Spanish Alano

General: A hunting dog, straight shaped, rough well-proportioned. Brachycephalic form of head, squared in appearance and with a serious expression. Its body structure is graceful; its movements are agile, and almost feline. The bite is very strong and firm. It has a serious and resolute character, and shows distrust toward strangers. The 20th Century was disastrous for the attack dog in Spain. The mixture with other breeds such as the boxer and mastiff reached a point where the Spanish Alano was considered to be completely extinct. Starting in 1980 a group of dog specialists proposed to restore the breed. After combing Spain in search of useful specimens, they established a base for breeding that soon produced superb results. Today it can be stated that thanks to their work the Spanish Alano truly exists.

Origin: Spain.

History: The existence of the Alano in Spain dates back several centuries, although it is not very clear what was its origin, something lost in the twilight of time. The Alano has always been used to guard farms and cattle, and like hunter. There are various theories about its source. One of them points to a possible Iberian origin, based on its introduction into the peninsula with the invasion of the Barbarians in the 4th century. As early as the year 1350 King Alfonso XI published his "Book of Hunting," and in the 15th century "Treatise of Hunting," author unknown, there is a detailed physical description of the dog. When talking about the Alano dog everyone knows that it relates to a speedy attacker, and that in order to warrant the name must possess certain characteristics: pug-nosed and with a solid head, with long-bodied proportions, high croup and well boned. Also its character was clearly defined around its function as a clutching dog. There is no doubt about the fact that these dogs were very widespread, as demonstrated by their appearance in the works of the great painters, who were the authentic chroniclers of the realities of the epoch. Impressed by the appearance and performance of our Alanos, also called "bull-dogs" and "attack dogs" during the 17th century, the English, Germans and French imported them into their countries, as shown by writings of the period that refer to them as strains of Bulldog, (bull-dog), Bullenbeisser (bull-gripper) Bordeaux Dogo, respectively. These breeds gave rise to others, such as the Boxer, Bullmastiff, Argentine Dogo, etc. In the year 1873 there appeared in the British press a description of one of the "Spanish attack dogs" - called the "Bull" - that was exported there to renew the bloodlines of their Bulldog, and that stated: "When it fights, it holds its adversary only by its head, in absolute silence and totally indifferent to any pain. It is rather slow in its movements, with a sort of swaying when it walks carrying its head low." With the inception of dog breeding in Spain the first Alanos appeared in dog shows. The last pair of Alanos was exhibited in 1963 in the Retiro Park in Madrid. There followed the conjecture about its extinction, and the affirmation that the Alano had disappeared, without any scientific basis to justify this audacity. They were the dogs that accompanied the Spanish explorers to America. The chronicles of the historians of the period mention the dogs that the Spanish explorers brought with them to penetrate the virgin forests or to guard the camps. There were innumerable anecdotes regarding their intelligence, bravery and loyalty. Full pages were devoted to describe the services performed by some of the dogs. Fernández de Oviedo tells us of a dog named "Becerrillo" that always accompanied the explorer, Diego de Salazar. It was said that ten soldiers with Becerrillo were feared more that a hundred without the dog. For that reason it participated in the booties and received a salary like a soldier. He had several arrow scars, like a veteran, but his well-earned reputation for bravery was won without being bloody or cruel to the vanquished. The end of Becerrillo was like that of his son, "Leoncillo," pierced by arrows in a battle with the Indians."Leoncillo" was the dog of Nuñez de Balboa, and consequently was the first European dog to see the Pacific Ocean. The historian, Lopez de Gomara, wrote that Leoncillo earned more than a rifleman. He was alert against ambushes, able to face off a jaguar, invaluable for avoiding swampy terrain, fearsome and tame according to his own estimate of the situation. Thanks to the dogs that they used, the explorers were able to find paths without knowing the land. In the struggle against the natives, the Alanos produced as much surprise and terror as the firearms.

Temperament: Its character is very serious and reliable. It is not tolerant with strangers who are watched with suspicion. It shifts to attack with little outward sign of excitation.

Size: 70-100 pounds.

Today's Uses: Many Alano's are still used today on farms and ranches in Spain. In the U.S. it has come to find a home mostly in protection rings. The Alano posses great power and could eventually find its way to the Weight Pull World.

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