The Alaunt is an extinct breed of
dog, with the original breed having existed in central Asia, Afghanistan and
Europe from ancient times through the 17th century. The Alaunt breed had three
distinct phenotypes: Alaunt Veantre, Alaunt Boucherie and the Alaunt Gentile.
They all were large, short coated dogs of varying head-types. The former two
resembled the molosser type dogs much like the present-day Dogo Argentino or
like the Caucasian Shepherd Dog except with short hair and a mesocephalic head
which made them excellent large-game hunters. The Alaunt was originally bred by
the Alani tribes, the nomads of Indo-European Sarmatian ancestry who spoke an
Iranian language. The Alans were known as superb warriors, herdsmen, and
breeders of horses and dogs. The Alans bred their dogs for work and developed
different strains within the breed for specific duties. The breed was further
developed in Spain, France, Germany, England, and in Italy.
History
The
Molossus descended into Epirus in about 1200 BC,[clarification needed] also
from the north. However, their artifacts did not resemble the Mastiff
prototype, as they had a long nose of a narrow type, and a long mane. Varro,
however, described a herding dog of Epirus which was white, large headed, and
slightly undershot, used to defend sheep and goats. One group of Alans arrived
in what is now Albania in the fifth or sixth centuries BC. Molossis of Epirus
is located in Southern Albania.[3] It is most plausible the Alaunt gave rise to
the fighting dogs of the Molossi,[citation needed] which were introduced to
Britain by Roman Invasion in 55BC. The Alans provided cavalry for Rome and in
50AD, 5,500 Alans were sent to Britain to guard Hadrian's Wall. Thus, the
Alaunt genetic template most plausibly gave rise to the British Pugnaces as
fighting dogs which English Mastiffs and Bulldogs descend from.
In
the 370s AD, Hun invasions divided the Alani into the Eastern and Western
Alans. The Eastern Alani tribes merged with the Ossetians and other nations,
introducing their dogs into the bloodlines of many Balkan breeds, such as the
Shar Mountain Dog, Metchkar, Qen Ghedje, Hellenikos Poimenikos and other
Molossers of the region.[citation needed] Some believe[who?] that the
white-coloured Alaunts were the direct ancestors of Balkan breeds, which in
turn influenced all other white dogs in the Balkans.
The
Western Alans joined the Vandals on their raids through Europe and by the 410s
AD, their fierce dogs were influencing many breeds in France, Spain, Portugal,
England and other countries, spreading the use of the "alaunt" name,
which became synonymous with a type of a working dog, rather than a specific
breed. Through breeding with various scenthounds and sighthounds, some alaunts
became valued large game hunting dogs, existing in a variety of types, dictated
by regional preferences. In 1500 AD, Spain was known for breeding the best
Alaunts and used them to conquer the New World.
In
France, Alaunts were separated into three main categories, based on physical
appearance and the duties they performed. The lightest type was the Alaunt
Gentil, a greyhound-like dog, which eventually became assimilated into the
local hunting breeds with the Alaunt Veantre. The original mastiff variety,
known as the Alaunt de Boucherie, was crucial in the development of the
fighting and baiting dogs of France. The Alaunt de Boucherie in France was
known as the Alaunt Butchers in England and the Alano in Spain and Italy and
were termed the original Bulldogs as they were used to control and defend herds
of cattle. In Spain, the three categories were the Mastins, Alanos, and
Lebrels, further separated as the ayuda (defense types) and the presa (offense
types), such as the Presa Canario, Fila Brasileiro, and Cuban Mastiff.
Form
The
long, broad, flat head of the Alaunt should never be confused with the modified
brachycephalic breeds. The brachycephalic head type is wide in base, but short
in length.. While the preferred bite is reverse scissor, like the Mastiff, and
may have been a trait introduced by the Mongolian breeds at some remote time in
history, skull type and bite type are separate subjects of genetic traits. The
dolichocephalic skull is narrow at base yet long in length, so the Alaunt could
be referred to as a modified dolichocephalic breed, as mesocephalic is a
balance of base to length. Moreover, the Alaunt or Mastiff must be separated
from the Molossoides in head study, as this term does not separate the Mastiff
from the Mountain Dogs or even the Pug.
Modern relatives
our dog Boo
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