THE world’s most expensive dog has sold for a whopping £4.4million – and one of its parents is a wolf.
An Indian dog enthusiast dropped the eyewatering sum, equivalent to 500million rupees, on a “wolfdog” called Cadabomb Okami.
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The pricey pooch is a cross between an actual wolf and a Caucasian Shepherd – thought to be the first of its kind.
The new owner is S Sathish, 51, a renowned dog breeder from Bengaluru in southern Karnataka, India, who owns over 150 different breeds.
Touted as the rarest dog in the world, Okami was born in the US and sold through a broker in India in February.
At just eight months old, the pup already weighs a staggering 75kg and stands at 30 inches tall.
Sathish, who is president of the Indian Dog Breeders Association, said: “He is an extremely rare breed of dog and looks exactly like a wolf. This breed has not been sold in the world before.
“The dog was bred in the US and is extraordinary. I spent 50 million rupees on buying this pup because I am fond of dogs and like to own unique dogs and introduce them to India.”
Caucasian Shepherds are muscular, fluffy dogs native to cold countries such as Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and parts of Russia.
They are incredible guard dogs, so often used to protect herds of livestock from wolves on mountainsides.
The new arrival has become a sensation in Karnataka where Sathish has paraded him around several high-profile events including film premieres.
One clip of Okami hitting the red carpet at a premiere has attracted almost 3 million views online, Sathish claimed.
The canine enthusiast stopped breeding dogs around a decade ago, but now earns enough money just from showcasing his rare breeds to eager audiences.
He can pull in anywhere between £2200 for 30 minutes to £9000 for five hours just by turning up to events with his unique pooches.
Sathis explained: “I spent money on these dogs because they are rare. Besides, I get enough money because people are always curious to see them.
“They take selfies and pictures. My dog and I get more attention than an actor at a movie screening, we both are crowd-pullers.”
Sathish also owns a Chow Chow – famous for resembling a red panda
At his Cadabom’s Kennels, Sathish also keeps a rare Chow-Chow.
This is a blue-tongued breed that strikingly resembles a Qinling panda – the red and white species from China.
He bought that pup for more than £2.5million last year.
He keeps all his dogs, including Okami and Qinling, on a seven acre farm, where each has a 20ft by 20ft room as a kennel.
Tight security is needed to protect his valuable pack, so he has a 10ft-tall wall around the plot and constant CCTV.
Sathis said: “There is enough space for them to walk and run. There are six people to look after them.
“They don’t need air conditioner as the weather in the city is cool but they are well taken care of.
“Packed dog food has steroids and reduces their life-span. I feed all my dogs raw food. Okami eats three kilogram of raw chicken meat every day.”
World’s most expensive dog breeds
HERE are ten of the most expensive dog breeds in the world with their average starting prices:
Afghan Hound – $7,000Pharaoh Hound – $7,500Dogo Argentino – $8,000Canadian Eskimo Dog – $8,750Rottweiler – $9,000Azawakh – $9,500Tibetan Mastiff – $10,000Chow Chow – $11,000Löwchen – $12,000Samoyed – $14,000
