs every hour.

The Tibetan mastiff is a slobbery dog with massive lion-mane-like hair and could grow up to 180 pounds (80 kilograms). The giant dog, sometimes feisty, is a fashion of the moment in China, almost a must-have luxury for the country's ultra-rich. Breeders here say adult Tibetan mastiffs could fetch up to tens of thousands of dollars, or even more than $100,000.