China has started commercially cloning the ancient domestic dog breed, Tibetan Mastiff.

The Tibetan Mastiff has been used to guard flocks, herds, villages and tents during ancient times. This breed has nomadic cultures in Central Asia, China, Nepal and Tibet.

Through a joint venture with South Korea’s Sooam Biotech Research Foundation and Boya Life, China is on its way to commercially clone this breed, according to a Xinhua report on Thursday. The venture was officially announced on Wednesday in Shandong’s Weihain City.

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Three purebred Tibetan Mastiff puppies were born in the province through a proxy mother. A lion-like Mastiff was cloned which produced the litters.

Jiama, the 8-year-old Tibetan mastiff, hailed from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Jiama has taken home several awards and is also among the most expensive dogs in the world.

According to Xinhua, Tibetan Mastiffs are being sold at as much as US$2.4 million each.

Since ancient times, herders in Tibet have been using the mastiffs as shepherd dogs. This was because of their loyal but fierce characteristics. However, in recent times, the trend has changed and only those who could afford them can keep them as guard dogs or pets.

Before the announcement was made on Wednesday, cloning has been a controversial issue in China. It used to be done only to conduct scientific research in the country.

A statement was released on the website of Sooam Biotech Research Foundation saying the average dog lifespan is between 10 to 15 years. The statement also said that safe cloning would be able to lengthen this life span.

The process of cloning the Tibetan Mastiff is done by getting the live cells from the source. This is performed on either a live dog or a dead one as long as it does not exceed five days after its demise.

TagsTibetan Mastiff, Nepal, Tibet, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Boya Life, Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, Xinhua, shandong, Weihain City