Beijing : In 2011, when a Tibetan mastiff called Big Splash sold for 10million yuan (970,000 pound) to a coal baron, everyone was stunned over what was then the most expensive dog sale ever.

A Chinese man bids farewell to two Tibetan mastiffs in Tongxiang city in China’s Zhejiang province. APThree years later, a Tibetan mastiff puppy has broken that record, becoming the most expensive in the world after selling for 1.16million pound in China. In dollar terms, it’s worth about $2 million.

According to an Indian daily, the purchaser is a property developer in eastern China’s Zhejiang province who paid 12 million yuan ($1.94 million). The Tibetan mastiff puppy is 80 cm tall and weighs 90 kg.

According to AP, one of the twins – a golden-haired Tibetan mastiff – was sold for $12 million yuan, and his red-haired brother went for $6 million yuan.

A status symbol for wealthy dog lovers, mastiffs resemble lion because of their round manes. They are also considered to bring good luck.

“The dogs, with distinctive leonine features, have become a status symbol of the country’s super-rich and are said to be lucky animals bringing health and security,” Metro.co.uk reported, adding, “They have lion’s blood and are top-of-the-range mastiff studs.”

A report in August 2013 had said that a zoo in the central China city of Luohe had attempted to pass off a Tibetan mastiff as a lion.