Alaunt
A number of modern breeds are believed directly descended from the Alaunt. The original alaunt is thought to have resembled a Caucasian Ovcharka. They were large, short coated mountain dogs of varying type. The Alaunt was bred and formed by the Alani tribes, the nomads of Indo-European Sarmatian ancestry who were related to the Sarmatians and spoke a Indo-Iranian language. The Alans were known as superb warriors, herdsmen and breeders of horses and dogs. The Alans bred their dogs for work and had developed different strains within the breed for specific duties.
History
As far as is known, the Alaunt’s primary ancestors were working dogs such as the Armenian Gampr and the Sarmatian Mastiff from the Caucasus and the Alabai from Central Asia, but also the shorthaired hounds of India and Persia. However, the Ayran Flock Guardian or Sage Koochi steppe type that decends from the steppes of Asia, brought by the steppe nomads, used to domesticate the horse, control and defend large livestock far predates these breeds in working type, giving the genetic template of the Alaunt. The steppe nomads taught the Assyrains of the use of the horse and chariot.
In the 370s, 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 Illyrian Mountain Dog, Metchkar, Qen Ghedje, Hellenikos Poimenikos and other Molossers of the region. Some believe that the white-coloured Alaunts were the direct ancestors of Greek and Albanian 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, 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, the Alaunt became a valued large game hunting dog, existing in a variety of types, dictated by regional preferences. In 1500, Spain was known for breeding the best Alaunts and used them to conqure 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 heavier 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 were termed the original Bulldogs as they were used to control and defend herds of cattle. The process was repeated in other countries, such as England which already had very large Mastiffs which were crossed with the Alaunt and Terriers to create the baiting bulldog. Only two known renmants of true ancient Alaunt type still exist worldwide: The Alano of Northern Spain and the White English Bulldog of USA. The Alaunt was known as the Bullenbeisser (German for Bull Biter)in Germany which was crossed with white bulldogs from England to create the Boxer and is the origins of the Great Dane.
Modern relatives
Contemporary enthusiasts are developing new breeds based on Alaunt bloodlines, such as the New Alaunt, Antebellum_Bulldog or Altamaha Plantation Dog, Dogo Belgrado, Abraxas bulldog and the American Alaunt. While its origins are strongly rooted in the ancient mountain dogs of the East, the Alaunt is regarded by some cynologists as the ancestor the original bulldog breeds.
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