For those who may wish to live in China for a while but are restricted by having a dog in their homeland.
You can bring dogs into China! As pets that is.
A friend of mine from USA did just that. He read that certain shots were needed and also an international certificate of health.
Before he made final decision he called his local USDA Export office, and they provided the same information. You need a rabies certificate and international health certificate stamped by the local USDA Office.
All the checks, shots, and stamps in the US cost him about $300. The flight for the dog was $200. You will need to call the airline to schedule and learn their process.
At Inspection and Quarantine in China Customs (red channel), the cost was 3500 RMB for 30 days quarantine. This process was simple but time consuming. It is advised you to get started well before your travel date.
You can employ an agent to help you with the process but it will cost 10 -15,000 rmb. But you can do it yourself. All international airports in China have facilities available for the quarantine.
The above is for the USA but I would imagine the same would apply for most other countries.
Willy