A DOG equivalent to the price of a limousine? That was the question asked by a news reporter at the first ever dog auction held in China on Monday.

The dog is Lion, a German shepherd that won the champion slot for training at the dog competition held the day before in the Shanghai Stadium.

Lion completed items for working dogs with high accuracy and efficiency, such as walking beside the trainer, picking things up, leaping over fences, resisting the temptation of offered food, and attacking at command.

Vic Wilms, a judge of working dogs from Belgium who judged Sunday's competition believed that Lion was worth the 500,000 yuan (US$60,240) his owner Duan Xuyang demanded.

Reasonable price

A total of 15 dogs were listed at the auction on Monday, with only one, a Chihuahua named Dou'er, being sold, for 3,100 yuan (US$373) to Chen Liang and Wang Yujie, a couple from Nanjing.

Some 3,100 yuan for a Chihuahua was reasonable price, the couple believed. "We've had a Chihuahua already, and Dou'er can be a companion for him," Wong said.

But Duan was not disappointed by the bidders' cold-shoulder toward his champion dog.

"I just came to have fun, and test my achievement in dog training," said Duan from Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province. "I didn't intend to sell him here."

Duan worked with the police in Xuzhou. Lion's parents were both police dogs. Lion also used to participate in police assignments.

"He can find drugs, weapons and bombs," Duan said. "A businessman wanted to buy him for 350,000 yuan (US$42,000) earlier this year, but I couldn't bear to give him up."

Lion sat obediently by his feet while Duan talked with reporters. He stood up to put his front legs on Duan when reporters asked them to pose for pictures.

Wang Jialiang was a major sponsor for the Dog Show and Training Competition as well as the auction. The auction was actually held in the Jialiang Kennel in the suburb of the city.

"My aim is to lower the price of purebred dogs in Shanghai," said Wang. "We wish to make this auction a regular event as a weekend leisure activity, where dog lovers can exchange and communicate." The extra-high dog price in Shanghai is due mainly to the lack of smooth exchange channels, Wang believed.

The Jialiang Company hosted the first Shanghai Dog Show and Competition in the kennel last year.

Over 350 dogs participated in this year's competition, which is made up of two different sessions, the dog show, otherwise known as the beauty campaign for dogs, and the training competition.

The champion of the dog show, "Best In Show" was a male pomeranian, which "could win in any place in the world", according to the judge from the AKC (American Kennel Club) Robert Condon from the US. "I was amazed by the quality of the dogs at the show."

In the training session, the Chinese dogs proved themselves well trained "in a Chinese way", agreed Ma Ming, a Dutch trainer, and Wilms, the judge.

This competition is not a highly professional one, where dogs attack with ferocity, bite hard and refuse to let go until the order is given.

"They are mainly civil dogs," Condon said. "Small dogs are enough for a crowded environment like Shanghai. They just live with the family and act nicely."

He Maoxiang came with his great Dane named Zolo all the way from Chengdu, of Southeast China's Sichuan Province. Zolo can carry goods weighing 30 kilogrammes, sit for 10 hours in a given place and even knows to use the men's toilet in public.

"I don't intend to make any profit from the competition. Chinese dog owners are not used to training their dogs or having dogs trained. Dogs' bad behaviour brings complaints from neighbours," He said, "I want to let people see that you get a reward when you educate a dog like a child."

Tina Larsen from Denmark enrolled her dog Ronja in the training competition. Unlike most of the participants, who were German shepherds, a breed known for its loyalty and obedience, Ronja is a crossbreed, picked up from a homeless dog shelter. Ronja completed the tasks with few mistakes except for the attacking part, which was unfamiliar as she was not a working dog.

Ronja was trained in Jialiang. Larsen would drive to the kennel twice every week for Ronja to exercise. "I didn't want to have her work too hard," said Larsen, "we stopped when I thought she no longer enjoyed the training."

Prosperous industry

As dogs become more and more popular in urban China, kennel and dog-related industries have rapidly developed into a flourishing business.

"I spent 5,000-6,000 yuan (US$600-720) on him every year," said Yue Youzhen, holding her 2-year poodle in the Shanghai Museum. The poodle participated in the dog dressing and beauty competition held alongside the dog show.

The poodle's hair was soft and gave off a pleasant smell from the shampoo. His ears and feet were dyed a bright orange colour.

"A hair-cut costs 150 yuan (US$18) and the hair-dying is around 300 (US$36)," Yue said, "he needs to have a hair cut for his face every 10 days."

But Yue's poodle can bring in enough income to cover the expense. "He works as a stud and everytime he performs he makes nearly 1,000 yuan (US$120)."