Meanwhile, Wu Zhengjun, a dog lover who runs a pet store in Pucheng, is not only a master of breeding greyhounds, but also has a thorough knowledge of the dogs.

Legend has it that greyhounds were introduced to Pucheng from the Western Regions during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). And by the Tang Dynasty (618-907), emperors Li Yuan and Li Shimin treated them as hunting companions. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), they started to be bred by local people, and chasing rabbits became a local sport.

Liu Shenglong, 55, is a master at catching rabbits.

But he says the rabbits are getting smarter, and the local greyhounds can barely catch them now.